The faceted garnet catches the light in a series of small flashes, its deep, dark purple hue evoking warmth and energy. The pendant keeps a minimalist form - a simple setting, with no embellishments to draw attention away from the stone. Such a setting doesn't compete with the garnet's colour, so it's the stone that leads the eye when the pendant rests on the neckline.

We select the garnets for this pendant for their even, saturated colour, so the stone reads as one coherent whole rather than in scattered patches. Good garnets are becoming harder to source, and silver and precious metals are rising in price, so the price of this piece remains reasonable today. The core of the pendant is refined European silver 925, plated with a layer of 18-carat gold in line with the French vermeil standard - confirmed by the struck V mark. It's the gold, not the silver, that touches the skin, and an alloy free of nickel and other harmful additives means the pendant can be worn with confidence even on sensitive skin. The silver core is stamped with the French maker's mark, which attests to the metal's origin.

Light, weighing just 1.3 g, it naturally sits along the line of the neck and doesn't weigh you down even worn for long. It looks good with a soft, chunky-knit sweater, especially in monochromatic pairings - grey, beige or deep navy in the clothing bring out the warmth of the stone. It also works well with a smooth blouse under a blazer, when the neckline is left bare. The garnet alone is enough to complete such a look.