bridal: tradition & trend Texas

Bridal jewelry is one of the simplest businesses in fine jewelry and yet one of the most complicated. Whether it's explaining the characteristics of diamonds, the advantages of particular metals, or finding a ring design that is at once modern yet long-lived, getting bridal right can be a daunting task.

Retailers say that there are also some changes going on. The current generation of engagement ring shoppers seems to be willing to pay more for a larger, better diamond. They also often want something different—whether it's ultra modern or vintage 1920s inspired. For center stones, the engaged couples are more likely to opt for square cuts. Traditional rounds are still strong but all the options in square shaped diamonds are gaining momentum.

So are new types of metals, specifically palladium, which has a growing following as an alternative to white gold. Platinum still reigns as the premiere bridal metal but often in settings that are less ostentatious than in recent years. Design elements are important and so are side stones but there's a general toning-down of decorative flourishes, keeping styles classic and wearable.

bright white

"Clients like alternative metals. Modern looks in palladium have done well. The metal has been successful at retail, even with women. It helps once customers know palladium is in the platinum family. Palladium is and isn't a good thing. We have a major platinum business with brands such as Tacori, Scott Kay, Ritani, and Verragio. Palladium is good as an alternative to white gold, but not as an alternative to platinum. The customer who wants platinum sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. An add-on sale, such as palladium earrings, is a different matter. Customers are surprised to find there's no such thing as white gold. With the array of other white metals, why go there?"

— Jason Robbins, Robbins Diamonds, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

simple steps

"I look at new bridal lines with this in mind: In a world with a billion bridal lines, what would benefit me? We introduced Fusion, which is a refreshing look for the contemporary, casual consumer. We have lines resembling period or vintage settings, so this offered a new alternative. Our chief resources include Scott Kay, Verragio, and Jeff Cooper. We continue to see palladium increase, accounting for about 70 percent in men's, 30 percent in women's. Popular shapes in diamonds are running the gamut of squares: radiant, asscher, princess, cushion. We've also noticed a trend away from the very opulent, ultra pavéd engagement rings. Clients are opting for simpler styles but bigger and better quality stones."

— Bret Morris, A.R. Morris, Wilmington, Delaware

palladium alternative

"Tacori is driving a lot of traffic into our store. More women come in pre-sold on styles that they've found searching the Internet. Men also have a good idea on the style. Micro-pavé does well and pavé in general is strong. People are looking for more tailored pieces. We do well with Martin Flyer's 'Flyer Fit.' We've seen a good influx of palladium. The price is hurting the platinum business in men's bands, not in women's bridal. We start out with platinum and don't suggest palladium until they've been disqualified for platinum. Palladium is now more affordable than white gold and it's a pure white metal. We have a good selection of palladium from Lieberfarb. It's a really good alternative to offer consumers."

— Steve Rumanoff, Rumanoff's Fine Jewelry, Hamden, Connecticut

colorful futures

"There's been a pickup in the number of colored diamonds in bridal, especially from Etienne Perret's collection of color-treated diamond bridal that we carry. We have seen clients asking for more browns and cognacs. The channel set diamond bands in color have been popular, with clients often mixing them with their existing rings. We also have many German designed settings that we use for loose diamonds. A recent one had a sherry diamond center. Black diamonds and mixed metals have been popular. We have sold a number of engagement rings from Michael Zobel, who is known for his metal layering."

— Jacqueline Baker, I. Gorman, Washington, D.C.

a good education

"Princess cuts and other fancy shapes such as cushion, asscher, radiant, and oval are selling stronger. We have been successful educating clients about light and brilliance performance in diamonds. One of our successes has been the 'I Do' diamond. We added the Crisscut diamond and the 144-facet Huisman Brothers diamond has been a longtime seller. Most of the engagement business is in white, but we do some strong color sales in Beaudry, where yellow and pinks have been strong. The bridal business seems like it's static but it isn't. You need to update and provide some excitement and focus on the purchasing experience. We have been successful in creating our own educational series which includes blowups of diamonds on flat screens and providing customers with a DVD of their diamond. They just eat it up."

— Tim Branscomb, Sierra-West, Orem, Utah

keeping bridal bright

"Bright pavé is really in, with diamonds big enough to be seen and not a lot of metal showing. For centers, it's mainly rounds and princesses, some cushion, we rarely sell anything under a carat anymore. Spectrum's 'Sylvie' collection is new and it's everything the customer wants. The pieces are phenomenal and well-priced. Each piece has a matching wedding band with it, which is always important. Everyone wants to make sure a ring has a wedding band that fits flush. I don't like to sell a ring that curves around the basket, the wedding band should stand alone. Shared-prong eternity and pavé bands are popular. Leo Ingwer has some diamond accent rings that are very popular."

— Lance Shapiro, Shapiro Diamonds, Dallas, Texas

young at heart

"The white diamond continues to be the most sought after by the first-time bride. She wants her engagement ring stone to look like a diamond. There is an increase in princess cuts as well as radiants although the round is still popular. We make many of our own engagement rings under the Ricardo Basta brand. They are very vintage looking, 1920s style, and practically all of them are in platinum. Our younger clientele, under 35, likes more clean lines, which is why we brought in Fusion, a modernistic look that appeals to younger clients."

— Gordon Chavez, Ricardo Basta Jewels, Beverly Hills, California

touch of rose

"There's been a move toward more cushion and asscher cuts. Platinum and white gold reign supreme though we have noticed more rose gold, usually a two-tone look combined with white. Consumers look back and see what their grandmothers wore, which was platinum, and then their mothers, which was yellow gold. The current generation opts for white metal, although some combine a little rose with it. Colored diamonds still aren't as popular although we have seen some sales in yellow. We have done well with Mark Silverstein's styles that include pink diamond accents. We have a strong custom business. About one in ten engagement ring sales is a ring designed specifically for a customer."

— Sara Ward, London Gold, Scottsdale, Arizona

going steady

"Bridal business has continued to do fine. About a year ago we split our business into diamond bridal jewelry and bridal, mostly rings. Key resources include Hearts On Fire, Martin Flyer, and Simon G., which has had some growth. Our clients tend to prefer white metals. We really haven't noticed any pickup yet in yellow gold but our clients tend to be more conservative. We brought back Scott Kay, since there now are fewer competing doors in our area."

— Richard Marks, Albert Smyth, Timonium, Maryland

brands and bands

"There is an increasing demand for larger stones from one and a half to two carats. Round and princess still seem to be taking the lead. Pavé bezels, simple solitaires, and antique style rings are strong. Hearts On Fire is a strong brand for us. Women's diamond wedding band sales are growing, especially eternity and anniversary bands in shared prong settings. For men, tungsten is strong. Diamond accented bands are gaining but we still find that men like to keep it simple."

— Alexandra Cervellero, Christian Bernard, Secaucus, New Jersey