How STRUGA Is Made

STRUGA is a brand of dark, experimental silver. For the international market, every STRUGA object is handcrafted in Bali from sterling silver 925.

STRUGA was born in Bali — its philosophy, visual language and character grew there. This page is about how the silver you order on strugadesign.com is made.

Brand, design and craft

STRUGA is a brand and a design studio. The founders, Dmitry and Ekaterina Strugovshchikov, design the objects; the pieces themselves are made by hand by silversmiths in a Bali workshop. Bali holds a long tradition of working silver — STRUGA applies that craft to a different visual language: oxidized 925, Living Silver, sculptural form.

Sterling silver 925

Every STRUGA object is sterling silver 925 — 92.5% pure silver, the international standard. The beauty of this silver is in the marks of hand work: a light irregularity, the trace of a tool, patina and darkening. Imperfection here is part of the object, not a flaw.

How an object is made

In plain words. First a model: it is either carved by hand in wax or modelled in 3D and printed. A silicone mold is taken from the model. Molten wax is poured into the mold to make an exact wax copy of the object. The wax copies are set together on a single stem and placed in a metal flask, which is filled with liquid plaster. The plaster sets; the flask is heated and the wax melts and burns away, leaving a precise cavity in the plaster. Sterling silver 925 is poured into that cavity. Once the silver sets, the plaster is washed away and the object is freed. A master finishes it by hand.

Short chain: wax model → silicone mold → wax copy → plaster mold → wax burnout → sterling silver 925 → hand finishing.

Living Silver — silver without plating

STRUGA silver carries no rhodium plating. Most silver jewelry is plated with rhodium to hold a bright shine and block tarnish; STRUGA leaves it off by intent. So the silver stays alive: it arrives bright and darkens over time, taking on a patina shaped by the hand that wears it. Patina is a property and a map of wear, not damage; the metal can be brought back to light with care. Separately, STRUGA works with oxidized silver — 925 darkened at the bench. Living Silver is a property (the silver lives and changes); oxidizing is a method (darkened at once).

Made to order

STRUGA has two routes for orders: Custom Order — for forms beyond the range, special sizes and one-off objects; DARK UNION — for engagement, paired and alternative wedding rings.

Maker

Maker: STRUGA. For the international market, objects are produced and shipped from Bali. Full purchase, return and exchange terms are in our policies.

FAQ

What does 925 mean?
925 means the alloy is 92.5% pure silver — the international standard for sterling silver. Every STRUGA object is sterling silver 925. The remaining 7.5% is other metal that gives the silver the strength to be worn.

Why does STRUGA silver darken?
STRUGA silver carries no rhodium plating — this is Living Silver. It reacts to air and skin and darkens over time, taking on a patina. Patina is a property and a map of how a piece is worn, not a flaw. The metal can be brought back to light with care.

Why no rhodium plating?
Most silver is plated with rhodium to hold a shine and block tarnish. STRUGA leaves it off by intent, so the silver stays alive and changes over time. Separately, STRUGA works with oxidized silver — 925 darkened at the bench. That is a choice of surface, not a flaw.

Where is STRUGA made?
For the international market, STRUGA objects are handcrafted in Bali from sterling silver 925 and shipped from there. Under a custom order, a piece can also be made elsewhere — this is agreed when the order is placed.