STRUGA vs Parts of Four — Architectural Silver Compared

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov, founder of STRUGA

Parts of Four (P/4) is one of the cleanest entries into ritual-industrial silver: an avant-garde label founded by Evan Sugerman, working in oxidized 925 with spike, spear and architectural motifs. STRUGA approaches the architectural register from a different starting point — dark Bali brutalism, five worlds, $40 entry. Both architectural, both unisex, both leaning ritual. This is an honest comparison for buyers choosing between them.

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov and Ekaterina Strugovshchikova, founders of STRUGA

Reference: Parts of Four official site. Material context: Sterling silver on Wikipedia.

Parts of Four — ritual-industrial avant-garde, US-born and Bali-made

Parts of Four was founded by US-born artist Evan Sugerman — now based in Bali — and built on a single distinct vocabulary: heavy 925 silver, ritual-industrial sculptural forms, spike and spear motifs, often with stones — diamonds, sapphires, sometimes raw quartz. Like STRUGA, Parts of Four is handcrafted in Bali: the two brands share a workshop geography but diverge sharply in philosophy and price. The visual register is closer to ritual object than to ornament: pieces look like instruments, talismans or architectural fragments rather than decorative jewelry.

Pricing typically ranges from around $200 for a small ring to $3,000 for heavier statement work, with stone-set pieces going higher. The brand sells through its own e-commerce site and through a network of avant-garde retailers — concept stores, designer boutiques, museum shops — across Europe, North America, Japan and Hong Kong.

Parts of Four runs a steady design tempo. The catalog grows but the visual language stays inside its established register. The brand sits in serious art-and-design publications and is one of the recognized names in the contemporary ritual-jewelry segment.

STRUGA — dark architectural silver from Bali

STRUGA was founded in 2018 by Dmitry Strugovshchikov; the Bali workshop opened in 2020. Every piece is 925 sterling silver, handcrafted in Bali, shipped worldwide directly from strugadesign.com. The catalog is organized into five worlds:

• Codex — architectural baseline. Signet rings, signature asymmetric forms, dark minimalism.
• Ritual — heavier symbolism. Thorn, blade, mosaic, fused-cross.
• Lab — experimental work in carbon-fiber composites and meteorite.
• Dark Union — paired wedding rings, made to order.
• Island Artifacts — pieces that read as objects from a specific place.

Eleven families: Blade, Thorn, Brutalism, Carbon, Mosaic, Amulet, Signature Heart, Signature Asymmetric, Fused, Experimental, Dark Union. Price floor is $40 for an entry-tier ring; collector pieces with carbon, Seymchan meteorite or natural stones go up to $2,500+.

Comparison table — STRUGA vs Parts of Four

Dimension	STRUGA	Parts of Four
Origin	Bali, Indonesia (workshop 2020)	Bali, Indonesia (US-born founder Evan Sugerman)
Founded	2018	Independent label, 2010s
Material	925 silver oxidized; carbon (Graphite); Seymchan meteorite; tourmaline, quartz	925 silver oxidized; diamonds, sapphires, raw stones; some bronze
Visual language	Architectural, dark, brutalist minimalism, ritual symbolism	Ritual-industrial, sculptural spikes and spears, talismanic
Catalog breadth	5 worlds × 11 families	Single coherent label voice
Price range	$40 – $2,500+	$200 – $3,000+ (higher with stones)
How to buy	Direct DTC at strugadesign.com, free worldwide entry tier, $19 standard 7–14 days	Direct online + avant-garde retail network worldwide
Custom service	Dark Union (paired/wedding) and Custom Order (full bespoke)	Limited custom on request
Authentication	925 hallmark, hand-finishing marks, direct-from-brand provenance	925 hallmark, P/4 brand stamp, direct provenance

Where STRUGA is stronger

• Lower entry price. $40 versus $200. Real handmade 925 in both cases — the floor is the difference.
• Catalog breadth and coherence. Five worlds let a buyer move between daily-wear (Codex), symbolic-heavy (Ritual), experimental (Lab) and wedding (Dark Union) without leaving one workshop.
• Material range. Carbon (Graphite palette), Seymchan meteorite, tourmaline, natural quartz. Parts of Four works with a different palette of stones and does not use carbon or meteorite.
• Wedding-ring programme. Dark Union is a dedicated public service for paired wedding rings. Parts of Four handles wedding requests on a piece-by-piece basis but not as a flagship programme.
• Direct DTC pricing. No retailer markup layer. STRUGA prices on the site are the brand prices.

Where Parts of Four is stronger

• The spike and spear vocabulary. P/4 owns this corner of contemporary jewelry. If the precise appeal is sculptural ritual-industrial forms, no STRUGA piece reads exactly the same.
• Stone-setting tradition. Parts of Four has a recognized line in stone-set ritual pieces — diamonds, sapphires, raw stones in dark silver. STRUGA's Codex Amulet line uses tourmaline and natural quartz but operates in a different register.
• Established retail presence. Available physically in concept stores and museum shops across Europe, US, Japan and Hong Kong. Relevant if you want to handle the work before buying.
• Editorial pedigree. Long-running coverage in serious art-and-design press.
• Single coherent label voice. Some buyers prefer one focused vocabulary over five worlds.

When to choose STRUGA

You want dark architectural silver with several distinct registers — a daily-wear baseline, a symbolic-ritual world, a wedding-ring programme, an experimental lab — under one workshop. You want an entry price under $100. You want carbon (Graphite palette) or Seymchan meteorite as a material option. You're shopping for a wedding ring and want a dedicated programme (Dark Union). You like brutalist minimalism more than sculptural spike-and-spear ritual forms.

For starting points: dark minimalist rings for the architectural baseline, the Ritual world for heavier symbolic forms, the Codex world for daily silver.

When to choose Parts of Four

You specifically want sculptural spike, spear, talismanic forms — the established Parts of Four visual vocabulary. You want stone-set ritual silver (diamonds, sapphires, raw stones) in the P/4 register. You value being able to find pieces in physical avant-garde stores. You connect with the editorial track record. Both routes are legitimate; they answer different questions about what architectural silver should look like.

Living Silver — STRUGA's stance on patina

STRUGA does not rhodium-plate. The darkening you see on a finished piece is part of the design — it deepens with wear, with skin contact, with environment. Parts of Four pieces also live with the wearer, with similar oxidized 925 silver behavior. Both reward time. If a stable mirror finish is the goal, neither brand is the right answer.

STRUGA-only material options

• Carbon (Graphite palette). Proprietary STRUGA palette in carbon-fiber-reinforced composite, used as inlay across Brutalism and Mosaic families. Carbon reads matte where silver reads light, which gives a piece two surfaces in conversation rather than one.
• Seymchan meteorite. The Kolyma 1967 pallasite — one of the most distinctive iron-meteorite varieties on earth. Each inlay has a unique Widmanstätten pattern when etched, so two STRUGA rings with Seymchan are never identical.
• Tourmaline and natural quartz. Cut and set in Codex Amulet pieces.

How STRUGA pieces are made — process in plain language

Each design begins as a model — sometimes hand-shaped wax, sometimes 3D-printed master. The model is captured in a precise rubber mould. Wax replicas are cast and refined, then become the originals for silver casting. After casting each piece is finished by hand: edges cleaned, surfaces brought to the intended texture, oxidation worked in to the level the design demands. The hand-finishing is what makes two technically identical pieces feel slightly different in the hand — and what separates real workshop silver from mass-produced jewelry.

Parts of Four works inside its own ritual-industrial register, with sculptural casting that emphasises spike, spear and architectural fragment forms. Different visual destination, comparable workshop standards. Both produce serious 925 silver — the conversation between them is about which design language speaks to the buyer.

Frequently asked questions

Is Parts of Four worth the price?

For buyers who want sculptural ritual-industrial silver with established editorial pedigree and avant-garde retail presence — yes. The pricing reflects an established label with serious workshop standards and a recognized vocabulary. STRUGA offers a different proposition (lower entry, broader catalog) at lower price points.

Is STRUGA cheaper than Parts of Four?

At the entry tier yes — STRUGA starts at $40, Parts of Four at around $200. At the high end the two overlap, with stone-set Parts of Four pieces going higher. Per gram of silver the price is similar; the difference is what each brand sells at the lowest end of its range.

Who designs Parts of Four?

Parts of Four was founded by Evan Sugerman and operates as an independent label with its own design and production team. The visual language is consistent across the catalog.

Both are architectural — what's the actual difference?

Parts of Four is sculptural, ritual-industrial, often with spike and spear forms. STRUGA is geometric brutalist minimalism — clean edges, deliberate forms, ritual symbolism inside Codex and Ritual worlds. Same family of design philosophy, two distinct executions.

Can I commission a custom ring from either brand?

STRUGA runs two dedicated services: Dark Union for wedding and paired rings, and Custom Order for any bespoke form. Parts of Four handles custom requests on a piece-by-piece basis but does not run a public programme at the same depth.

Does Parts of Four use diamonds?

Yes — diamonds and sapphires set in oxidized silver are part of P/4's signature register, often in raw or rough-cut form to match the ritual-industrial register. STRUGA works with tourmaline and natural quartz but does not have a comparable diamond programme in the standard catalog.

Where can I see STRUGA pieces in person?

On Bali at Hedonist Store and Barefoot Aristocracy. Worldwide direct shipping with the right of refusal at pickup, free over the entry tier and $19 for standard 7–14 day delivery.

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STRUGA picks — architectural & ritual silver

Solid 925 sterling, handcrafted in Bali — ordered directly, worldwide shipping:

Brutalism V.1 Ring Sculptural statement ring $235 Buy now →

Thorn Links Chain Heavy thorn-link chain $245 Buy now →

Signature Asymmetric Links Choker Massive statement choker $570 Buy now →

All pieces: 925 sterling silver, handcrafted in Bali, ships worldwide. Full catalog — browse all STRUGA.