For all of you soon to be engaged diamond lovers, there is much excitement when it comes to "what is going on in the engagement ring world today?" For those of us who love diamonds, the word "engagement ring" sparks our interest immediately.
The tradition of your spouse shopping for the ring alone has gone by the wayside. If it is hints by the bride to be or instagram photos saved and sent via text. The bride is usually involved and many times the process is a joint venture.
So...go ahead and drop those hints, send your Instagram favorites, and offer to help.
Trend #1: More and more of our clients are asking for classic or antique cut diamonds, many asking for the "old mined cut" radiant or cushion. Customers are saying they want to be environmentally conscious and purchase an old antique stone. These are available, but they tend to be pricey due to the lack of inventory. There are just not that many old mined diamonds in the world. Recently, we did a world wide search for a 4 carat old mined assher cut diamond and came up with less than 20 high quality stones. The unique look and feel to the old mined cut diamonds is beautiful and almost mysterious. They were all cut by hand, so there are not as many facets and the light transfers through them differently.
Trend #2: Now we are seeing customers asking for the old mined cut, but in lab grown diamonds. This can be done! We have custom cut these stones to perfectly mimic the old mined cut. Yes, they are cheaper than the antique old earth mined diamonds, they are a very close replica and more attractive because they are kinder on the pocketbook.
Trend #3: We are seeing white gold resurge for engagement rings. Diamonds look better in white gold vs yellow or rose--they are brighter because the white gold color highlights the diamonds and makes them pop even more. Do you perfer white gold or platinum? The up-keep on platinum is usually more time intensive, because platinum will grey over time and dull, where as white gold tends to keep it's luster. According to Bride magazine, "white gold is more durable for everyday wear." where platinum requires work to keep it's luster. Even our colored gemstone rings are now requested in white gold. However, platinum is deemed more exclusive and timeless.
Is the yellow and rose gold craze over? Absolutely not, we are seeing mixing of white gold engagement rings with yellow or rose gold jewelry and eternity bands. Often times, the diamond itself will be set with a white gold basket/prongs and a yellow or rose gold band.
Trend #4: The resurge of the round brilliant diamond for the center stone. For decades, the round brilliant has always been the "go to" when it comes to engagement rings. During the 1970's brides and grooms started branching out into pear, marquise, oval, and different shapes other than round. According to Vogue, the round brilliant diamond is seen in many of the most famous celebrity and royalty engagement rings. The pat 4-5 months, we have seen an increase in round brilliant diamond requests for the center stone. Our most popular is still the oval, with the radiant and emerald close behind.
Trend #5: Of course the move toward lab grown diamonds is here to stay. "I was originally against lab grown diamonds, but since i dove in deep about 2.5 years ago and understand them completely, I am sold. But I have not given up on mined diamonds at all. It depends on what you want and what is best for that specific piece of jewelry you are looking to design or purchase. Lab grown diamonds are REAL diamonds, they are just grown in a lab and not grown underground. I do love them because many more people can afford them, they also eliminate the environmental issues of mined diamonds"--Sherri, Our designer.
Two out of three young couples are choosing lab grown diamonds vs earth minded diamonds. That being said, our earth mined diamonds will always be a commodity. The cost of lab grown diamonds is a draw, as CBS reports, they are cheaper and the same quality, why not? Or...why not buy an earth minded diamond that you know is an investment and will assuredly go up in value? Each individual purchase should be evaluated and which ever you choose, you cant go wrong.