In 1930, the story goes, Florence Jay Gould showed up in front of Claude Arpels with her belongings in a Lucky Strike cigarette case. Van Cleef & Arpels invented the minaudière that year, reportedly because of her, and Claude set to work on a case that could hold a comb, lipstick, watch, cigarette holder, lighter, mirror and compact. A small hard shell for the essentials: that is still the whole job of a silver clutch.

The second chapter is my favorite, because it started with a mistake. Judith Leiber worked for other handbag makers in New York for 12 years before starting her own brand in 1963, and by her own telling the rhinestones began when gold and silver plated bags arrived spotted. So she covered the plating with crystals, and a new trend followed. Silver has always been the practical metal here: British Vogue calls a silver bag more versatile and less shouty than gold, and says it plays well with almost any color palette. That is why I would start with one.

The first group is the sleek leather end of the story. The Jimmy Choo Skylar is a streamlined silver frame clutch with a removable chain, and I would take it with a black column dress and heels. The Jacquemus La Pochette Salon is slim, snakeskin-embossed and a little cheeky with its gold frame, so it suits a plain white shirt and trousers. The Balenciaga Le City is crinkled and studded, which is right for jeans and a leather jacket on a cold October night. The Akris Anouk is the quiet one, a small magnetic flap for tailoring. Also look at the Cult Gaia Mini Nala, shaped like a shell, and the Tom Ford Jean, with its removable mirror. Before you commit, check that your phone, keys and lipstick fit without the flap bulging.

Judith Leiber is the name to know before you shop this section. By her account the crystals were a repair, and she went on to design about 3,500 unique handbags. The Judith Leiber Couture Fizzoni is the full-beaded version in silver satin, with a removable shoulder chain, and it is what I would carry to a black-tie wedding with a dark velvet gown.

The rest of the group takes that idea in different directions. The Christian Louboutin Bettina is silver suede covered in strass and pearls on a chain, which reads soft rather than hard. The Valentino Garavani Crystal VLogo is a small, dense, multi-size crystal clutch with a stowable chain, so it turns into a hand-held when you want it to. The SIMKHAI Morgan is woven and rhinestoned with leather trim, which makes it the easiest one to wear with a plain slip dress. For a statement, the L'Alingi Lily and Taliya Eternity have stone-encrusted handles on silver satin, and the Taliya is round, which is not a shape you see often.

The Alexis Bittar Crystal Curve is pewter-silver leather with one curved line of crystals, the one I would give to a friend who says she does not like sparkle. The Steve Madden Evelina is an angular rhinestone mini.

Before buying, hold it up to a window and look at how the crystals are set: even rows, no glue marks, no loose stones at the corners. Then tilt it, because pewter and silver read differently next to gold jewelry.

What I would skip: a heavily crystal clutch with a crystal dress. Let one of them stay quiet.

A true minaudière is a rigid case, and that is the cleanest way to tell what you are looking at. The ones in this section keep faith with the 1930s original, only in metal, crystal and resin instead of engraved gold.

The Judith Leiber Couture Dolphin is crystals and brass in the shape of a dolphin, with a detachable shoulder strap, and it is pure Leiber whimsy. I would put it on a plain black dress and let it be the joke. The AQUA Crystal Minaudiere is the straight-faced rectangle, with a push-lock closure, and it is the one I would pick for a cocktail party. The SIMKHAI Bridget is a silver metal oyster shell with a chain, which is lovely against a navy or emerald slip. The Simon Miller Small Metal Concha is a sculpted shell with a magnetic closure, and the Cult Gaia Caldera is a molten, shiny silver shape that looks like a puddle of mercury.

For something quieter, the Zimmermann Rapture has an embossed kangaroo motif on a silvertone metal box. The Ahikoza Lolita is an egg-shaped, snakeskin-embossed mini with a knotted loop handle. The Giorgio Armani Crystal Clutch is a fold-over clutch with allover crystals and a detachable chain, in viscose and silk.

Hard cases do not give, so open and close each one before you decide. Make sure the clasp snaps without a fight, and the inside fits a phone and a card. Check the edges for sharp corners that could catch a sleeve.

What I would skip: a minaudière for a day with a big coat and a scarf. They are made for an evening hand.

Not every silver clutch has to be a hard shell. Envelope and pouch styles flatten, tuck under an arm and fold into a larger bag, which makes them my choice for anyone who is traveling for the holidays and still wants a party option in the suitcase.

The Jimmy Choo Emmie is a mirrored silver envelope with an angled flap, and I would carry it with a satin skirt and a fitted knit. The Michelle Wilhite Mini Frieda is a sleek silver envelope flap with a removable chain and a magnetic closure, made in the USA. The LEMIZ Valentina is oversized with a pointed flap, so it works as a proper clutch for a coat-and-trousers evening. The Mansur Gavriel Mini Cloud is a puffy, ruched metallic pouch on a knotted strap, which is the softest thing here. The Stella McCartney Falabella is a larger metallic pouch with a chain and a magnetic closure, made in Italy.

Smaller picks: the Zadig & Voltaire Rock Nano has a vintage-effect finish, which looks right with a worn-in leather jacket. The Sandro Mambo is a flap with a swivel clasp. The Steve Madden Juliana has a magnetic snap and a slip pocket inside.

Test the pouch the way you would use it: put in your phone, keys and lipstick, close it, and check it still looks flat. Look at the chain too. A thin chain is fine when you carry it in your hand, but it digs in when it hangs on your shoulder for hours.

What I would skip: a very slouchy pouch with a structured dress. Pick the envelope instead and keep the lines sharp.

Paco Rabanne's first show was on February 1, 1966, at the Hotel George V in Paris, with disks linked by metal rings. Vogue describes the debut collection as garments of aluminum plates joined by metal rings, and the house later sold kits of discs, rings and pliers so women could build their own. Audrey Hepburn wore a silver disk piece in Two for the Road. That is where all the chain mail clutches below come from.

The Rabanne East/West Chain Mail Bag is the source itself: compact, in the signature steel chain mail, with a chain strap that converts it to a clutch. The Tyler Ellis Lee is a softer, semi-structured envelope in leather and metallic chainmail, made in Italy. The Self-Portrait Mini Crystal Chainmail is all glass crystal and small enough for a dinner, and the Whiting & Davis Dimple Mesh is pewter-silver metal mesh with a kiss-lock ball clasp and a frame top. The Versace Medusa and Reiss Adaline are crystal-mesh flaps on chains.

If you want sequins, the Badgley Mischka Remy is a mixed-sequin pouch with a rhinestone half-moon handle, and the AQUA Irina is a ruched crystal evening clutch with a removable crossbody strap.

Chain mail has weight, so pick it up and keep it in your hand for a minute. Run a thumb along the mesh for rough links that could snag knits, and look at whether the strap is comfortable.

What I would skip: sequins and chain mail with a sparkly dress. Put them against wool, denim or plain black and let the metal talk.

I would begin with the shape, not the shine. If you only go to dinners, take a leather envelope or flap, like the Jimmy Choo Skylar. If you go to weddings, take the Judith Leiber Couture Fizzoni, and if you want a story, take the Rabanne chain mail.

Then I would check the basics in order: it closes over your phone, the strap suits your shoulder, and the metal looks right with the jewelry you already wear.

Silver was never the loud choice. It only needs a Lucky Strike tin and one good evening to start over again. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The YSL Wallet for Women and Curb, Figaro or Herringbone.