Editorials
Introducing 925
We made a collection for the parts of your week that aren't set aside for anything special: coffee runs, classes, first apartments, plans that turn into a whole night out. It's called 925, and it's sterling silver, our first time offering it.
Why We Added Sterling Silver
Gold is a bigger ask, and not everyone's ready to make that ask on their first piece of jewelry, or even their fifth. Sterling silver gets the price down without cutting corners on quality, so you can try Olive Ave before you commit to gold. It also opens up gifting at more price points, meaning your best friend's birthday present doesn't have to wait until your paycheck lines up.
Olive Ave is still a gold-first brand. Silver just widens who we can say yes to. First-time jewelry buyers get a place to start that doesn't require months of saving. Students and people early in their careers get to join in without waiting on a bigger budget. And if you already wear our gold, silver gives you something new to mix into the same jewelry box, not a reason to put the gold away. Stack them together or wear them separately. There's no rule either way.
What 925 Actually Means
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metal, almost always copper, sometimes with a touch of zinc or germanium mixed in. Stamp a piece "925" and that's exactly what you're getting, the same ratio, the same hallmark, recognized the same way everywhere in the world. Think of the stamp as a receipt built right into the metal.
Pure silver on its own, the 99.9% version stamped "999" or fine silver, is too soft to hold up in most jewelry. It's the added metal that gives sterling silver the strength to survive a normal week and not just a special occasion.
Where 925 Fits In (and Where It Doesn't)
Sterling silver lives in our fine jewelry line: necklaces, earrings, bracelets and fashion rings, made to the same standard as our gold fine jewelry at a different price point. It's not in our engagement line. Engagement rings, wedding bands and commitment jewelry stay in gold, 10k, 14k and 22k, and that's not changing with this launch.
That's intentional, not an oversight. An engagement piece gets worn every day for decades, and gold holds its finish and value in a way that matters for something you're not planning to replace. Gold is also just the standard the jewelry industry has settled on for that category. Ring shopping for a lifetime means you're still in gold and platinum territory with us. Shopping for something to wear tomorrow, to work or to dinner or nowhere special at all? That's what 925 is for.
Sterling Silver vs. White Gold vs. Platinum: The Cheat Sheet
Fresh out of the polisher, sterling silver looks a lot like white gold, close enough that people mix them up constantly. Side by side over time, though, the two behave pretty differently, and platinum is its own thing entirely.
Sterling silver is its own metal, with its own character and its own upkeep, not a cheaper stand-in for white gold. A trained eye will tell the two apart without much trouble, especially after a few months of wear. If you're after that bright rhodium-white look specifically and want to spend less than 14k or 22k gets you, our 10k white gold sits at a lower price point and gives you that exact finish.
sterling silver:
Color: Warm, bright white
Finish with Time: Warms slightly, develops a patina, no rhodium plating needed, benefits from an occasional polish
Tarnish: Yes but manageable with proper care
Scratch Resistance: Moderate
Price Point: Lowest
white gold:
Color: Cool, bright white (rhodium-plated)
Finish with Time: Rhodium wears off, replating recommended every 1 to 2 years
Tarnish: No
Scratch Resistance: Good
Price Point: Mid to Highest
platinum:
Color: Cool, naturally white
Finish with Time: Develops a soft patina, no plating needed
Tarnish: No
Scratch Resistance: Moderate
Price Point: Highest
A Few Pieces to Start With
925 is a full collection, but these five pieces show the range, and each one comes with its own kind of personality.
Start with the Victorian Signet if you want something to engrave. It's an oval signet ring with a satin-finished face built for a single letter or number, and a polished band that tapers down to 1.5mm. Old-world shape, heirloom-inspired, your own initial on it, the kind of ring you could hand down eventually.
For layering, there's the Herringbone Necklace, a woven chain in 3mm or 4.8mm widths, in a 16-inch or 18-inch length with a lobster clasp. The bracelet version comes in the same two widths at 7 inches, so you can match the set if you want, or wear either one on its own.
The Sailor Bangle is solid sterling silver with a high-polish finish, built as a movement bangle so the shape shifts with you instead of holding one rigid form. It has a hinged closure for getting it on and off, and it tapers from 6mm to 10mm across the band.
Small crescent moons with natural diamonds set along the curve, that's the Diamond Moon Studs. They measure about 9.6 x 6.4mm, finish with friction backs and sell as a set, one for each ear.
Pair it with our sterling silver cable chain, sold separately, and you've got the In Every Universe Charm: a pendant with a satin finish and a polished bail, about 20 x 9mm.
None of these five are one-time-wear pieces. They're the ones you put on in the morning and forget you're wearing, which is kind of the whole point of 925.
Nothing here is asking you to trade in your gold. It's just more of Olive Ave, in a different metal, for the days gold isn't the point. Wear it to class, to work, to dinner after, or nowhere at all. That's what the stamp is for.
