These stud earrings with moonstone bring out that stone's distinctive blue shimmer, which appears and fades with every turn of the head. The cabochon cut doesn't flatten the surface of the stone - it lets light travel deeper in and emerge again as that cool, blue glow, rather than breaking it up into small flashes the way a faceted cut would. In old jewelry traditions, moonstone was linked to intuition and inner focus, which sits well with the classic, understated form of these earrings - small, yet distinctly present by the face.

We chose the two moonstones for this set purely for their reflection - stones with such an even, blue shimmer are easy to overlook among hundreds of similar ones, and finding a second stone to match is no easy task. Silver and good natural stones are steadily rising in price, so earrings at this price with two moonstones of this quality are a sensible choice today. They are set in refined European silver, sterling silver 925 - a pure alloy free of nickel and other allergenic additives, so they can be worn without worry about skin irritation. The rhodium coating is hard and scratch-resistant, which keeps the silver shiny for a long time and stops it from tarnishing. The whole piece is stamped with the French maker's mark, which attests to the origin of the silver.

For an evening out, they work well with hair pulled back - an exposed neckline and ears let the blue shimmer come fully into its own. With a little black dress or a silk blouse, the earrings alone are enough, without an extra necklace or bracelet - they're what catches the eye with every turn of the head. The classic form of the studs also means they suit a simple, single-colour daytime look, as long as the hair is tucked back behind the ears.