These Chunky Sterling Silver Jewels Are So Fine

By Brittany Siminitz | September 17, 2025

A sterling silver renaissance has been on the lips of jewelry experts for the past several years, and with gold prices being what they are, it’s all but official. Silver can offer a substantial look at a fraction of the cost of gold in many instances, and some of the industry’s most beloved brands are fans, offering an abundance of statements in silver.

But in a consumer world often concerned with status, is sterling silver enough? Emili Vesilind, cohost of the Rough Cut jewelry podcast, struck me with her thoughts on Substack regarding how sterling is presented and potentially sold to customers. Sure, it’s often the less expensive metal and monetarily less valuable than gold, but does that mean it should be any less valued? Vesilind argues that the using the “demi-fine” label for sterling silver (and we’re not talking gold-plated silver or vermeil, which is accurately categorized that way) isn’t the treatment this precious metal deserves.

“Most jewelry lovers I’ve talked [to] about this consider demi-fine vermeil or gold-plated gold pieces. For them, saddling sterling silver with ‘demi-fine’ actually feels misleading—and ultimately does retailers a disservice, because the label denotes that sterling silver is not ‘fine jewelry.’ It’s demi. It’s fine jewelry lite,” Vesilind writes.

“And considering what a positively exploding category silver jewelry is—fueled by renewed interest in collectible sterling silver designers including Elsa Perretti for Tiffany & Co., Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Georg Jensen, and Margot de Taxco—that’s a pretty lame equivocation to perpetuate,” Vesilind continues. “According to the Jewelers Collective, 53% of jewelry retailers reported increased silver sales in 2024, versus 2023.”

Just because something is a less expensive alternative doesn’t make it “cheap”—silver jewelry can be rich in both style and substance, as evidenced by the pieces featured here. You know a good sterling silver jewel when you hold it in your hands: smooth, cold, and with a weighty feel that’s positively heavenly.

Stocking chunky silver jewels in your display cases is also a good strategy for the holiday season since Gen Z seems to be obsessed with everything from the ’90s and early aughts (who could blame them?). These are a few killer options to start with.