Garrard's history reads like a novel. The house traces itself to 1735, when silversmith George Wickes set up shop in London, and in 1843 Queen Victoria appointed it the first official Crown Jeweller. For more than 160 years Garrard looked after the British Crown Jewels, and it made pieces the royal family still wears. It has called Albemarle Street in Mayfair home since 1911, give or take a few years away.

The earrings here carry that past without feeling stuffy. The 1735 platinum, sapphire and diamond earrings take their name from the founding year and have the classic, stone-first look you would expect. The Wings Rising opal earrings are softer and more modern. Color, more than carat weight, is what ties the whole house together for me.

The necklaces and rings are where Garrard balances ornament and restraint. The Lotus Flower sapphire and diamond necklace gives that balance a literal shape. The Wings necklace brings in color through enamel instead of a big stone, a quieter way to make the same point, and at $3,800 it is the most approachable piece in the edit. The Starlight Mini Icon necklace is the one I would wear every day.

I think of Garrard as the jeweler you buy from once, for something you plan to hand down. That is not a reason to lock it away. The best heirlooms are the ones that were actually worn.

Garrard is not a casual way to try fine jewelry, and pretending otherwise misses what the house does well. With prices running from $3,800 to more than $30,000, the smart move is one piece with a stone or motif you will still recognize as yours in twenty years. The Wings and Lotus Flower designs carry the clearest identity, and the 1735 pieces are the most classic. I would skip anything bought only for a single occasion. Let the color choose the piece, keep the rest of the outfit quiet, and wear it often enough that it picks up a little of your own history too.