The warm, honey-brown tone of tiger's eye catches the eye with a silky sheen that glides across the stone's surface like a narrow band of light. This is the cat's-eye effect, characteristic of this quartz variety, seen at its best in a cabochon cut. The stud shape stays classic and understated in line, so it's the colour of the stone that carries the whole composition at the ear. In old-time jewellery craft, tiger's eye was said to symbolise stability - today it's simply a stone with a bold, calm character.

Before it reaches its silver setting, every stone is assessed for colour and pattern under light, so the finished earrings feature only pieces with a clean, saturated hue. Such careful selection at this price point is rare, since silver and good natural stones keep rising in price, and pieces with an even pattern are becoming harder to find. The setting is refined sterling silver 925 of European quality, coated with a layer of rhodium that protects the surface against tarnishing and scratches, so the earrings need almost no cleaning. The alloy stays free of nickel and other irritating additives, so you can wear them without worrying about irritation. The metal is stamped with the maker's mark, a legally protected mark registered at the French assay office, attesting to its origin.

These earrings come into their own in the evening, with a little black dress or a silk blouse in deep black or bottle green. Hair worn up or pulled back reveals the line of the neck and lets the warm tone of the tiger's eye draw the eye without competing with other accessories. Against fair skin and dark hair the contrast stands out especially clearly, and at 3.2 grams the earrings feel light to wear all evening long.