Hermes Amulettes Constance Pendant Necklace in Sterling Silver H121324B 00

This is the largest Constance amulet I have handled in silver: a plaque measuring 1.82 by 1.28 centimetres, hanging on a 40 centimetre chain, made in Italy from 925/1000 silver. It has the presence of a coin and the casualness of a keyring, and those two things together are hard to find.

At 40 centimetres the necklace sits at the collarbone, so the plaque rests in the little hollow at the base of the throat and stays there while you move. Because the silver is unplated, the surface takes a soft patina; mine has darkened in the recesses of the H, which I think improves it.

I wear it with denim shirts, with a black sweater, and over a swimsuit on holiday, and it never looks overdressed. It is also the pendant I lend to friends who say they do not wear jewellery, because it is heavy enough to feel like something and plain enough to forget.

Two notes. Sterling tarnishes and this plaque is big enough that you will notice it, so a polishing cloth belongs in the drawer; and on a very slender neck a 40 cm chain can feel high, so check the measurement before you commit. Made in Italy.

The one thing to know about a plaque this size in silver is that nobody will mistake it for fine jewellery, and that is the point: it reads as a found object, a token, a coin, and it works with denim in a way gold never quite manages. Mine has picked up a few soft marks on the flat surface, which I count as patina.