Hermes Farandole Earrings Sterling Silver H108618B 00

Silver does something rose gold cannot: it goes cool and graphic, and the Farandole earrings in 925 sterling show that beautifully. The same chain of links, but cooler, sharper, and easier to wear with denim and wool.

This medium model hangs from a chain 3.8 cm long, ending in a motif of 1.7 by 1.02 cm, a size that sits just below the jawline: short enough to be practical and long enough to move when you walk. The metal is 925/1000, bright when new and, over the years, inclined to the soft grey sheen that silver earns from being worn.

Mine are weekday earrings. With a grey crew neck, with a white shirt, with a black turtleneck in winter, they bring a fine-drawn line where gold would bring warmth. Silver also flatters people who find gold too heavy against the skin, and these work nicely with a stack of silver rings or a steel watch.

Honest note: sterling silver tarnishes, and it tarnishes faster if it sits in a drawer than if it is worn, so these are earrings that prefer a life in the open. A silver cloth takes care of the pale film in seconds, and keeping them out of humid rooms, rather than beside a bathroom mirror, prevents the worst of it.

Made in France, and one of the few fine silver earrings I would happily wear every week without feeling that I should be wearing something more precious.