COLOUR SILVER
Having proved its mettle, this futuristic shade is taking a moment to shine
In September 2014, all of Derek Mclennan’s dreams came true. Since retirement, he had filled his days by indulging in his favourite hobby: PANTONE ® metal detecting. Within 877c one hour of arriving in a cold, damp field in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, his trusty detector chirruped encouragingly and he began to dig. At first, he thought the oddly heavy object in his hand was an old, bent silver spoon, but then he turned it over and noticed the very detailed geometric design marching across its surface. Derek was holding an intricately patterned armband, the first piece of what later proved to be an enormous hoard of Viking silver, buried for safekeeping 11 centuries earlier.
Although our love affair with silver is ancient, it is also enduring. Perhaps it is the metal’s mutable nature that helps keep things interesting. Like gold, of course, it is malleable, so can be bent and moulded into almost any form, from giant vessels to the daintiest of dessert forks. Unlike its more glamorous sibling, however, silver oxidises over time, only to be returned to its former mirror brightness with a good rub.
While such humble labour over the metal may make silver sound old fashioned, it has somehow also come to stand as a symbol of modernity. In the 1960s, shiny silver fabrics were fashioned by famed designers such as Pierre Cardin and André Courrèges into sartorial embodiments of a space- age future. This theme is one that designers have now been returning to, inspired, perhaps, by the buzz concerning the launch of tech company Spacex’s new rocket. In recent months, Balenciaga, Paco Rabanne and Chanel have sent crinkled, conceptual silvered creations down the catwalks, and interior brands have been following suit.
Those hankering for silver’s charming, vintage feel might lean into its propensity to age as gracefully as a Venetian palazzo. Rubelli’s ‘Aida’ brocade in ‘Miele’ (£240 per metre; rubelli.com) evokes this feel, as do age-spotted antique mirrors (or try Graham & Green’s new ‘Antiqued Venetian’ mirror for £495; grahamandgreen.co.uk). For a slicker feel, seek out Kaymet’s anodised trays, available at The New Craftsmen (from £43; thenewcraftsmen.com) or, for a slightly cheekier take, Verner Panton’s scrumpled ‘Crash’ trays for Georg Jensen (from £85, Skandium; skandium.com).
If you’re buying real silver, remember that it requires investment, both in money and in the time spent helping to maintain its shine. It will be worth it, though: silver is ageless and enduringly, as any Viking hoarder would no doubt agree.