STRUGA vs MAOR — Dark Silver Comparison (Forms, Pricing, Availability)

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov, founder of STRUGA

MAOR is one of the cleanest entries into raw-cast dark silver: an Israeli workshop that built its language around heavy oxidized 925 sterling, sand-cast textures and unisex form. STRUGA approaches the same metal from a different angle — Bali brutalism, architectural minimalism, five distinct worlds. Both are 925. Both are direct-to-consumer. Different visual vocabularies. This is an honest comparison for buyers choosing between them.

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov, founder of STRUGA

Reference: MAOR official site. Material context: Sterling silver on Wikipedia.

MAOR — raw-cast dark silver from an Israeli workshop

MAOR was founded by an Israeli silversmith and built around a single distinct vocabulary: heavy 925 silver cast in raw, often sand-cast moulds, finished with deep oxidation that lets surface texture stay visible. The result is silver that reads almost geological — pieces look like they were lifted from a riverbed rather than fabricated.

The catalog is intentionally narrow. Rings, pendants, bracelets, chains. No huge family tree, no seasonal drops at MAOR's pace — the brand stays inside its language and iterates on it slowly. Pricing typically ranges from around $300 for a small ring to roughly $3,000 for a heavy chain or signature pendant.

MAOR ships internationally directly through its e-commerce site. There is no lottery, no waiting list, no exclusive store-only access. For buyers outside Israel that is a significant practical advantage over brands like Goro's.

STRUGA — dark architectural silver from Bali

STRUGA was founded in 2018 by Dmitry Strugovshchikov, with the Bali workshop opening in 2020. Every piece is 925 sterling silver, handcrafted in Bali, shipped worldwide directly from strugadesign.com. The brand's organizing principle is a five-world catalog rather than a single visual language.

• 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.

Across these worlds sit eleven families: Blade, Thorn, Brutalism, Carbon, Mosaic, Amulet, Signature Heart, Signature Asymmetric, Fused, Experimental, Dark Union. The 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 MAOR

Dimension	STRUGA	MAOR
Origin	Bali, Indonesia (workshop 2020)	Israel
Founded	2018 (founder Dmitry Strugovshchikov)	Independent Israeli design house, 2010s
Material	925 silver, naturally oxidized; carbon (Graphite); Seymchan meteorite; tourmaline, quartz	925 silver, oxidized; some pieces with stones
Visual language	Brutalist minimalism, dark architectural forms, ritual symbolism	Raw, sand-cast, organic-geological
Catalog breadth	5 worlds × 11 families	Narrow, single visual language
Price range	$40 – $2,500+	$300 – $3,000
How to buy	Direct DTC at strugadesign.com, free worldwide entry tier, $19 standard 7–14 days	Direct DTC online worldwide
Custom service	Dark Union (paired/wedding) and Custom Order (full bespoke)	Limited custom on a piece-by-piece basis
Authentication	925 hallmark, hand-finishing marks, direct-from-brand provenance	925 hallmark, MAOR brand stamp, direct provenance

Where STRUGA is stronger

• Lower entry price. $40 for a small Codex ring versus $300 minimum at MAOR. Real handmade 925, not silver-plated.
• Catalog breadth. Five worlds, eleven families. If the goal is matching architectural-brutalist energy across a ring, a chain, an amulet and a wedding band, STRUGA is one workshop covering all of it.
• Material range. Carbon-fiber in the proprietary Graphite palette, Seymchan meteorite, tourmaline, natural quartz. MAOR stays close to silver and occasional stones.
• Wedding-ring service. Dark Union is purpose-built for paired wedding rings — sized individually, with options for carbon, meteorite or stone inlays. MAOR does not run a public wedding-ring programme at this depth.
• Documented internal-link structure on the site. Codex, Ritual, Lab, Dark Union, Island Artifacts as collections — each its own visual language with its own audience.

Where MAOR is stronger

• The sand-cast aesthetic. If the precise appeal is raw, geological, almost-found-object silver, MAOR is the cleaner answer. STRUGA's brutalism is more architectural — drier, more deliberate.
• Single coherent voice. Some buyers prefer a brand that does one thing very well rather than five worlds. MAOR is exactly that.
• Heavy-cast statement pieces. MAOR's heavier rings and chains have a particular mass and tactile quality that suit a specific style.
• Israeli design lineage. A different cultural starting point than Bali — relevant for buyers who care about origin stories beyond pure aesthetics.

When to choose STRUGA

You want dark silver with architectural or brutalist character — geometry, edges, ritual symbolism rather than sand-cast organic texture. You want an entry price under $100. You're shopping for a wedding ring and want a dedicated programme (Dark Union) with custom material options. You like the idea of carbon or meteorite as a material, not just silver. You want one workshop covering ring + chain + amulet + wedding band in a coherent language.

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

When to choose MAOR

You want raw, sand-cast, organic-geological silver — not architectural brutalism. You're looking for a heavier statement ring or chain in that specific visual register. You prefer a brand that stays inside one language rather than offering five distinct worlds. You connect with the Israeli design lineage. Both routes are legitimate; they answer different questions about what oxidized silver should feel like in the hand.

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. MAOR pieces also live with the wearer, but the surface starts in a different place: a sand-cast texture catches and holds patina differently than a brutalist polished-and-oxidized STRUGA face.

If a stable mirror finish is the goal, neither brand is the right answer — both are about silver that records its history.

STRUGA-only material options

• Carbon (Graphite palette). Proprietary STRUGA palette in carbon-fiber-reinforced composite, used as inlay across Brutalism and Mosaic families.
• Seymchan meteorite. The Kolyma 1967 pallasite — one of the most distinctive iron-meteorite varieties on earth. STRUGA uses Seymchan inlays in select Codex and Ritual pieces.
• Tourmaline and natural quartz. Cut and set in Codex Amulet pieces.

None of these appear in MAOR's standard catalog. If they matter, that decides the question.

Frequently asked questions

Is MAOR jewelry good quality?

Yes — MAOR is a recognized name in the dark-silver segment, working in real 925 sterling with consistent oxidation and finishing. Like any independent workshop, individual pieces vary in mass and finishing detail; the brand's overall output is at the higher quality end of the segment.

Is STRUGA cheaper than MAOR?

At the entry tier yes — STRUGA starts at $40, MAOR around $300. At the high end the two overlap. The per-gram price of silver is roughly the same; the difference is what each brand sells at the lowest end of its range.

Can I commission a custom piece from MAOR?

MAOR handles some custom requests on a piece-by-piece basis but does not run a public programme. STRUGA runs two dedicated services: Dark Union for wedding and paired rings, and Custom Order for any bespoke form.

Both are 925 silver — what's the actual difference?

The metal is the same alloy. The difference is design vocabulary, casting technique and finishing. MAOR uses sand-cast and raw-cast moulds for an organic-geological surface. STRUGA uses a rubber-mould casting workflow for precise architectural geometry, then hand-finishes and oxidizes for a brutalist face.

Which is better for daily wear?

Both are heavy oxidized 925 — both will pick up wear marks and deepen with time, which is the point. STRUGA's Codex and Brutalism families are explicitly built for daily wear; MAOR's heavier statement rings can be worn daily but are weighted more towards occasional impact pieces.

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.

Does STRUGA make a sand-cast equivalent?

STRUGA's casting workflow is precise rubber-mould casting followed by hand finishing — not sand-cast. If the sand-cast look is what you want, MAOR is the better choice. STRUGA's parallel value is geometric brutalism with material options (carbon, meteorite) that MAOR doesn't offer.