Silver’s Resurgence

When Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr staged the “Hermès: Treasure Trove of Gold and Silver” sale in October 2025, the results surpassed expectations across categories -especially silver. The auction, dedicated entirely to Hermès jewelry from 1960 to 2020, featured two Hermès Paris Alea PM bracelets in sterling silver that far exceeded their estimates: one guided at €900-1,100 sold for €17,920, while another at €1,000-1,200 realized €12,160.The maison’s prestige undoubtedly fuelled enthusiasm, but the sale also aligned with a broader surge in demand for sculptural silver pieces. The metal’s accessible price point -even as it reached a historic $121,68 per troy ounce at the end ofJanuary -is combining with renewed design interest and consumer confidence to create an unusually dynamic moment.According to a March 2025 survey from the US-based Silver Institute, 63% of jewelry retailers reported higher silver jewelry sales during the 2024 holiday season, with customers aged 20-50 accounting for most purchases. Retailers overwhelmingly identified female self-purchase (41%) as the top opportunity, echoing McKinsey’s September 2025 consumer jewelry survey, which found that 42% of women now buy more jewelry for themselves than they did two to three years ago. With women projected to account for 75% of global discretionary spend by 2028, silver’s sweet spot in the $100-$500 range positions it to capture long-term demand.

The second-hand market reflects the same momentum. The RealReal’s 2025 Resale Report shows silver jewelry prices climbed 18% year-over-year, with Chrome Hearts pieces jumping 82% in average selling price and Tiffany & Co. recording notable gains across cult favorites such as Elsa Peretti’s Bone cuffs and Bean pendants.Paris-based jewelry marketing expert and editorial voice Sylvie Arkoun notes that silver’s revival was inevitable. «For the past 20 years, yellow gold, sometimes rose gold, was everywhere. White metals had vanished from the scene: seen as cheap, ethnic, old-fashioned, or just cold,»she says. She cites collaborations such as the Babylone collection by Christofle x Aurélie Bidermann and the renewed prominence of silver-gold pairings at Buccellati and Tiffany. Among the talented designers who reclaimed this metal and made it desirable again, she highlights Sophie Buhai, Charlotte Chesnais, Helle Damkjaer, Kloto Design, Kinraden, Rosa Maria, Tom Wood, Stéphanie Cachard, Apriati, Statement, Lilian Von Trapp, and Juju Vera.Natasha Kietene, a brand strategist and curator, expands on silver’s creative pull: «I believe silver has always been a kind of ‘laboratory of ideas’, a material where designers feel free to experiment. I constantly see designers becoming much bolder when they work in silver.»She points to Germany-born, London-based Ute Decker’s architectural compositions and Italy’s Reveli, known for its substantial, weighty designs within an accessible price segment.Long before the current excitement, certain brands embedded silver into their DNA. Darren Hildrow, founder and director of the jewelry marketplace NouvelleBox, notes that many houses are now jumping onto the silver bandwagon. «The stronger ones had silver as part of their aesthetic already. It looks natural on them,»he points out. Los Angeles-based Spinelli Kilcollin has championed silver since 2010, combining it with gold and gemstones to highlight texture, patina, and value. Statement founder Amélie Huynh, in Paris, began with silver for its spiritual and expressive qualities, later adding gold for technical reasons while keeping silver at the heart of the brand. London-based Annoushka launched its first silver collection, Knuckle, in Fall 2025. For creative director Annoushka Ducas -who sold her semi-fine brand, Links of London, two decades ago -the return to silver marks a full-circle moment. «Using silver has meant that we've been able to play with the scale of some of the chains, creating XL versions that feel younger and bolder,»she shares. Other designers, including Elizabeth Hooper in Dallas, Texas, work fluidly across silver, vermeil, and gold, a strategy that resonates strongly with today’s consumers. Wyld Box founder Rosanna Fiedler launched her brand in 2024, blending 18-karat gold with solid silver, treating the metal, she says, with the same reverence as gold rather than as an afterthought.Shifts in production mirror evolving demand. As Laura Kay, creative director of Tomfoolery London, notes, classic pieces traditionally made in gold are increasingly being produced in silver or heavily gold-plated silver. «The plating is thicker now and often 14 karat, rather than 18 karat, which can look too orange. It keeps that timeless, precious feel, but at a more approachable price,»she says.Roseate’s recent collaboration with legendary designer Angela Cummings reaffirms silver’s creative power, reintroducing the Stars, Wave, and Seahorse collections in bold sterling-silver silhouettes.With an accessible price point that favors expressive, larger jewels and designers increasingly experimenting, sterling silver’s ascent is set to continue, especially as consumers balance cost and style.