I'm happy to note that I've just stumbled upon the work of William Ehrlich, a jewelry designer who works in German Silver and gemstones, known for his statement and one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Germain Silver is actually an alloy and doesn't contain silver at all. His motive for using it struck a chord with me.
“I chose not to use gold or platinum because I wanted to downplay the metal aspect,” he says. “I would rather have the jewelry read like form and color than be about the perceived preciousness of the metal.”