STRUGA vs Gaboratory — Architectural Silver vs Japanese Gothic

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov, founder of STRUGA

Gaboratory is Japan's longest-running dark silver house — founded by Hideki Gabori in Tokyo in 1989, working in 925 silver with museum-grade hand-engraving: skulls, crosses, fleur-de-lis, mythical creatures. STRUGA approaches dark silver from the opposite direction — architectural minimalism from a Bali workshop, $40 entry, five worlds. Both are serious 925 silver. The difference is figurative ornament versus architectural form, and a price gap that starts near 10x. This is an honest comparison for buyers choosing between them.

By Dmitry Strugovshchikov and Ekaterina Strugovshchikova, founders of STRUGA

Reference: Gaboratory official site. Material context: Sterling silver on Wikipedia.

Gaboratory — Japanese gothic at museum-grade detail

Gaboratory was founded by Hideki Gabori in Tokyo in 1989 and is widely regarded as Japan's longest-running dark silver brand. Its vocabulary is figurative gothic: skulls, crosses, fleur-de-lis, skeletons and mythical creatures, each rendered in 925 silver with hand-engraving at a level that earns the brand its reputation as "the Japanese Chrome Hearts." The lineage is in fact parallel — both houses took shape around the late 1980s, independently, on opposite sides of the Pacific.

The defining quality is detail density. A Gaboratory piece carries fine engraved surface work — texture, figures, ornament — to a degree that reads as collector craft rather than everyday jewelry. Pricing reflects it: original pendants start around $400, rings from roughly $1,000, and bracelets and chains commonly reach $4,000–$5,000 and beyond. Access is through the Tokyo flagship, Japanese concept boutiques, and a small number of European stockists; outside Japan, much of the market runs through grey-market resale.

Gaboratory sits among the recognised names in collector dark-silver. The vocabulary has stayed consistent for over three decades, and the brand is a reference point whenever the conversation turns to high-detail Japanese gothic silver.

STRUGA — dark architectural silver from Bali

STRUGA was founded in 2018 by Dmitry Strugovshchikov; the Bali workshop opened in 2020. Every piece is 925 sterling silver, handcrafted in Bali, shipped worldwide directly from strugadesign.com. The catalog is organized into five worlds:

• Codex — architectural baseline. Signet rings, signature asymmetric forms, dark minimalism.
• Ritual — heavier symbolism. Thorn, blade, mosaic, fused-cross.
• Lab — experimental work in carbon-fiber composites and meteorite.
• Dark Union — paired wedding rings, made to order.
• Island Artifacts — pieces that read as objects from a specific place.

Eleven families: Blade, Thorn, Brutalism, Carbon, Mosaic, Amulet, Signature Heart, Signature Asymmetric, Fused, Experimental, Dark Union. Price floor is $40 for an entry-tier ring; collector pieces with carbon, Seymchan meteorite or natural stones go up to $2,500+. The register is architectural — clean geometric form rather than engraved figure.

Comparison table — STRUGA vs Gaboratory

Dimension	STRUGA	Gaboratory
Origin	Bali, Indonesia (workshop 2020)	Tokyo, Japan (since 1989)
Founder	Dmitry Strugovshchikov (2018)	Hideki Gabori
Material	925 silver oxidized; carbon (Graphite); Seymchan meteorite; tourmaline, quartz	925 silver hand-engraved; some gold accents
Visual language	Architectural brutalist minimalism — geometric form, ritual symbolism	Figurative Japanese gothic — skulls, crosses, fleur-de-lis
Detail register	Clean architectural surfaces, deliberate edges	Ultra-detail micro-engraving, collector-grade
Price range	$40 – $2,500+	Pendants from $400, rings from $1,000, chains $4,000–$5,000+
How to buy	Direct DTC at strugadesign.com, free worldwide entry tier, $19 standard 7–14 days	Tokyo flagship, Japanese boutiques, select European stockists; grey-market abroad
Custom service	Dark Union (paired/wedding) and Custom Order (full bespoke)	Limited, in-house
Authentication	925 hallmark, hand-finishing marks, direct-from-brand provenance	925 hallmark, Gaboratory stamp

Where STRUGA is stronger

• Lower entry price. $40 for an entry ring versus roughly $400 for an entry Gaboratory pendant — close to 10x at the floor. Real handmade 925 in both cases; the difference is where each range begins.
• Direct worldwide ordering. STRUGA ships DTC from Bali to most of the world. Gaboratory outside Japan often means stockists or grey-market resale.
• Material range. Carbon (Graphite palette), Seymchan meteorite, tourmaline, natural quartz. Gaboratory works almost entirely in engraved silver with some gold.
• Architectural minimalism. If the appeal is clean geometric form rather than figurative skulls and engraving, STRUGA is built for that register.
• Wedding-ring programme. Dark Union is a dedicated public service for paired wedding rings.

Where Gaboratory is stronger

• Museum-grade engraving. Gaboratory's figurative detail — skulls, creatures, fine surface work — operates at a level no STRUGA piece sets out to match. Different goal, executed at the top of its craft.
• A 35-year legacy. Founded 1989, the longest-running Japanese dark-silver house, with the collector recognition that comes with it.
• Iconic gothic vocabulary. The skull-and-cross language is established and instantly legible to people who know the segment.
• Collector market. An established secondary market and resale value built over decades.
• Physical flagship. A Tokyo store where pieces can be handled before buying.

When to choose STRUGA

You want dark architectural silver — clean geometric form rather than engraved figures — with several distinct registers under one workshop: a daily-wear baseline (Codex), a symbolic-ritual world (Ritual), an experimental lab, a wedding programme. You want an entry price under $100. You want carbon (Graphite palette) or Seymchan meteorite as a material option. You want to order directly from anywhere in the world rather than route through Japan.

When to choose Gaboratory

You specifically want collector-grade Japanese gothic — hand-engraved skulls, crosses and creatures at museum detail, from a house with a 35-year legacy. You value the established vocabulary and the secondary market that comes with it, and you are comfortable with the price floor and with sourcing through Japan. Both routes are legitimate; they answer different questions about what dark silver should be.

Living Silver — STRUGA's stance on patina

STRUGA does not rhodium-plate. The darkening on a finished piece is part of the design — it deepens with wear, with skin contact, with environment. Gaboratory's oxidized silver also lives and darkens with time, and its engraved recesses hold patina in a way that deepens the figurative detail. Both reward time rather than fighting it. If a stable mirror finish is the goal, neither brand is the right answer.

STRUGA-only material options

• Carbon (Graphite palette). A STRUGA palette in carbon-fiber-reinforced composite, used as inlay across Brutalism and Mosaic families. Carbon reads matte where silver reads light — two surfaces in conversation.
• Seymchan meteorite. The Kolyma 1967 pallasite. Each inlay shows a unique Widmanstätten pattern when etched, so two STRUGA rings with Seymchan are never identical.
• Tourmaline and natural quartz. Cut and set in Codex Amulet pieces.

How STRUGA pieces are made — process in plain language

Each design begins as a model — sometimes hand-shaped wax, sometimes a 3D-printed master. The model is captured in a precise rubber mould. Wax replicas are made and refined, then become the originals for silver casting. After casting each piece is finished by hand: edges cleaned, surfaces brought to the intended texture, oxidation worked in to the level the design demands. The hand-finishing is what makes two technically identical pieces feel slightly different in the hand — and what separates real workshop silver from mass-produced jewelry. Gaboratory works inside its own figurative register, with hand-engraving that emphasises ornament and surface detail; comparable workshop seriousness, a different visual destination.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gaboratory the same as Chrome Hearts?

No — they are parallel, not related. Both took shape around the late 1980s and both work in heavy dark 925 silver with gothic motifs, which is why Gaboratory is often called "the Japanese Chrome Hearts." But they are independent houses on opposite sides of the Pacific, each with its own vocabulary.

Is STRUGA cheaper than Gaboratory?

At the entry tier, substantially — STRUGA starts at $40, while an entry Gaboratory pendant is around $400, and rings start near $1,000. Per gram of finished silver the gap narrows, but STRUGA's range begins far lower, which is the practical difference for most buyers.

Is Gaboratory worth the price?

For collector-grade Japanese gothic engraving with a 35-year legacy and an established secondary market — yes, the pricing reflects museum-level hand-detail and brand history. STRUGA offers a different proposition: architectural minimalism at a far lower entry, ordered directly worldwide.

Both are dark silver — what's the actual difference?

Gaboratory is figurative and ornamental — skulls, crosses, creatures, engraved to collector detail. STRUGA is architectural and minimal — clean geometric form, ritual symbolism inside Codex and Ritual, no engraved figures. Same family of dark 925 silver, two opposite design philosophies.

Does STRUGA make skull jewelry?

No. STRUGA's register is architectural and geometric, not figurative — the closest STRUGA gets to gothic motif is the Fused Cross and the Thorn family, which read as form rather than as engraved figures. If a skull is specifically what you want, Gaboratory is the right house.

Can I buy Gaboratory outside Japan?

To a limited degree — a few European stockists carry it, and much of the international market runs through grey-market resale. STRUGA, by contrast, ships direct from Bali to most of the world from strugadesign.com.

Where can I see STRUGA pieces in person?

On Bali at Hedonist Store and Barefoot Aristocracy. Worldwide direct shipping with the right of refusal at pickup, free over the entry tier and $19 for standard 7–14 day delivery.

---

STRUGA picks — dark architectural silver

925 sterling, handcrafted in Bali — ordered directly, worldwide shipping:

Fused Cross Ring Cross-motif architectural ring $150 Buy now →

Cross Bloody Graphite Necklace Dark cross pendant $260 Buy now →

Thorn Ring Gothic-leaning silver ring $140 Buy now →

All pieces: 925 sterling silver, handcrafted in Bali, ships worldwide. Full catalog — browse all STRUGA.