Hermes Echappee Hermès Earrings Rose Gold H219596B 00

The step from plated fashion jewellery to solid gold is felt more than seen: the weight sits differently, the colour does not flake, and you think harder before choosing. These Echappée earrings are my favourite argument for making that step at a small scale.

They are made in 750/1000 rose gold, eighteen carats, with a motif that measures eight by eleven millimetres at its longest point. The metal is polished to a warm, faintly coppery gleam that suits both pale and olive skin, and because it is solid, there is no plating to wear through; you can wear them in the shower, at the beach, for decades.

Mine have become my travel earrings for exactly that reason. They go through airports, humidity and an accidental dip in the sea without a change, and they are small enough to sleep in on a night train while still refined enough for a proper dinner, a harder combination than it sounds.

The trade-off is the one that comes with fine jewellery. They are light and delicate, so they will not carry a bold outfit the way a large earring does, and solid gold scratches. Expect fine surface marks over time; a jeweller can polish them out, though I have come to like the softness they add to the metal.

Two things I would do if I were buying again: keep the butterfly backs in a dish rather than loose in a bag, and store them apart from chunkier pieces that could nick them. Made in France.