Feature:March 19989

Expressions of Love

Bridal jewelry in 1999 will range from antique-inspired and romantic to thoroughly modern and statement-makers. Here's a look at this year's crop

Timeless symbols of commitment and love, engagement and wedding rings are the most precious of jewelry for many couples.

Some of these rings recall the past, from ancient-inspired designs to the Arts Deco and Nouveau. Others look ahead, with stark, elegant lines ready to carry the wearer into the next millennium.

Here's a look at what's selling now and what industry experts feel is on the horizon.

The Setting Scene
The Tiffany setting still captures the hearts of loving couples around the world. "Four- and six-prong Tiffany settings are the dominant force in engagement ring sales," says Edward Zohrabian, president of Universal Fine Jewelry, Los Angeles, CA. This setting holds the diamond aloft in a timeless showcase unaffected by changing fads.

Two-prong and tension-set mountings are more of a fashion and designer statement than a trend. "Buying a diamond is a sizable investment, and these settings tend to make people nervous for fear of losing the diamond," says Michael O'Connor, director of corporate marketing for Frederick Goldman, New York City. Still, these rings – when done by knowledgeable designers and manufacturers, can hold a diamond securely while meeting consumers' demand for modern designs.

Another contemporary look – the partial bezel setting – is an elegant design that's growing in popularity. "The bezel in any variation is quickly gaining interest and generating sales," says A.J. Tosyali, vice president of Benchmark, Tuscaloosa, AL. Partial bezels – along with offering a fresh look – allow more light to pass through the diamond than a full bezel does, he says.

Other styles driving sales today are sparkling pavé settings, sleek channel settings and shanks with filigree or tiny stones added for interest.

Heavy Metal
Platinum remains the fastest-growing metal in bridal jewelry, with white gold riding on its coattails. "Sales of our platinum line have doubled in the past year," says Isabella Schonwetter, vice president of marketing for Leiberfarb Inc., Orange, NJ.

Despite the popularity of platinum, the majority of bridal jewelry sales are still yellow gold. And with gold's price slide the past two years, it's even more on consumers' minds.

For anyone interested in more than gold but afraid to take the platinum plunge, mixed-metal jewelry has become a popular option. "Platinum and 18k rings are particularly popular among men," says Lisa Christopolous, vice president of Barnett Robinson, New York City. Some manufacturers see this as an interim step to consumers becoming comfortable with all-platinum rings.

Cut & Color
Princess, emerald-cut and other square diamonds are making inroads among today's older, more sophisticated brides. In fact, Universal Fine Jewelry's Zohrabian predicts the princess will be the most powerful cut for 1999: "The square is having a tremendous impact on jewelry, especially with the popularity of channel and invisible settings."

Other diamond cuts to keep on display are the trillion, the oval and the ever-dependable round.

Colored diamonds are trying to "bust a move" in bridal jewelry as consumers recognize and slowly accept champagnes and fancy yellows. But this is an expensive product, limiting the market.

The use of colored gemstones may be a way to add spice without the high cost of colored diamonds. Since the 1950s, De Beers has spent millions in advertising to encourage every man in America to show his fiancée he'll love her forever by giving her a diamond. So it's no wonder diamonds are the gem of choice for most brides. However, colored gems have expressed a man's love for a woman since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. Each colored gem signifies a variety of sentiments. For example:

Ruby represents passion and love.
Sapphire symbolizes faithfulness and truth.
Emerald expresses loyalty and commitment.

Though colored gems have not been promoted aggressively as betrothal and wedding ring options, they've become an increasingly popular choice for many independent-thinking brides.

Such celebrated people as Princess Diana, socialite Ivana Trump and actress Kirstie Alley opted for a sapphire for their engagements. Gems are often the choice for second (or third or fourth) marriages and those who marry later in life, as well as for contemporary brides with more sophisticated taste.

"Couples looking for a unique way to express personal symbolism and style choose colored gems for their rings," says Lucinda Rogers of Gold 'n' Carats Jewelers in Irving, TX. "Usually, the bride motivates a colored stone purchase. The groom is more comfortable with a diamond because he sees it as traditional."

Requests for colored gem engagement rings and wedding bands are more prevalent at guild jewelry stores specializing in color and custom work. Better-quality sapphire, ruby and emerald – in that order – are the most favored colored gem choices for engagement rings, set in simple mountings and flanked by diamonds. Fancy-colored sapphires are popular also. "We encourage couples looking for colors like yellow, pink and purple to consider sapphire for its durability," says Diane Alfillé of Eve Alfillé Designs, a designing jeweler in Evanston, IL. "Most people are surprised to see the variety of colors it comes in."

By and large, however, it appears colored gems are more widely accepted as accents to diamond engagement rings than center stones, says Mark Loren, president of Mark Loren Designs, a manufacturing jeweler in Fort Meyers, FL. Gemstone accents in the same or complementing shapes as the center diamond are very popular, such as oval centers with trilliant- or pear-shaped sides, notes Richard Mason, president of Barnett Robinson.

Colored gems are used increasingly in wedding bands. According to Mason, channel-set bands in a single row or multiple rows of alternating colored gems and diamonds (part way and all the way around) are a big portion of his business, especially with sapphire and ruby.

The great aspect of color, say gem advocates, is that jewelers have more room for profit than with diamonds. An average retail price range for colored stone wedding rings is $2,000-$10,000, say custom jewelers.

– by Lorraine M. Suermann and Deborah Yonick