Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** With precious metal prices climbing, brass is emerging as a practical alternative. Hyères Lor’s new ‘Armor Brass’ addresses common summer tarnish and wear issues, and early market feedback has been encouraging.
As gold and silver prices rise, brass materials are gaining attention. Hyères Lor has developed ‘Armor Brass’ to reduce tarnish concerns in summer.
As summer arrives, concerns about wearing accessories increase. Frequent exposure to sweat and moisture raises worries about tarnish and wear.
With recent rises in gold and silver raw material prices, the use of brass materials is expanding, and brass accessories with enhanced durability are emerging as a new alternative.
Hyères Lor (HYÈRES LOR), a jewelry brand operated by LF’s fashion subsidiary Hyères Lor Korea, announced that its accessories featuring the proprietary plating technology ‘Armor Brass’ are receiving positive responses.
Brass is widely used in accessory lines of global luxury brands, but concerns about tarnish and durability have persisted. To address these limitations, Hyères Lor developed ‘Armor Brass’ by applying a high-density plating process that is 3 to 10 times stronger than its existing products. The key feature is the enhanced plating durability of brass accessories, minimizing tarnish and wear.
During product development, salt spray tests, chemical tests, and abrasion tests were conducted considering real-life environments, and the optimal plating thickness was designed based on these results. In particular, thicker plating was applied to rings and bracelets that frequently contact hands, and necklace chains also had their durability enhanced in the same manner. For earrings, the posts that touch the ears are made of silver to reduce allergy concerns.
The Armor Brass line is developed based on Hyères Lor’s signature bold yet minimalist design. It emphasizes structural forms centered on curves, the inherent volume of metal, and surface texture, designed to make a statement even when worn alone.
Market response has been positive. Hyères Lor pre-applied Armor Brass to some products in May and received high interest, especially in the bracelet and ring lines. Representative products, such as bangles combining clean polished metal lines with stone pavé lines and bracelets with continuous H-shaped chains, sold out their initial stock within three days of launch. Subsequent reorder quantities also sold out quickly, and the products are now operating on a pre-order basis.
Sales of brass material products in May increased approximately five times compared to the previous month, showing rapid growth centered on the Armor Brass line.
Riding on this demand, Hyères Lor plans to launch new Armor Brass bracelet products in June. The brand intends to continue expanding its metal accessory line that reduces concerns about tarnish and wear from summer sweat and moisture exposure, targeting the related market.
