The deep purple of two faceted garnets catches the light with every turn of the head. It's a dense colour, at times almost black, at times red, depending on the angle the light hits it. The minimalist form of these stud earrings brings the stone right onto the line of the neck and hairline, with no extra details to distract from it. Garnet has long been associated with strength and passion, which suits its deep, saturated hue well.

Each of the two garnets was inspected individually before being set in the mount - what matters is purity of colour and the absence of cracks, and since this remains a natural stone, no two are identical. Silver and precious metal prices are rising, and good-quality garnets are becoming harder to find, which makes buying now seem like a sound choice. The setting is vermeil: refined European 925 silver coated with a thick layer of 18-carat gold, confirmed by the struck vermeil mark V. It's the gold, not the silver, that touches the skin, and the alloy contains no nickel, so the earrings don't cause allergies. The piece is signed with the maker's mark struck on the silver, registered with the French assay office.

For a family celebration, these pair well with an elegant dress in deep burgundy or bottle green, worn with hair swept up to reveal the line of the neck and ear. In warm evening light, the purple of the garnets takes on extra depth and draws the eye without the help of large accessories. A delicate chain in the same metal is all it takes to complete the look - the rest of the outfit can stay classic and understated. At 1.6 g, they wear lightly all evening long.