Choosing the one

In 1886, Tiffany & Co. created its iconic Tiffany setting, a six-prong solitaire ring that would become the standard-bearer for all engagement rings to follow. It remains a mainstay of the jeweler’s bridal offering today, but the launch of the Tiffany True engagement ring last year — the brand’s first in more than a decade — suggests a general shift in solitaires, a subtle reboot of this most classic of styles. With its edgy basket bearing tough T initials, and a squared cushion cut in place of the traditional round brilliant, Tiffany True captures the modern solitaire mood.

“Brides-to-be increasingly desire a ring that looks like an engagement ring but which, through the inclusion of alternative flourishes, is unique to them,” says Maia Adams, co-founder and head of global research at jewelry market intelligence agency Adorn Insight. “Interesting settings, shank details and stone cuts update the classic solitaire.”

With just one central diamond dominating the design, the cut can go a long way toward injecting personality into a heritage style.

“A gem’s shape is another cornerstone of individuality,” says Adams. “An evolution away from overtly feminine styles and toward more sculptural looks sees baguette, marquise and cushion shapes enjoying a surge in popularity.”

Shaking up shape and color

Alternative diamonds, such as black, grey or brown ones, can lend an edge to a solitaire, and their lower prices can appeal to brides on a budget. Colored gemstones, too, are proving a fashionable alternative to diamond solitaires.

“Colored-gemstone solitaire rings are quite popular, especially when they are placed with a halo of small diamonds around them,” says Saurabh Agrawal of India-based Fiona Diamonds. His business focuses on laboratory-grown diamonds, an option it says millennial couples are increasingly seeking out.

Jeweler 64Facets has been offering its own twist on solitaires, not by chasing down new styles, but by reviving old ones. It specializes in freshly faceted rose, old mine and old European cuts.

“A solitaire diamond is timeless and continues to appeal to all generations,” says founder Gourav Soni. “The main difference we’ve noticed is that customers are looking for something classic yet slightly different. They want their engagement ring to be easy to wear on a daily basis, yet to stand out and reflect their own personal style. At 64Facets, we love differentiating with different shapes and cuts, our favorite being a cushion old mine-cut diamond. However, we also love moval shapes [a combination of oval and marquise], which we can set either vertically or horizontally.”

‘Incredibly versatile’

At online jeweler Taylor & Hart, diamond solitaires remain the most popular style in both its ready-to-wear and bespoke divisions, accounting for 37% of total sales (next in line are halo settings at 29.3% and pavé designs at 21.3%). Creative director Jason D’Heureux says what we might consider a simple style can actually offer up myriad design options for brides-to-be who want that sought-after twist.

“When it comes to bespoke designs, solitaires are incredibly versatile,” he says. “Our millennial customers tend to opt for organic designs, modern designs and [colored] gemstone centers. The classics are usually updated with tweaks like the center diamonds being set east-west, designs and pavé diamonds on the collet or gallery, and different metal texture finishes.”

Some of the more unusual commissions have included a ring inspired by Disney film Lilo & Stitch, and a request to laser-engrave emojis on the inside of the bands.

Weight is also important, as younger bridal shoppers often opt for more delicate designs. Taylor & Hart’s best seller in the US is its Demure solitaire, which has a 1.6-millimeter band and an open collet that makes the diamond appear to be floating.

Agrawal, too, finds this to be a common trend. “The classic solitaire rings are modernized for the young consumer by reducing the gold weight and adding accent stones on the side, thereby showcasing maximum brilliance of the solitaire,” he says. “The modern trend is toward fine jewelry, which has to be light in weight.”

While the solitaire is an unshakable symbol of love and fidelity, nobody wants to be seen as settling for the most basic option when celebrating their own love story. Playing with proportion, angles, cuts and colors can help jewelers ensure their core offerings can satisfy the demand for classic solitaires with that all-important twist.

Singular story

A rich (and somewhat spoiled) 15th-century European aristocrat is the person we have to thank for the tradition of sealing marriage proposals with a diamond ring. On accepting the marital advances of Maximilian I of Austria in 1477, Mary of Burgundy stated in a letter: “At the betrothal, your Grace must have a ring set with a diamond and also a gold ring.”

Maximilian replied by post with a yellow gold band featuring slices of diamonds in the shape of an “M” for Mary — and in so doing, set off a trend for diamond engagement rings that only the rich could afford to follow.

In 1886, Charles Tiffany developed a new style of setting a diamond in a ring, using six prongs to elevate the stone above a simple gold band and thereby maximizing its sparkle. With the launch of the Tiffany setting, the solitaire engagement ring as we know it was born. However, the idea that such tokens were only for the elite persisted until De Beers charged ad agency N.W. Ayer in 1938 with changing the American mind-set on diamonds. By 1941, this successful campaign, which would eventually lead to the “A Diamond Is Forever” slogan, increased diamond sales in the US by 55%. Suddenly, no betrothal was complete without a twinkling diamond solitaire.

Image: Moval diamond with a simple band. 64facets.com

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - March 2019. To subscribe click here.