Glasses are the only object worn on the face all day long, seen by everyone who looks at you. Years later they stay in the memory together with the face. At BELLER we approached the frame the way we approach a ring: as an object made of precious metal, crafted by hand, meant for decades rather than for a season.
BELLER Eyewear gold and silver eyeglass frames are 98% 585 gold or 925 silver, made by hand in our own workshop in Warsaw, in limited numbers. They are completed with HOYA lenses selected individually. The collection holds four references, from 8 150 PLN for silver to 29 550 PLN for the heaviest gold model, and you can try them on at Mokotowska 71 in Warsaw and Szczepańska 9 in Kraków.
How do gold eyeglass frames differ from ordinary ones?
The difference lies in the material and the making, not in the surface finish. Ordinary frames in a gold colour are base metal under a thin coating that wears away where the skin and the temple arm touch it. A BELLER frame is precious metal all the way through, 585 gold or 925 silver, so the surface you see after a year of wear is the same material as on day one.
The second difference is the process. The frames are made in the same workshop where we make wedding bands and rings, with the same tools. Sculpted temple arms, the balanced lightness of the front, the fit of the hinges: every one of these is made and checked by hand. How this category differs from mass-made jewellery is explained in our piece on high jewellery.
How much precious metal is in a BELLER Eyewear frame?
A frame is 98% gold or silver, and its mass falls between 22.8 and 34 grams. A classic wedding band weighs a few grams, so a single pair of frames holds as much precious metal as several wedding bands at once. That is where the price comes from, along with a presence no lacquer can imitate.
In detail: silver Eyewear N°3 weighs 22.8 g, silver N°4 27 g, gold N°1 25 g and gold N°2 34 g. The metal is hardened, meaning we increase its hardness and springiness in a controlled process, so the frame returns to shape instead of staying bent.
Gold or silver frames: what does the metal change?
The choice of metal changes the character of the frame, not its class. 585 gold gives a warm, deep tone that flatters the skin and reads as a deliberate, visible gesture. 925 silver, hardened and rhodium plated, has a cool, mirror-like shine close to white gold and sits at the face more discreetly, leaving more room for the eyes. Neither option is better than the other, they are two different registers.
If you want to understand what the numbers on a hallmark actually mean, we explain it in a separate piece on gold hallmarks. Why rhodium plated silver does not tarnish the way unprotected silver does is covered in our guide to rhodium plated silver.
Which lenses go into BELLER frames?
BELLER Eyewear frames take lenses by the Japanese maker HOYA, selected individually for every order. The type of lens, its power and its coatings are agreed in conversation at the boutique, because whether the frame is meant for reading, for screen work or for sunlight depends on how your day actually runs.
Every pair also carries a serial number from a limited pool. It is a small thing that lets us identify the exact piece during service or a lens change.
How much do gold and silver eyeglass frames cost?
Prices in the BELLER Eyewear collection start at 8 150 PLN for silver N°3 and 10 050 PLN for silver N°4. Gold N°1 with its round shape costs 22 950 PLN, and the geometric N°2 at 34 g costs 29 550 PLN. The differences come from the amount of metal and the time spent shaping it.
The price covers what a photograph does not show: handwork, hardening of the metal, fitting the frame to your face on collection and the service that follows. How we look after a finished piece is described in our text on jewellery service at the BELLER boutique.
Why are frames ordered at the boutique rather than from a screen?
Because a frame has to match three dimensions at once: the distance between the eyes, the height of the bridge of the nose and the distance to the ear. None of that can be read from a photograph or a table. During a visit we check how the front sits on the face and where the centre of the lens falls against the pupil, then adjust the nose pads and the temple arms so the frame holds without leaving a mark on the skin.
Then there is what no screen conveys: the weight of 25 grams of gold in the hand and the way the metal answers the light in the rooms you actually spend time in.
Where to try BELLER Eyewear on in Warsaw and Kraków?
In two boutiques: BELLER Warsaw at Mokotowska 71 and BELLER Kraków at Szczepańska 9, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00. It is worth letting us know you are coming so that all four references are ready.
The lead time is agreed individually with each order, since it depends on the metal and on the lenses. We also take express orders and can help when timing is tight, once the date has been agreed with the workshop. If you are looking for a shape the collection does not hold, we discuss it exactly as we would any other special order.
How to look after gold and silver frames day to day?
Daily care comes down to three things: taking the glasses off with both hands, wiping the frame with a soft cloth and keeping it in its case. Precious metal dislikes aerosol cosmetics and preparations containing alcohol, so perfume goes on before the frames, not after.
The rest is on us. Refreshing and polishing BELLER pieces is free of charge, so every now and then it is enough to leave the frame at the boutique and collect it in the state it left the workshop. The same applies to all our handmade gold jewellery.
Frequently asked questions
Are BELLER Eyewear frames made entirely of gold?
The frames are 98% 585 gold or 925 silver. The remaining few percent are technical elements such as hinges and nose pads.
How much do BELLER gold eyeglass frames cost?
Silver Eyewear N°3 costs 8 150 PLN and N°4 costs 10 050 PLN. Gold Eyewear N°1 costs 22 950 PLN, and the heaviest model, N°2 at 34 g, costs 29 550 PLN.
Can prescription lenses be fitted to BELLER frames?
Yes. The frames take HOYA lenses selected individually, and the type is agreed during a conversation at the boutique.
Do silver frames tarnish?
Silver at BELLER is hardened and rhodium plated, which protects the surface from tarnishing and scratches. Wipe it with a soft cloth, and refreshing it at the boutique is free of charge.
Where can I see BELLER Eyewear in person?
In two BELLER boutiques: Mokotowska 71 in Warsaw and Szczepańska 9 in Kraków, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00.
If you would like to see the frames in person, hold them and check how they sit on your face, book an appointment at the BELLER boutique in Warsaw or in Kraków.