On the long list of traditional marital anniversary gifts, which stretches all the way from paper to diamond, jewelry makes a good showing. And that’s not just for the milestone years linked to specific gems. Even before the 25th anniversary turns gifting precious with silver, jewelry has
its place in this registry.
“Anniversaries are a big gifting occasion for jewelry in the US, especially the big milestones,” says Eddie LeVian, chief executive of jewelry brand Le Vian. The company is launching a new collection titled Milestones at JCK in June, dedicated to shoppers who want to mark anniversaries or other major life moments. The diamond-set rings are stackable, which promotes repeat purchases. “The collection is designed to allow collectors to mark different anniversaries and other life events with pieces that can be configured to look like different wide-band rings,” explains LeVian.
Bending the rules
Considering the scant number of marriages that reach the 60 years it takes to qualify for a diamond, one would assume the diamonds of the Milestone collection are being marketed to a wider audience — not just octo- and nonagenarians. But that leads to a different question: How religiously do couples stick to the rules? Is it always wood for the fifth year and emerald for the 55th? Or do jewelers have the leeway to bend the rules for marital bliss?
Sergio Antonini, creative director of luxury jewelry house Antonini, says customers rarely follow the prescribed order.
Traditional or no, anniversary gifting is an important part of his business, especially among loyal customers, he reports. The brand — which is celebrating its own 100th anniversary this year at Couture — has a collection dubbed Extraordinaire, featuring milestone gems such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls. “[The collection] is requested very often in the anniversary occasions,” says Antonini.
Leather and lace
Even for couples wishing to go by the book, there is room to work jewelry into earlier anniversaries. Leather for the third anniversary could be the leather thong of a charm bracelet or necklace. Copper for the seventh could be achieved through rose gold, which gets its warm tones from an increased copper content in the alloy.
Jewelry maker Ruth Mary Chipperfield, who designs under the brand name Ruth Mary Jewellery, has captured the imagination of shoppers seeking out gifts for their lace anniversaries at the 13-year mark. Chipperfield uses an unusual technique to create her jewels, first stitching the designs by hand in lace before transforming them into gold and silver jewels. It’s a technique that is “redefining lace for the future — taking its legacy of feminine glamour and giving it a precious-metal twist,” she says.
“Shoppers love the story behind my jewelry, as it brings a traditional craft, which is gradually disappearing, together with contemporary wearable designs,” she continues. “My marketing activity for the 13th/lace anniversary involves blogs and social media content that tell the stories behind each anniversary, so my work can easily be found through Instagram and targeted Facebook ads.”
Looking at eternity
Suzanne Kalan is also using social media to promote its jewels as ideal anniversary gifts, though like Antonini and Le Vian, the brand is not restricting itself to the roster of the old guard.
“Our classic white-diamond signature eternity bands will always be our best sellers,” says founder and designer Suzanne Kalan. “However, right now, our color eternity bands have really been picking up.”
The amount customers spend on anniversary gifts spans a wide range, she adds, from budgets of less than $1,000 to over $15,000. “More and more frequently, we see jewelry as an answer for any occasion, [and] of course, the biggest one is a wedding anniversary.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - June 2019. To subscribe click here.