Hermes Mini Pop H Earrings Lacquered Metal Rose Gold Marron Glacé H608002FO55

Of all the Pop H shades I have tried, Marron Glacé is the one that behaves least like a novelty earring. It is a glazed chestnut brown, and it melts into camel wool, chocolate suede and cream silk in a way that brighter lacquers never do.

The motif sits at nine millimetres tall by seven wide, a size that reads as a neat dot from across a room and as a considered detail up close. Mine weigh two grams each, so the lobe never feels dragged down, and on a long flight I forget them entirely; they are the only earrings I have never once taken out mid-Atlantic.

I like them most in autumn and winter, when my wardrobe turns brown and burgundy. The enamel picks up the warmth of a tweed jacket and gives the face a little definition without adding shine. In summer they look better than expected with white linen and a tan, which I did not predict from such a brown pair.

Honest caveat: brown jewellery is easy to overlook, and if your usual metals are cool silver or white gold, this palette will feel slightly off-register beside them. The rose-gold plating underneath leans warm, so it wants company in gold, camel and cream rather than platinum tones.

Wear them away from perfume and take them off before the shower or a swim; the lacquer stays glossy, but only if you let it. Mine have lasted two autumns of near-daily wear with no clouding, which is more than I can say for most painted jewellery I have owned.