Chris Ploof debuts Modern Electrum, a recycled, non-tarnishing alloy line

Chris Ploof’s new Modern Electrum line turns an ancient material story into something immediately useful: a recycled alloy that will not tarnish, reads as a nuanced mixed-metal color, and answers the pressure of higher gold prices without feeling like a compromise. It is the first jewelry collection built around Legor’s proprietary alloy of the same name, and the timing makes sense in a market where buyers are weighing beauty against metal cost more carefully than ever.

Legor, the Italy-based metals company behind the alloy, describes Modern Electrum as a blend of gold, silver and palladium made from 100 percent certified recycled materials. It is nickel-free, copper-free, and certified by both RJC and CoC, which gives the metal a cleaner sourcing story than many conventional precious-metal alloys. Legor frames it as a modern reinterpretation of electrum, the gold-silver material prized in Egypt, Greece and Rome, but the practical appeal is what stands out: a bright, wearable finish that is designed to stay that way.

The collection spans rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants, with prices from $695 to $2,195. The entry point is the Yanone pendant at $695, followed by pieces such as the ridged-center-groove ring at $993, the Reliquary pendant at $1,065, the Parth ring at $1,078 and a diamond-set milgrain-row ring at $1,325. Some styles are set with Diamonds de Canada stones from the Gahcho Kué mine, whose natural fluorescence adds another layer of visual interest without overpowering the alloy itself.

What makes Modern Electrum more than a clever name is the historical research behind it. JCK reported that Legor’s scientists and metallurgists found platinum-group metals, including palladium, in historical electrum, which helps explain why the alloy’s contemporary formula feels less like fantasy and more like recovery. Britannica notes that electrum was used for the first known coins in the Western world, a reminder that this material has always sat at the intersection of value and identity.

Ploof has said the alloy machined well and could support larger pieces in the future, a promising sign for designers who want a metal with substance, not just story. In a moment when gold is expensive and buyers are looking for materials that feel considered, Modern Electrum offers a rare combination: heritage, durability and a distinctly modern buying logic.