SPECIFICATIONS
| Article | K-0490-M |
| Material | 925 Sterling Silver |
| Availability | Made to order · 2–4 weeks |
| Weight | 2.3 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 | Free worldwide, duties and taxes included · 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
Brutalism V.3 Dark Treatment is a STRUGA ear cuff in 925 sterling silver, darkened in advance by black oxidation. Size M, 1.6 g, worn without a piercing. $125, made to order in about two weeks. Flat bars lie across a smooth open band, and their ends step above its upper edge. The lead time is confirmed when you order.
Material: 925 sterling silver, 92.5% silver, without rhodium plating.
Family and world: BRUTALISM, a family of the CODEX world; as a darkened piece it is also listed in RITUAL.
Form: V.3 — bars across the band, ends stepping above the upper edge; one of the BRUTALISM variations.
Finish: black oxidation, applied at the bench; the other four cuffs of the family arrive light.
Size and weight: M, 1.6 g, $125, sold as a single cuff. The same form in size L, in light silver: about 7.5 g, $250.
Lead time: made to order in about two weeks; shipping takes about a week on top.
Care: a soft dry cloth; warm water and mild soap when needed. Silver dips and polishing cloths remove the darkening.
The band is a smooth open C with a gap at the back. The bars are of rectangular section, set with spaces between them, and their ends rise to different heights. Seen from the front, the ends form a stepped outline; from the side, a row of short projections. The back of the band is plain.
V.3 Dark Treatment is darkened at the bench, after the piece has been finished, so it arrives with a dark surface. Black oxidation is a chemical darkening of the silver itself: a thin layer of silver sulphide grown from the metal, not plating and not paint. With wear the raised ends of the bars may lighten first; the spaces between them keep their shadow, and the relief stays readable.
The other four cuffs of the family arrive light and darken on their own with air and skin; the brand calls that Living Silver. Here the surface is chosen in advance, and the care differs with it: a silver dip or a polishing cloth would take the dark layer off.
Where does the V.3 shape come from?
The BRUTALISM family grew from STRUGA's interest in Soviet brutalism and Suprematism. In the ear cuffs this appears as flat bars laid across a plain band. V.1, V.2 and V.3 are three arrangements of those bars: parallel variations of one language, not successive versions.
The cuff is made like this: the form is modelled in 3D or by hand in wax, a silicone mould is taken from it, the silver is cast and finished by hand. The darkening comes last, so it covers the band and the steps evenly.
Which BRUTALISM cuff to choose
Five cuffs are built on the same band and differ in how the bars sit on it, and in the surface. Prices match the product pages.
| Cuff | Bars and surface | Weight and price |
|---|---|---|
| V.3 Dark Treatment (M) — this one | Stepped ends, darkened in advance | 1.6 g · $230 |
| V.3 (L) | The same steps, light silver | about 7.5 g · $250 |
| V.1 (M) | Upright bars in one even comb, light silver | 2.61 g · $125 |
| V.1 (L) | The same comb, larger, light silver | about 7.5 g · $250 |
| V.2 (L) | Horizontal bars in two offset rows, light silver | about 7.5 g · $250 |
All five are 925 silver and all go on without a piercing. Related selections: all blackened silver and all ear cuffs. How a cuff should sit and how to care for it — the guide to silver ear cuffs without a piercing; the family — the Atlas entry on BRUTALISM; the form in general — the entry on silver ear cuffs.
How do you choose the size?
Size M is the smaller of the two cuff sizes in the family: 1.6 g against about 7.5 g in L. The size follows the rim of the ear, not the wearer's gender. The method is in the ear cuff size guide: pinch the outer edge of the ear where the cuff will sit. A moderate edge takes M; a thick edge, or a looser fit, takes L. If you are not sure, start with M, the most common fit.
The cuff goes on without a piercing: the open band holds on the rim of the ear by its own form. In the photographs it sits high on the rim, with a light-silver ribbed cuff below it; M leaves the lower rim free for a second cuff or an earring.
Who it is for, and when
This cuff is for someone who wants the dark surface from the first day. Uncoated silver darkens on its own, but unevenly and on no schedule: the spaces between the bars go dark first, the rest follows with time. This one arrives as it looks in the photographs.
The cuff is an everyday object. Take it off before a shower, a pool or a workout: chlorine and sweat lighten the surface faster than ordinary wear does. In a stack it works as the dark piece against light silver.
If what you want is silver that darkens by itself, take the same architecture uncoated and larger — the V.3 in size L: the same steps, about 7.5 g, $250. A dark version in size L, or another variation of the form, can be asked for as a Custom Order.
Styling. How a dark ear cuff reads in an architectural wardrobe — the Rick Owens aesthetic guide.
About STRUGA. STRUGA is a dark silver jewelry brand founded by Dmitry Strugovshchikov and Ekaterina Strugovshchikova. For the international market, STRUGA objects are made in Bali. The brand's silver line is 925 sterling silver; alongside it stands the CARBON family, made of multi-layer matte carbon. This ear cuff is 925 silver darkened in advance by black oxidation: the dark surface is a choice made at the bench, not a patina the metal grew by itself.
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: the open band wraps the rim of the ear and holds by its own form. It can be worn on a pierced or an unpierced ear and taken off at any moment. Size M fits an ear with a moderate rim; the method for checking is in the ear cuff size guide.
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 is darkened in advance, at the bench, so the cuff is dark from day one; the regular V.3 arrives light and darkens on its own with air and skin. The sizes differ too: Dark Treatment is made in M — 1.6 g and $125; the light V.3 in L — about 7.5 g and $250.
Will the black oxidation wear off, and how do I care for the cuff?
Black oxidation is a chemical darkening of the silver itself — a thin layer of silver sulphide grown from the metal; it is not black rhodium, not plating and not paint, so there is no separate coating to peel off. With wear the raised ends of the bars lighten first, while the shadow between them stays dark, and the relief reads sharper; an ear cuff is touched far less than a ring, so the change is slow. Care: a soft dry cloth after wearing; warm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush when it needs washing. Silver dips and polishing cloths strip the darkening; ultrasonic cleaners and chlorine are to be avoided as well. If the dark layer lightens with wear, STRUGA takes the surface back to depth; the cuff does not need remaking, and shipping it to STRUGA is paid by the owner.
How much does the cuff weigh, what does it cost and how long does it take to make?
The cuff weighs 1.6 g of 925 sterling silver, size M — on the ear it is barely felt. The price is $125. It is made to order in about two weeks; shipping takes about a week on top, its cost is calculated at checkout, and orders from $300 ship free. The price and the weight are catalogue figures: the weight of a handmade piece varies slightly from cast to cast.
Is this ear cuff for men?
Yes — and for women. STRUGA does not divide objects by gender; the size follows the rim of the ear, not the wearer. Dark metal, 1.6 g and a stepped silhouette: on a man's ear it reads as an architectural detail rather than an earring, and in a stack it is the dark anchor against light silver. The black here is the silver itself, not a coating: with wear it goes into relief rather than peeling off. The family's other four cuffs are light silver: V.1 in M and L, V.2 and V.3 in L.
What if size M does not fit?
Check the rim before ordering: pinch the outer edge of the ear where the cuff will sit — a moderate edge takes M, a thick edge or a looser fit takes L. M is the smaller of the family's two sizes; the L cuffs are made for a thicker rim and weigh about 7.5 g. The band can be adjusted by hand: off the ear, close the gap half a millimetre if the cuff slips, open it if the cuff presses. Set the fit once rather than opening and closing the cuff again and again — repeated bending changes the curve. A catalogue piece can be exchanged once within 14 days of delivery for another size or another object, if it has not been bent or scratched — so ask for the exchange before you adjust the cuff; shipping both ways is paid by the buyer, and the conditions are in the refund policy.
Is STRUGA jewelry made in Bali?
For the international market, STRUGA objects are made in Bali. Every piece is made to order and ships worldwide from the island.
