Bridal BEST Bronx NY

With the wedding season at its height, we asked seven retailers around the country what trends they are seeing in bridal set designs and sales. Although the United States is too vast for most trends to take hold in every corner of the country, three did stand out: white metal is still king; buyers increasingly are holding out for the biggest center stones they can get; and the Internet is emerging as a powerful way to reach younger consumers. The retailers we talked to were:

• Harvey Rovinsky, president and CEO, Bernie Robbins, Somers Point, New Jersey.
• Frank Ragsdale, president and owner, Jolly's Jewelers and Silversmiths, Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Nancy Vega, owner, West Coast Sand and Stone, Yuma, Arizona.
• Stacie Brand, owner, Monili Jewelry, Pelham, Alabama.
• Eric Weisenforth, diamonds and precious stones buyer, James Free Jewelers, Dayton, Ohio.
• Robin Codner, director of product development, Robbins Bros., Azusa, California.
• Scott Rudd, co-owner, Scheherazade Jewelers, Edina, Minnesota.

What bridal set trends do you see among your customers? What kinds of metals are most popular and are you seeing more colored stones?

Rovinsky: Trends haven't changed over the past few years. It's still white metal—platinum and white gold—although platinum is starting to slump a bit. Many times people will come in and ask about color, but we rarely wind up selling it to them. They think they want color, but our questions bring out what they really want. For example, we'll ask a customer if she intends to wear her rings all the time. If she has color, say, an emerald, it will impact what clothes she can match it with. As a result, she may not wear the ring as much as she'd like. Besides issues of colored stones fading, color isn't traditional, its popularity comes and goes. Bridal jewelry is very traditional. People get mushy when it comes to their weddings and return to the traditional, which is diamonds.

Ragsdale: For generations, we sold predominantly four-prong baguettes mounted on yellow gold with perhaps some color on the side. In the '90s, we saw a shift from yellow gold to white gold, and then to platinum. Now we are principally a platinum and white gold house. The only yellow we see is in a mix. It's almost extinct here, and even though we're hearing that it's coming back, we're just not seeing it. Nobody is coming in and asking for it. A big reason for the change is the number of northerners who have moved to the south and have brought their tastes with them. Typically, jewelry trends will start in Europe, take a year to land in New York, and then another year to come south.

Vega: We're seeing a lot more colored diamonds in combination with white diamond center stones—usually micro-pavé. White gold is still dominant. We don't see much platinum, and that's because a majority of our clients are 20 to 30 year olds on limited budgets. We're located near two large military bases. They want the biggest stones they can get and so are willing to spend less on the metal. Most of them will not go for a center stone that is less than 1 carat. I can remember when a half-carat stone was a big expenditure and 1 carat stones were something you'd only see on 25th or 30th anniversary rings.

Brand: We sell a lot of platinum and 18k white gold. No yellow gold—we have very little of it in our cases—young people won't consider it and only older people like it. A very popular look is what we call a halo design, with smaller diamonds ranged around the center stone in a circle. In the past two years we've sold a lot of that style. It's something that people notice and ask about. The antique look here is huge, with pavé and filigree. Girls come in with their grandmothers' rings or photos of them and say, "That's so cool!" and ask for something like them. Occasionally somebody will want color, such as yellow diamonds or a small sapphire accent, but the predominant request is for all-white diamonds.

Weisenforth: The metal for us is white. We're in the midwest where trends are always a bit slower, but white metal will continue, mostly white gold. Platinum has been selling less lately because of price. The new metal that we're seeing more of and having some success with is palladium. It's a lot less expensive than platinum and not as expensive as gold. We'll talk to people who come in about platinum and palladium because we know that some jewelers have put the knock on the metals and we want customers to have an informed idea of their choices. We're seeing colored diamonds as accompaniments and even as center stones. We're selling big yellows, pinks, greenish yellows, and cognac colors. Sometimes we'll see sapphire, but not too often because of durability issues. The focus is on all-diamond pieces.

Codner: The trends are for more tailored styles, not as busy. We are doing well in 14k gold, palladium, and platinum. White gold is predominant, more than 90 percent of all our rings. Yellow gold is only showing up as an accent in two-toned pieces. We're getting some requests for colored stones as a center stone, split between colored diamonds and sapphires. With sapphires you can get a larger stone. We are not getting requests for side stones in color.

Rudd: The trend seems to be a vintage look with a contemporary twist. The preference in metals is 18k white gold and platinum. That's not a trend, it's more of a continuation. Diamonds are still the primary stone, but a certain number of people like color accents, which are usually pink or yellow diamonds, or sapphires. I think the sapphires are a kind of "my blue heaven" thing.

What designs are most popular? Is three-stone showing up more?

Rovinsky: For us, three-stone is now a basic in bridal. It lends itself to bridal even more than it does to fashion or DTC's "yesterday, today, and tomorrow." It is a very classy, simple look that shows off the center stone.

Ragsdale: We do an awful lot of vintage rings, mostly in-house. Over the last five or 10 years there has been a trend to vintage pieces. And over the past 10 or 15 years, we've seen a transition from solitaires to filigreed and heavily detailed rings. Three-stone isn't showing up in engagement sets, although it has been a look that goes back several generations. Southern women would wear three-stone on their right hands, usually diamonds but sometimes with colored stones on the side, and they were called "three-stone hoop rings." Over the years we've sold and sold these, they are a very steady source of income for us. But, no, three-stone hasn't crossed over to bridal sets.

Vega: Three-stone isn't showing up here. This age group is more design oriented and goes for one-of-a-kind designer looks. They are into heavy engraving, micro-pavé, and tension setting. They will ask for these features specifically and know how to ask for them because they do research on-line and then come into the store with their research in one hand and price lists in the other. It makes life easier in that they know what they want and I can make an easy sale, but the drawback is that it can be time-consuming to go through all their research with them.

Brand: Ninety percent of the guys who show up here have pictures in their hands, which they've gotten off the Internet. Women will e-mail photos of what they like to their fiancés or to one another just to compare notes. Most buyers arrive here with a pretty good knowledge of rings, but I still have to educate them about the 4C's. Right now, center stones are at least 1.25 to 1.5 carats. Among older people, stones up to 3 carats are not unusual.

Weisenforth: We're not seeing a trend toward much larger center stones, although we sell diamonds ranging from .25 carat to 5-plus carats. Another trend is diamond micro work. Because we aggressively price our diamonds, we can offer people a good selection of stones to work with. So you'll see a lot of sets with a center stone and small diamond accents, perhaps hand engraving and pavé, or micro-channeling. Three-stone doesn't really appeal to younger people in bridal sets. They see past, present, and future as more of an anniversary thing, so three-stone tends to appeal more to older people.

Codner: Since we specialize in bridal jewelry, customers come to us for a vast assortment. We sell vintage, classic, and pavé, and we continue to sell three-stone rings very well.

Rudd: Besides the vintage look, there's a certain niche of people who go for a contemporary, sculpted look, which is very fluid with no prongs; the entire ring holds the stone. Finally, there's the real plain Jane look that still appeals to some people: a basic solitaire that showcases the center stone. Three-stone remains mainly an anniversary market.

How do you market bridal sets?

Rovinsky: We do a lot of advertising: outdoor ads, co-op ads, our own ads, and direct mail. Bridal is a huge focus because it's a significant part of our business, so it's something we're always promoting.

Vega: Our primary media are newspapers and our web site. If a jewelry store doesn't have an informational web site, it's missing out on a great way to reach younger customers. We don't sell on the web, but it's a great way to reach a segment that depends on it for shopping.

Brand: We've tried radio and TV and a mobile billboard truck, but the best advertisement for us has been word of mouth. Ninety percent of our customers have been referred to us. What they hear is that they are not going to see run of the mill bridal sets.

Weisenforth: Our pricing plus direct mail with very specific references, plus billboards and radio. We'll push bridal sets at certain times of year, although the business is year-round, usually in spring through summer.

Codner: We market on radio. Once a customer enters one of our stores they are given a tour that includes our bridal set case. We also have a web-based program, "Perfect Proposals," where gentlemen can come to us on-line for help with making a proposal. The site's concierge service will walk them through the proposal, including setting up a romantic dinner or selecting the right spot on a beach to ask the question.

Rudd: We have a state-of-the-art web site that lets consumers get a great feel for our store and inventory. We've teamed up with vendors to tune up the site with their photos. We also have a wonderful media buyer who can sniff out under-the-radar ad opportunities. For example, we have a huge number of museums and theaters in Minneapolis and St. Paul and she has purchased duratrans—backlit transparent color displays that really pop—in the towns' pedestrian skyways and parking lot passages, as well as print ads in programs and playbills.

What's different about bridal set sales these days compared to five or 10 years ago?

Rovinsky: Ten years ago the predominant color of bridal sets was different. Yellow gold was king. Now it has moved to white metal and an overall trend toward greater simplicity. You're not seeing as many of the multiple baguettes that were popular then.

Weisenforth: Over the past 10 years bridal sets have been kind of steady in terms of looks. We're more traditional here, so although we might bring in more modern or contemporary pieces at times, we know that people may admire them but will end up buying something less daring.

Codner: We have seen a trend where the customer is requesting the bridal set because they want the matching band. The customer now wants a substantial band that matches, not just a thin shadow band. This wasn't always the case, but people want to be sure of an exact match.

Rudd: In the past five years we've noticed couples buying much bigger stones, often 2 carats in total compared with maybe .75 carats total only a few years ago.

What do you like about your suppliers' designs or services?

Rovinsky: We've worked with Verragio for at least 10 years. We evaluated their products and saw that their designs were in keeping with what we wanted to sell. Good design brought us to the company, and brand management and service kept us. In terms of brand management, they've kept the market clean by not selling to people who don't respect the brand or its pricing. In terms of service, they stand behind their product when there are repair issues, and I know that if I need something in two days, versus a normal two week wait, I'll get it. They're nice people to work with and I see them as partners.

Ragsdale: I can't remember how far back we go with Stuller except to say that their name has settled in and become a part of our lives. To a great extent, they are the first supplier that I will call, and those calls often go beyond business. The people there, from the top all the way down are cooperative, nice people who are eager to help us. The company is reliable, quick, and either has what you want or will get it quickly. The quality is high, it's rare to ever return something to them.

Vega: Laram Jewelry has been good about helping us put content on our web site. We can go to their site and pull any photos we want of their bridal sets to use. I met Adam Adourian years ago in Atlanta and remember being taken by the quality of a detailed drawing of a ring he had done on paper. I was so impressed with his artistry. I section off his goods in the store for people who are looking for one-of-a-kind or designer pieces. Adam can take an idea I'm trying to get across and he'll turn out exactly what a customer is looking for. Usually I can depend on a five-day turnaround, but I remember one time when he turned around a design in 48 hours because he knew how important a particular customer was to me.

Brand: We work with Unique Settings. They are quick and fast, and everything they send always looks good. I've never received anything below par from them. Because I do a lot of custom work with them, I've come to know them and they treat me well. In fact, one time I visited their factory and they took the time to show me around and introduce me to everybody I deal with there so that I could put faces to names. Very few manufacturers have ever done that for me. Because they're so reliable, it helps me close sales when I can promise a customer that she'll have a custom setting within two weeks.

Weisenforth: I've worked with Precision Set for the past six or seven years. A lot of manufacturers will sell you the sky, but when it comes to dealing with their inside sales and support people, you sometimes have a hard time remembering that you are the customer, not them, because they act like they're doing you a favor. It's completely different with Precision—they are always gracious and they put their hearts and souls into it. It's almost like they have an inside track on what's going on with us and our needs. Their goods are consistent and I get whatever I ask for. The stones are always at the top end of the pick and sometimes even better.

Codner: We've been dealing with Hoover & Strong for a year. We did some research and spoke with vendors who were testing palladium, and based on their strength in palladium we started doing business with them. We've never had a problem with their shipping, quality, or customer service. They are nice, helpful people who have worked closely with our designers to assist them in creating palladium pieces. They've also helped us out by making new models when a manufacturer has discontinued a certain design. You really appreciate it when you can work with a supplier who is pleasant to work with and willing to help you out in any way they can.

Rudd: We've been with Armadani for about 10 years. They are one of the most customer-centric companies we deal with. They know, just as I do, how impressed customers can be when it comes to their appreciation for fine craftsmanship, and they are one of a handful of manufacturers that can do beautiful hand-finishing and polishing. Armadani does a three-piece construction using platinum and rose gold that is very old school in process but produces beautifully finished contemporary rings. Customers can immediately see the difference between it and a ring that has been cast. The company is a delight to work with.