SPECIFICATIONS
| Article | K-0490-M |
| Material | 925 Sterling Silver |
| Availability | Made to order · ~2 weeks |
| Weight | 1.6 g |
| Finish | Black oxidation |
| Technique | Wax model, 925 silver, hand finishing |
| Production | Handmade in Bali, Indonesia |
| World | RITUAL |
| Family | BRUTALISM |
| Size Guide | Ear cuff sizing guide → |
| Shipping | Carrier rates, one exchange within 14 days |
| Care | Wipe with a soft cloth after wearing. Remove before water or chemicals |
THE STORY OF THIS PIECE
The fourth form of the brand — architecture in silver. BRUTALISM is an exploration of Soviet brutalist aesthetics under the influence of Suprematism. Today it is the heaviest and most massive rings in the brand, and ear cuffs; the range will grow.
Read the BRUTALISM form story→EXPLORE STRUGA
An ear cuff in 925 silver with a surface darkened in advance, 1.6 grams, size M, unisex. Flat bars of rectangular section lie across a smooth band, and their ends rise over the top edge in uneven steps. The black oxidation is applied in the workshop: the cuff is dark from day one, with no patina to wait for. It holds with a clip on the rim of the ear, so no piercing is needed. $125 (Rp 2,230,000), made to order in about two weeks. BRUTALISM family — architecture in silver.
Material: 925 sterling silver, no rhodium plating.
Family and world: BRUTALISM — a family of the CODEX world; as a piece darkened in advance, this cuff is also gathered into RITUAL.
Form: V.3 — bars across the band, ends stepping over the top edge.
Finish: black oxidation — the darkening is done at the bench, as a choice of surface, not as a matter of time.
Size: M — 1.6 g and $125; the same form in size L weighs 3.8 g and costs $160.
Care: a soft cloth. Silver-cleaning solutions and ultrasonic baths do not suit this surface — they are made to strip darkening off.
BRUTALISM is a family of the CODEX world, an exploration of Soviet brutalist aesthetics under the influence of Suprematism: form, line, composition. The family is built on variations developed together with an architect. V.3 is one of them, not a step in a series. The band is smooth and open; flat bars of rectangular section lie across it with gaps between them, and their ends rise over the top edge in steps of different height. From the front the group reads as a stepped silhouette, from the side as a row of projections. The back of the band stays smooth; the hallmark and the maker's stamp sit there.
Dark Treatment is about the surface, not about a different form. The geometry is the same as V.3 in size L; what sets this piece apart is that the silver was darkened straight away, at the bench. Of the five cuffs in the family this is the only one: the other four arrive light and darken on their own. The dark layer lies evenly over both the smooth band and the steps, so the relief reads as shadow rather than as a highlight.
Size M is the smaller of the two. The same geometry at a smaller scale: 1.6 grams against 3.8 in size L, a narrower band, shorter steps. On the ear a cuff like this reads as a detail rather than a statement, and it leaves room for a second object lower along the rim.
925 silver is 92.5% pure silver. It is made like this: first the form is modelled — in 3D or by hand in wax. A silicone mould is taken from the wax model and the silver is cast. A silversmith finishes the cuff by hand, and then the surface is darkened.
The cuff goes on without a piercing, on the rim of the ear; wear it on its own or stacked with other STRUGA silver — in the photographs it sits higher on the rim with a light cuff below it. Nearby are the other objects of the BRUTALISM family and the brand's other darkened ear cuffs.
About STRUGA. STRUGA is a dark silver jewelry brand founded by Dmitry Strugovshchikov and Ekaterina Strugovshchikova, handcrafted in the Bali workshop by master silversmiths. Every piece is 925 sterling silver. The surface of this cuff is darkened in advance, by controlled oxidation: a dark surface is part of the brand's language and a choice made at the bench.
Which BRUTALISM cuff to choose
Five cuffs are built on the same band and differ in how the bars sit on it. Prices are live, from the store.
| Cuff | Bars and finish | Weight and price |
|---|---|---|
| V.3 Dark (M) — this one | Stepped, darkened in advance | 1.6 g · $125 |
| V.3 (L) | Same steps, light silver | 3.8 g · $160 |
| V.1 (M) | Eight upright bars, a comb | 1.6 g · $125 |
| V.1 (L) | The same comb, larger | 3.8 g · $160 |
| V.2 (L) | Horizontal, two offset rows | 3.8 g · $125 |
All five are 925 silver. Only this one is darkened in the workshop; the other four arrive light and darken on their own from air and skin.
Who it is for and when
This is a cuff for someone who wants dark silver now, not after six months of wear. Uncoated silver darkens on its own, but unevenly and on no schedule: the gaps go into shadow first, the rest follows. Here the question is settled at the bench — the piece arrives as it was intended, and on the first evening it looks the way it looks in the photographs.
Size M is the quiet one. At 1.6 grams the cuff sits on the rim of the ear without arguing with the rest: dark metal on light skin reads as graphics, and the steps are noticed close up. It is also the size for a stack — the space lower on the ear stays free for a second cuff or an earring, and the contrast of dark against light silver works better here than two identical objects.
What it will not give you: silver that lightens and lives on its own. The dark layer sits on the surface, and silver-cleaning products will take it off — the care here is different from the light cuffs in the family. If you want the same architecture in uncoated silver and larger, take V.3 in size L: the same steps, 3.8 grams, $160.
Frequently asked questions
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Ask a question →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a piercing to wear this ear cuff?
No. The cuff goes on without a piercing: it wraps the rim of the ear and holds by its own form. You can wear it on a pierced or an unpierced ear and take it off at any moment.
How is Dark Treatment different from the regular V.3?
Only in the surface. The geometry is the same: bars across the band, ends stepping over the top edge. On Dark Treatment the silver was darkened in advance, in the workshop, so the cuff is dark from day one. The regular V.3 arrives light and darkens on its own from air and skin. The sizes differ too: Dark Treatment is made in M — 1.6 grams and $125; the light V.3 in L — 3.8 grams and $160.
How do I care for darkened silver, and can I clean it?
Wipe it with a soft cloth after wearing — that is enough. Silver-cleaning solutions and ultrasonic baths do not suit this piece: they are made to strip darkening off, and here the darkening is the surface. Harsh chemicals, chlorine and abrasive pastes are out as well. If the dark layer wears off the raised ends over time, the surface is restored in the workshop, not at home.
How much does the cuff weigh and how long does it take to make?
The cuff is 1.6 grams of 925 sterling silver, size M — you barely feel it on the ear. The price is $125. Made to order takes about two weeks: every cuff is cast and finished by hand, and the brand keeps no ready stock.
What is the BRUTALISM family?
BRUTALISM is a STRUGA family from the CODEX world: architecture in silver, an exploration of Soviet brutalist aesthetics under the influence of Suprematism. V.1, V.2 and V.3 are parallel variations of one language, not steps of an evolution: each has its own arrangement of bars on a shared band. Today the family is the heaviest and most massive rings in the brand, and ear cuffs; it is young, and the range will keep growing.
