This vermeil pendant sets four faceted amethysts into a delicate, modern pendant drop that falls gently into the neckline. As it moves, light enters the facets and returns as a cool purple, sometimes deeper, sometimes lighter, depending on the angle. In old jewelry workshops amethyst was associated with calm and clarity of mind, its colour treated as a symbol of inner balance. The simple line of the pendant drop doesn't draw attention away from the stone - it's the stone that leads the eye along the neck.

Each of the four amethysts was examined separately and hand-selected for clarity and depth of colour, so at a relatively accessible price you get a stone of distinctly above-average quality. Precious metals are steadily rising in price, and good coloured stones are becoming harder to source, so buying this pendant now makes sense from a price perspective. At its core is refined European silver 925, coated with a thick layer of 18-carat gold - it's the gold that touches the skin, giving smooth, warm-to-the-touch contact, while the stamped V mark confirms compliance with the vermeil standard. The silver core carries a maker's mark struck on the silver, registered with the French assay office, which attests to the metal's origin.

This pendant sits well against an open neckline, whether with a little black dress worn without extra ornamentation or with a silk blouse in a deep colour, where the purple flash of the amethyst stands out clearly. For an evening out, it's enough to limit the rest of your jewelry to thin stud earrings, so nothing competes with the stone. At 1.6 grams, the pendant sits lightly and doesn't weigh you down even after several hours of wear.