Faceted blue topaz plays across the pendant with small flashes of light whenever it catches the angle just right. Facet by facet, the stone gathers the light and sends it back, and the cool blue of the topaz calls to mind a winter sky just after sunset. The vintage silhouette of the setting gives the whole piece a calm, retro character - no unnecessary flourishes, with the stone's clear outline as the main motif. The pendant sits close to the neck, where a dress collar or an open neckline shows off its line best.

Only a narrow selection of stones makes it into a pendant like this - out of all the rough reviewed, just a small portion remains, the part with the purest, most saturated blue. This keeps the topaz at a high standard while keeping the pendant's price reasonable. Silver gets more expensive year by year, and good stones in this shade are increasingly hard to find, so buying now makes sense price-wise. The setting is made from refined sterling silver 925 with a high-purity alloy - free of nickel and other harmful additives, so the metal is gentle on the skin. A layer of rhodium protects the silver from tarnishing and scratches, keeping the shine bright for years. The piece is stamped with a French maker's mark registered at the assay office, and the European quality of the craftsmanship shows in the precision with which the stone is set.

In the evening, this pendant looks good with a little black dress and an open neckline, or with a silk blouse in a cool shade of grey - keep the collar simple then, so the eye goes straight to the blue of the topaz. Small, delicate earrings are enough to complete the look without pulling attention away from the main stone. The retro form of the setting also pairs well with an autumn leather jacket and a plain sweater, when you want to lift a casual outfit with one clear detail at the neck.