The warm, honey amber in this pendant has a depth that only reveals itself in the light - inside the cabochon you can see fine, bright flashes, and the colour shifts from gold to a dense, darker orange. A big cabochon set in silver brings a vintage note to any outfit, a retro silhouette with no unnecessary extras. Amber is fossilised resin, not a cold ore, and that shows in its warmth - old Baltic craftsmen associated it with sunlight and good fortune, and today it's still a popular symbol of prosperity.

Each cabochon is reviewed individually, because what matters is the purity of the resin and the depth of colour, and a piece like this at a reasonable price is getting harder to find. Silver has risen in price in recent years, so choosing a good stone at an accessible price makes sense right now. The setting is made of refined silver 925 of high alloy purity - free of nickel and other allergenic additives, so the pendant can be worn without worries about skin irritation. The metal is stamped with the French maker's mark, a legally protected mark registered at the French assay office, which attests to its origin, and the whole piece keeps to European standards of craftsmanship.

Day to day it looks great against the neckline of a white shirt, worn on top under a leather jacket and classic jeans - the amber lifts a muted, urban look with a warm accent of colour. A shirt collar undone by one button reveals just enough of the chain for the stone to be visible without being showy. The big size of the cabochon means the pendant keeps good proportions with thicker sweaters in autumn and winter, when the neckline is more covered.