Silver, Gold & Everything in Between: How I Mix Metals

One of the things I’ve always loved about designing jewelry is that I never have to choose between silver and gold. I can set them side by side, play with how their colors and finishes interact, and end up with something richer for the contrast. Rules about which metals belong together have never held much appeal for me, and some of my strongest designs have come from pairing unexpected materials, shapes, and textures until they feel like they were always meant to be.

Over the years, the materials I work with have expanded, but the way I think about them has stayed much the same. I’m still drawn to clean lines, architectural shapes, and the relationship between warm and cool metals. What has changed is the number of options we offer, and we’ve recently made those choices easier to navigate by organizing them into two categories: Everyday Jewelry and Special Occasion Jewelry. Now that solid 10k gold has joined our Special Occasion collections, there are even more ways to find something that feels right for you.

Everyday Jewelry: The Foundation of CMD

Our Everyday Jewelry is what I like to call Everyday Armor, jewelry designed to become part of your daily life. These are the pieces you reach for without thinking twice, the rings you stack and rearrange, and the earrings, necklaces, and bracelets that feel like an extension of your personal style. They’re made with the materials that have been at the heart of CMD for years: sterling silver, oxidized silver, and 14k gold-fill.

Each of these materials brings something different to a design. Sterling silver has a cool, clean brightness that works beautifully with our signature geometric shapes, while pops of oxidized silver add darker tones and depth. Our 14k gold-fill, made with a layer of 14k gold bonded to a brass core, introduces warmth and opens the door to two-toned combinations without the investment of solid gold. I especially love how these materials complement one another, whether it's a single gold band tucked between silver rings or an oxidized detail that gives a stack a little extra definition.

What I love most about Everyday Jewelry is how much you can do with it. You can keep things minimal with one or two simple pieces, combine different widths and shapes for something bolder, or gradually build a collection that changes with your style. These materials are beautiful in their own right, and I don't think of them as stepping stones to something more expensive. They're the foundation of so many of my designs because of what they bring to the work.

Special Occasion Jewelry: A Different Way to Experience CMD

Our Special Occasion Jewelry takes the same design philosophy and brings materials like solid gold and diamonds. You'll still find the clean lines, interesting proportions, square shapes, and mixed-metal combinations that make CMD recognizable, but with additional options for pieces you might choose to celebrate a milestone, commemorate something meaningful, or simply because you love the design.

For years, solid 14k gold has been an important part of these collections, and I love the richness and warmth it lends to our rings. Diamonds, particularly the small lab-grown diamonds we incorporate into many of our designs, bring another kind of contrast. Sometimes they're the centerpiece, while other times they're a tiny detail set directly into the metal, adding just enough sparkle to catch your eye without competing with the overall shape.

And while we call this category Special Occasion, that doesn't mean these pieces need to be reserved for a milestone. A solid gold ring can become part of your everyday stack, and a diamond-accented design can be something you wear for years simply because it feels like you. The distinction is really about the materials and design options, rather than when or how you’re supposed to wear them.

A New Way to Go Solid: Introducing 10k Gold

One of the things I'm most excited about is that we're now offering solid 10k gold in our Special Occasion Bands and Special Occasion Ring Stacks! I've wanted to create a more accessible way for people to incorporate solid gold into their jewelry collections, and this gives us the opportunity to offer more choices within some of our signature designs.

So what's the difference between 10k and 14k gold? Solid 10k gold contains approximately 41.7% pure gold, while solid 14k gold contains approximately 58.3%. Both are solid gold alloys, meaning the gold is present throughout the piece rather than being a layer bonded over another metal, as it is with gold-fill. Because 10k contains a lower percentage of pure gold, it generally sits at a more accessible price point than 14k, while still offering the benefits of a solid gold piece.

For me, adding 10k isn't about replacing 14k or suggesting that one material is better than another. It's about giving you more freedom to choose what makes sense for your style, your budget, and how you want to wear your jewelry. Maybe you've been building a collection of silver and gold-fill rings and have been thinking about adding a solid gold band. Or maybe you've had your eye on one of our stacks and would love to make it your own with a different combination of materials. Now there are more ways to do exactly that.

Custom Jewelry, Reconstruction, and Even More Possibilities

And these new options aren't limited to our existing collections! If you're dreaming up something entirely your own, we're also happy to work with solid 10k gold as part of a Custom or Reconstruction project. Whether you're creating a piece from scratch, redesigning jewelry you've inherited, or giving something you've owned for years a new life, choosing the right materials is an important part of the design process.

I love working with people to figure out how their ideas, existing jewelry, and personal style can come together in something meaningful. Sometimes that means reusing diamonds or gemstones from an older piece, recycling eligible precious metals, or designing something that combines different colors and finishes. With 10k gold now part of the conversation, we have another option when creating a piece that feels personal and works within your budget.

There's Room for All of It

The thing I hope you'll take away from all of this is that you don't have to be exclusively a silver person or a gold person, and you certainly don't have to build your jewelry collection all at once. You might start with a few Everyday Jewelry pieces in sterling silver and gold-fill, add a solid gold band down the road, or find a Special Occasion Ring Stack that brings everything together. Some of my best-loved combinations happen when pieces you've loved for years sit alongside something new, creating a look that feels entirely your own.

That's why I love working with such a wide range of materials, and why I'm so excited to bring more solid gold options into CMD. Whether you're drawn to the versatility of Everyday Jewelry, the materials and details of our Special Occasion designs, or the possibilities of Reconstruction or creating something Custom, my hope is that you find jewelry you genuinely love wearing. There are so many beautiful ways to combine silver, gold, diamonds, and everything in between, and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

To mixing it all together,
Colleen

 

Published October 29, 2026
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