0.6cttw Moissanite Stud Earrings, Rhodium Plated

The pair you put in and forget about. Around six tenths of a carat of moissanite across the two studs, which is the size that reads clearly from across a room without ever tipping into costume. It is the earring you can wear to work, to dinner and to bed without thinking about it. At this size the stone sits close to the lobe, which is why a stud this small suits a second or third piercing as well as the first.

Rhodium plating over 925 sterling silver is the detail that matters here. Rhodium is what jewellers use on white gold to stop it yellowing, and it does the same job on silver, holding a cool bright white rather than drifting grey. It also adds a hard surface layer, so the finish survives being handled every day.

Moissanite is the reason these keep sparkling. It bends light harder than almost any stone used in jewellery, which is why the flash is noticeably livelier than cubic zirconia at the same size. Paired with a secure back and a low profile setting, this is a first piece for someone starting a collection and a safe gift for someone who already has one. Moissanite scores 9.25 on the Mohs scale, against about 8 for cubic zirconia, so the facets stay sharp through years of daily wear and the stone does not need re-polishing to keep its sparkle. Plated silver is best kept away from perfume and chlorine.

• Stone: full moissanite, approximately 0.6cttw total
• Metal: 925 sterling silver
• Finish: rhodium plated, silver colour
• Setting: four prong
• Style: classic round solitaire stud
• Sold as a pair