A Cheerful Fate
$500
& Complimentary Express Post (Aus)
- Next day delivery on a free ring sizer with Buy now, size later.
- 99 year comprehensive warranty and restorations on all rings.
- Handcrafted by Mason Mignanelli in the Newcastle studio.
CRAFTED IN 940 ARGENTIUM®
Whiter than platinum. Harder than sterling. Fused with germanium to resist tarnish and survive the ocean.
Rated for: Saltwater / Sweat / 24-7 Wear.
| METRIC | STERLING 925 | ARGENTIUM® 940 |
|---|---|---|
|
Purity |
92.5% silver + 7.5% copper |
94.2% silver + 1.2% germanium + 4.6% copper |
|
Stabilising agent |
None (Reactive Copper is exposed). |
Germanium (Forms transparent oxide shield) |
|
Tarnish resistance |
Low. Requires frequent maintenance. |
High. Self healing germanium oxide layer prevents surface reactions. |
|
Colour |
Slightly grey |
Extremely luminous. Brighter white than sterling and even platinum. |
|
Hardness |
75VH. Cannot be heat treated. |
130-140VH after double heat treat. |
|
Sustainability |
Dependant on refiner. |
100% recycled silver. |
|
Lifestyle |
Remove for shower, surf, and gym. |
Rated for 24/7 Wear. (Saltwater, Sweat, & Shower Safe). |
|
Biocompatability |
Reactive (High Copper content). |
Hypoallergenic Shield. (Inert Oxide Layer). |
|
Year of invention |
1158AD |
1998 |
OPTION A: SIZE UNKNOWN
Stop measuring with string. It has a failure rate of 60%. If you are unsure of your size, order with “Buy Now, Size Later”.
Select: Choose “Buy now, size later.” from the size menu
Receive: I immediately dispatch a professional sizer via Auspost Express. It typically arrives the next business day.
Test: Wear the sizer for a few hours. Finger size fluctuates with temperature and hydration. A ring that fits at 9am might be tight by 5pm. Ensure it is comfortable before committing.
Confirm: Email or DM your size to the studio. Production begins immediately.
OPTION B: CONFIRMED SIZE If you already know your size from a professional jeweller, select it directly from the list.
Standard: I use US Sizing (Numbers).
Conversion: If you only know your UK/Australian size (Letters), examine the below sizing chart or leave a note at checkout and I’l handle the conversion.
THE SAFETY NET All orders are covered by a free resize entitlement. If the fit isn’t perfect on arrival, you have one complimentary resize included.
SIZING CHART
LEAD TIMES Every ring is cast, finished, and double heat treated in Newcastle studio 01. I do not pull from a warehouse; I build for the individual.
Australia / NZ: Approx. 2–3 Weeks.
International: Approx. 3–4 Weeks.
- (Need it faster? Email the studio for potential expedition).
THE 30-DAY FIELD TEST (RETURNS) I don’t believe in “unworn” returns. A ring is meant to be worn. The Protocol: Once your ring arrives, you have 30 days to test it in the real world. Wear it in the shower, the surf, and the gym. If you haven’t bonded with the piece after a month of active duty, ship it back for a full refund. No questions asked.
RESIZING Despite our best efforts with the sizing kit, bodies change. Every order includes one complimentary resize within the first 6 months. If it feels too loose in winter or too tight in summer, send it back. I will resize the fit and ship it back to you, free of charge.
THE ONE CENTURY PROMISE This is not a standard consumer warranty. It is a 99-year service agreement designed to keep this piece in circulation for generations.
SCOPE OF COVERAGE:
Structural Integrity: If the metal cracks, snaps, or fails due to a craftsmanship defect, I repair or replace it. End of story.
Surface Restoration: Silver is a living metal. If your piece accumulates decades of scratches or wear, ship it back to the studio. I will refinish, polish, and restore the surface to factory specifications,free of charge.
HEIRLOOM TRANSFER: The warranty travels with the metal, not the receipt. If you pass this ring down to your child in 30 years, the protection passes with it. As long as the “Urban Sterling” hallmark is visible, the contract is valid.
EXCLUSIONS: This contract covers the object, not the ownership. It does not cover theft or total loss.
Sizing
Next day delivery on a free ring sizer with Buy now, size later. Make sure it fits perfect.
99 year warranty
99 year comprehensive warranty on all rings. Includes unlimited free restorations.
Argentium silver
Crafted from 940 Argentium silver to prevent tarnishing and enhance durability.
CRAFTED IN 940 ARGENTIUM® SILVER
Whiter than platinum. Harder than sterling. Fused with germanium to resist tarnish and survive the ocean.
Rated for: Saltwater / Sweat / 24-7 Wear.
| METRIC | STERLING 925 | ARGENTIUM® 940 |
|---|---|---|
|
Purity |
92.5% silver + 7.5% copper |
94.2% silver + 1.2% germanium + 4.6% copper |
|
Stabilising agent |
None (Reactive Copper is exposed). |
Germanium (Forms transparent oxide shield) |
|
Tarnish resistance |
Low. Requires frequent maintenance. |
High. Self healing germanium oxide layer prevents surface reactions. |
|
Colour |
Slightly grey |
Extremely luminous. Brighter white than sterling and even platinum. |
|
Hardness |
75VH. Cannot be heat treated. |
130-140VH after double heat treat. |
|
Sustainability |
Dependant on refiner. |
100% recycled silver. |
|
Lifestyle |
Remove for shower, surf, and gym. |
Rated for 24/7 Wear. (Saltwater, Sweat, & Shower Safe). |
|
Biocompatability |
Reactive (High Copper content). |
Hypoallergenic Shield. (Inert Oxide Layer). |
|
Year of invention |
1158AD |
1998 |
OPTION A: SIZE UNKNOWN
Stop measuring with string. It has a failure rate of 60%. If you are unsure of your size, order with “Buy Now, Size Later”.
Select: Choose “Buy now, size later.” from the size menu
Receive: I immediately dispatch a professional sizer via Auspost Express. It typically arrives the next business day.
Test: Wear the sizer for a few hours. Finger size fluctuates with temperature and hydration. A ring that fits at 9am might be tight by 5pm. Ensure it is comfortable before committing.
Confirm: Email or DM your size to the studio. Production begins immediately.
OPTION B: CONFIRMED SIZE If you already know your size from a professional jeweller, select it directly from the list.
Standard: I use US Sizing (Numbers).
Conversion: If you only know your UK/Australian size (Letters), examine the below sizing chart or leave a note at checkout and I’l handle the conversion.
THE SAFETY NET All orders are covered by a free resize entitlement. If the fit isn’t perfect on arrival, you have one complimentary resize included.
SIZING CHART
LEAD TIMES Every ring is cast, finished, and double heat treated in Newcastle studio 01. I do not pull from a warehouse; I build for the individual.
-
Australia / NZ: Approx. 2–3 Weeks.
- USA: 2-3 weeks via free DHL Express and no tarriffs until 8th Feb. [Limited time]
-
International: Approx. 3–4 Weeks.
- (Need it faster? Email the studio for potential expedition).
THE 30-DAY FIELD TEST (RETURNS) I don’t believe in “unworn” returns. A ring is meant to be worn. The Protocol: Once your ring arrives, you have 30 days to test it in the real world. Wear it in the shower, the surf, and the gym. If you haven’t bonded with the piece after a month of active duty, ship it back for a full refund. No questions asked.
RESIZING Despite our best efforts with the sizing kit, bodies change. Every order includes one complimentary resize within the first 6 months. If it feels too loose in winter or too tight in summer, send it back. I will resize the fit and ship it back to you, free of charge.
THE ONE CENTURY PROMISE This is not a standard consumer warranty. It is a 99-year service agreement designed to keep this piece in circulation for generations.
SCOPE OF COVERAGE:
Structural Integrity: If the metal cracks, snaps, or fails due to a craftsmanship defect, I repair or replace it. End of story.
Surface Restoration: Silver is a living metal. If your piece accumulates decades of scratches or wear, ship it back to the studio. I will refinish, polish, and restore the surface to factory specifications,free of charge.
HEIRLOOM TRANSFER: The warranty travels with the metal, not the receipt. If you pass this ring down to your child in 30 years, the protection passes with it. As long as the “Urban Sterling” hallmark is visible, the contract is valid.
EXCLUSIONS: This contract covers the object, not the ownership. It does not cover theft or total loss.
MASTERWORK
Representing Urban Sterling's pinnacle of storytelling and craftsmanship.
This piece is classified as a Masterwork - Urban Sterling's pinnacle of storytelling and craftsmanship.
Every morning, King Sisyphus places his hands on the same boulder. Every evening, he watches it roll back down.
After the thousandth push, the ten-thousandth stumble, something shifted. The gods designed his punishment to break him through endless labour and eternal futility. Instead, it freed him.
This is the moment captured in silver on your finger.
Sisyphus stands defiant against the oxidised darkness of his underworld prison, hands pressed against stone that will never stay conquered. But notice his posture, the set of his shoulders:
This isn’t defeat.
This is someone who discovered the secret the gods never intended him to find: the struggle itself is enough to fill a man’s heart.
Each crack in the boulder has been burnished by hand with surgical precision. Behind him, Camus’ words blend into the darkness, visible only to those who look closely. The raised border proclaims him “The Happiest Man”, while inside the shank, “A Cheerful Fate” sits above his mountain workplace. Below, “DEOS RIDE” recalls his original crime: laughing at the gods.
The philosopher Camus saw in this myth the entire human condition. We push our own boulders daily, knowing they’ll roll back down. Work, love, ambition, survival. The question isn’t whether the stone will fall. The question is who we become in the pushing.
This is for those who understand that our greatest triumphs often come disguised as endless tasks; that joy can be excavated from routine; that the boulder we push might be the very thing that defines us.
DESIGNER’S NOTES:
Out of everything I’ve created, I think this might be my best. I wear it every day, and something about it never gets old. The thick, square face, all that detail contained within a small recess along with the title “The Happiest Man”. It feels like a self-contained art installation. A brutalist, philosophical monolith in the form of a ring.
Clients seem to agree; A Cheerful Fate has become one of my most popular pieces.
I’ve noticed most good things take long enough that you have to learn to enjoy the process itself, not just the outcome. Not because suffering is inherently virtuous, but because if you can’t find something worthwhile in the effort, you’ll quit before you get anywhere.
Training is like this: lifting, running, martial arts, whatever. Eventually you stop going to the gym to get stronger. You go because you’ve learned to like it. The results become secondary. Which is ironic, because that’s when the actual progress happens: when you forget about chasing the goal and just show up for the work.
Mason’s bench notes. August 2025.
STUDIO MADE
To ensure structural integrity and a perfect finish, every ring is filed, heat-treated, and polished in the Newcastle studio.
Cast in Sydney. Finished by hand in Newcastle.
Origin: Newcastle (Studio) > Marrickville, Sydney (Foundry) > Newcastle (Finishing).
Method: Lost-wax casting followed by a proprietary hand-finishing process.
Jeweller: M. Mignanelli.
19-STAGE FINISHING
Upon returning from the foundry, every piece undergoes a finishing process to harden the alloy and achieve my signature surface quality.
Phase I: Structural Preparation
01. De-sprue: Removal of casting feed channels.
02. Thermal Treatment I: Precipitation hardening.
03. Controlled Oxidation: Surface darkening with sulfur compounds.
Phase II: Surface Abrasion
04. Coarse Leveling: 100 grit reduction & filing.
05. Medium Definition: 240 grit sanding.
06. Fine Definition: 600 grit sanding.
07. Surface smoothing: Radial bristle disc abrasion.
08. Pre-Polish: 1200 grit honing.
Phase III: Highlighting & Hardening
09. Work Hardening and recess brightening: Magnetic pin tumble (Shot peening).
10. Satin Finish: 2500 grit sanding.
11. Relief Highlight I: Silicon disc abrasion.
12. Relief Highlight II: Fine silicon polish.
13. Micro-Burnishing: Hand-highlighting details with a graver (Microscope assisted).
Phase IV: Final Polish
14. Interior Polish: Rotary tool cotton mop + Dialux compound finish.
15. Exterior Polish: Jewellers lathe cotton mop + Dialux compound finish.
16. Surface Purification: Ultrasonic chemical cleanse.
17. Passivation (Thermal Treatment II): Formation of the germanium oxide protective layer.
18. Final Inspection: Macro lens quality control check.
19. Archive: Boxed and sealed.
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