After spending years as a goldsmith and immersing himself in the beauty of metalwork, artist Benjamin Werner left his job behind to start something new.
Endlessly fascinated by the contrast between wood and precious metal, he created a line of stunning jewelry called “Silva Aurea.” In the artist’s words, the name represents “handmade jewelry, great attention to detail, and the seamless combination of wood and metal.” His fusion of rustic and refined elements yields indisputably elegant results.
Werner spent countless hours studying the functionality of wood until he knew how it would behave in various settings.
“Silva Cubi”
“Silva Flucuts”
“All wood used in ‘Silva Aurea’ jewelry has been stabilized (vacuum soaked with resin and hardened) to make it more durable,” he writes.
“Silva Scutula”
“Silva Simile”
Werner is also clever when it comes to placement. In this ring, for example, instead of wrapping one piece of wood all the way around, he split it into three separate parts to prevent unnecessary tension from wreaking havoc on the piece.
“Silva Fenestra”
“Silva Simile”
This stabilization process also lends the wood a shiny finish that looks gorgeous alongside its sleek, metallic counterpart.
“Silva Acervi”
“Silva Draco”
The contrast between wood and metal could easily have stepped into jarring territory, but by focusing on texture and function, Werner managed to create a sense of harmony.
“Silva Circinus”
“Silva Oculus”
All of his jewelry is made by hand in Germany, so if you’d like to add a truly unique piece to your collection, you can submit orders and commission requests on Werner’s website.
(via Imgur)
For regular updates, you can also follow him on Reddit and Facebook!
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