Material Focus: Sterling Silver

Material is approached with intention.

Select designs at Lorn Jean are cast in X-ray and recycled sterling silver, each chosen for its traceability, quality, and alignment with the studio’s commitment to considered production. These materials hold continued relevance, valued for their sculptural clarity and provenance.

Used in select designs, X-ray silver is sourced through the AgAIN initiative by Betts Metals. Reclaimed from medical X-ray films collected across the UK, the material undergoes a specialised refinement process and is transformed into fully traceable, hallmarked sterling silver.

This silver carries a past before it is cast. Its second life, sculpted into wearable form, reflects a philosophy where value lies not in novelty but in reconfiguration—an approach that echoes Lorn Jean’s enduring focus on form, memory, and refined transformation.

All Lorn Jean pieces, regardless of metal, are cast in the UK using the traditional lost wax method, then hand-finished with sculptural precision in the studio. Whether formed in X-ray silver or recycled sterling silver, each design honours the material’s qualities—balancing strength and lightness, presence and restraint.

Sustainability is not a fixed ideal but a continual process of refinement. As the studio evolves, so too does its relationship with material. By using reclaimed and recycled metals, Lorn Jean continues its commitment to thoughtful design.