Why black gold is a unique addition to your jewelry box

When Gaia Repossi launched her first fine-jewelry collection 13 years ago, it wasn’t just her graphic sensibility or flair for a ‘floating diamond’ setting that separated her from her traditional Place Vendôme neighbors in Paris. It was also her experimentation with precious metals. Repossi’s pared-back, diamond-encrusted designs are crafted in a range of classic shades, including rose, yellow and white gold, as well as a more unusual black gold. “It’s like a statement on the skin,” she says of its eye-catching allure.

“Black gold pushes the limits of traditional craftsmanship,” adds Repossi, chiming with the attitude behind contemporary jewelry design, which focuses on tweaking traditional materials. Take Sophie Bille Brahe, whose asymmetric designs modernize the conservatism of pearls, or the neon brilliance Alison Lou brings to 1920s-era enamel. Repossi’s stacked black gold ‘Blast’ ring, which features an off-center oval diamond and a graphic spray of pavé-diamonds, provides an avant-garde answer to an engagement ring. The brand’s ear cuffs also bring an architectural antidote to ‘out-out’ ostentation. They are best suited to a tuxedo suit and a sleek slipper.

A pick-and-mix mantra lends personality to investment pieces, such as asymmetric earrings or mismatched metals and stones. For its signature ‘Galaxy’ rings, LA-based Spinelli Kilcollin stacks up hoops from different metals and diamonds, including smoky black gold. “It has an almost ethereal quality, making gray and black diamonds look tough and white diamonds come alive,” say the label’s founders, Yves Spinelli and Dwyer Kilcollin. “In many cases, the setting all but disappears and you’re left focusing on natural stones and their vibrant energy,” adds New York jeweler Kimberly McDonald of her affinity for the metal. She uses it to set prismatic stones and crystals. McDonald’s drop earrings feature dark geodes that twinkle like a star-filled sky and evoke gothic styles popularized in the Victorian era. Amp up this edge by pairing with a tulle or velvet top by Khaite or Dries Van Noten.

Jessica McCormack’s dainty ‘Gypset’ earrings feature white diamonds set against charcoal-tone black gold and have been worn on the red carpet by stars such as ballerina Francesca Hayward and actor Daisy Edgar-Jones. McCormack also rates the metal for its daytime appeal. “The color of black gold softens diamonds and makes pieces feel more casual,” says the London-based jeweler. Pair with a cashmere tracksuit or cable-knit sweater to elevate the everyday.

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