The labradorite cabochon on your hand shimmers with a cool, blue glow that appears and vanishes with every movement. Against the stone's dark background, flashes of steely brilliance arrange themselves into a depth that smooth, uniform surfaces simply cannot match. The signet ring has a plain, minimalist band that doesn't pull attention away from the stone - the whole composition stays calm and distinctly modern. The big size of the stone shows off this play of light on the finger to full advantage.

Only a small fraction of the raw material reviewed makes it into this piece - what matters is the depth of the reflection and the clarity of the surface, and the rest is set aside. Rising silver prices and increasingly scarce good-quality labradorite mean that buying now remains a sound choice price-wise. The stone is set in refined European silver, sterling silver 925, coated with a layer of rhodium - a hard metal resistant to scratching, so the shine lasts for years without a trace of tarnish. The alloy contains no nickel, the metal responsible for allergic reactions, so the ring can be worn without worrying about skin irritation. The French maker's mark placed on the piece attests to the origin of the silver, and the European quality of the craftsmanship is visible in the precision of the band itself. In old beliefs, labradorite was said to symbolize calm thinking and faith in one's own decisions.

The signet ring pairs well with weekend layering - a chunky oversized sweater, a wool scarf and trousers in a cool grey. In such a muted styling, it's the stone's blue reflection that catches the eye as your hand lifts a cup or adjusts the scarf. It also suits a plain shirt and dark, deep-purple knitwear in autumn. Worn on its own day to day, without other jewelry on the same hand, it lets the cabochon keep the whole of its depth.