This garnet engagement ring plays with deep purple as the hand moves. The faceted cut breaks light into small flashes, and the minimalist band never distracts from them - the whole form has been pared down to the essential minimum. Garnet has long been linked with passion and confidence, and here that symbolism takes on a calm, understated shape.

This particular shade of garnet is easy to overlook, and a second stone with a similarly deep colour is hard to come by. Silver and good coloured stones keep rising in price, so a ring of this quality at this price is a sensible choice today. For the same price you get a faceted stone carefully matched for colour and clarity, set in a solidly made piece. The refined European silver has a clean alloy, and the 925 fineness confirms that purity - the rhodium plating gives the surface hardness and resistance to scratching, and the shine lasts long without tarnishing. The French maker's mark on the piece attests to the origin of the silver.

This ring comes into its own in the evening - with a little black dress and a silk blouse, when the hand is the only part left uncovered by the sleeve. A gesture with a glass, or fastening a handbag clasp, is enough for the deep purple of the garnet to catch the eye. At 1.6 grams, the ring sits on the finger almost unnoticed, yet it clearly makes its presence known.