Jock hit the nail on the head--again. Chageable buttons is the best option since it retains the ability to wear the argyl for a dressy occassion should the need arise.

I believe Scotty Thompson suggests such an option in his So You're Going to Wear . . . .

Bottom line: yes, you can remove the bling, but assuming that you have a black argyl, I'd stick with black buttons. And reserving the ability to use silver buttons is a really good option. A good tailor can easily put "button holes" in place of the buttons if you choose this option.

Or even your mother if she has a button holer on her sewing machine.