Real stories · The little cross I don't take off

I bought it for the dark mornings — I haven't taken it off since

A small cross that's quietly become part of every day — that's what this necklace is, and I ordered it, of all reasons, because of the dark mornings. I'm 67, and when the clocks head towards winter I always feel it: the grey starts earlier, the news doesn't help, and a person wants something steady to hold on to.

What I wanted was something small that kept the important things close.

Then I found the Crucielle from a British label called York Boutique — a gold-tone cross pendant with delicate sparkling detail, on a matching chain. There's a chunkier chain and a thinner one; mine is the thinner.

The quiet of it is the point. It's light enough that I genuinely forget it's there — which is why, unlike every other necklace I own, it never gets taken off and left on a dish — and the polished finish keeps its shine through ordinary days, washing-up included. It sits neatly over a jumper or under a coat collar, and catches the light just enough to be noticed without announcing itself.

A gold-tone cross with delicate sparkling detail, light enough to forget you're wearing it — which is why it simply stays on, from the first dark morning to the last cup of tea.

It was £19.95, half the usual £40 — modest enough that I ordered a second one the same week, boxed up for my granddaughter's confirmation in the spring. A fortnight to send it back and free delivery, neither of which crossed my mind again.

It has since been worn every single day for three weeks — church on Sunday, the shops on Tuesday, everywhere between — and at the coffee morning Margaret leaned in, looked properly, and asked where it was from. Her daughter's being confirmed too. I passed the link along like contraband.

If the dark mornings also have you reaching for something steady, do have a look. The Crucielle is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 250 customers, it comes with a chunky or a thin chain — and at half price, and with the gift season coming, the boxes go quickly.