Maria Black reveals the hidden mechanics of the Splash Choker
A new film explores how the Danish jeweller crafted her water inspired choker, with its seamless form concealing an ingenious hinge and snap lock mechanism.
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The Splash Choker appears at first glance as one unbroken form, a fluid band of silver that curves gracefully against the collarbone. What distinguishes it, however, lies beneath that seamless surface: a hidden hinge and snap lock mechanism that allows the piece to open and close with barely perceptible movement. This marriage of apparent simplicity with sophisticated engineering is precisely where Maria Black’s practice thrives.
The second episode of Crafted Conversations offers rare access to the thinking behind the piece. Maria walks through the water drop inspiration that shaped the choker’s organic silhouette, tracing how a moment of observation becomes metal and form. The film, documented by Bennie Gay across two continents, moves between the studios and workshops where the choker comes into being: first in Jaipur, India in 2025, where artisans shape and refine the metal, then in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2026, where the final assembly and finishing bring the piece to completion.
What emerges is a portrait of contemporary jewellery making that honors both conceptual clarity and technical precision. The choker’s quiet luxury lies not in ostentation but in the invisible craftsmanship that allows form and function to exist as one. Every detail, from the curve of the band to the placement of the closure, reflects decisions made in service of how the piece will feel and move on the body.
The film is the latest in Maria Black’s series examining the hands and processes behind her creations, making visible the labour and thought that elevates jewellery from adornment to object of substance.
Imagery courtesy of Maria Black (@mariablackjewellery).