There’s been a flurry of celebrity engagements in recent months, which means that more curious customers are likely to come into your stores with inquiries about their rings! Here’s a primer on who got engaged in what, and how your customers can get inspired looks for less.
Jennifer Aniston
Justin Theroux gave Aniston either a radiant- or a modified emerald- or cushion-cut diamond set in a white metal, but the pair hasn’t formally announced exactly what the ring is or who made it. Peter Meksian, CEO and designer at Michael M. (who did not design the ring) thinks that it is “approximately 8-9 carats with a radiant cut center diamond and an estimated price tag of $500,000.”
An Aniston-inspired style for non-celebs: engagement ring in 14k white gold with 1.20 ct. t.w. radiant-cut, F VS2 diamond center; $8,550; Leo Ingwer
Tip No. 1: Rely on tricks of the jewelry trade to build bigger-looking rings.
Offer halo styles—a great way to amplify the look of a small center diamond to make it look Hollywood-size—engraved designs with texture and carved effects in place of diamond weight (creating a specialized look), and, pavé styles that can create a big look with a mass of melee, which costs less than large single stones. “Visually, halos are a great way to add 1 to 2 carats,” says Peter Meksian, CEO and designer at Michael M. in Los Angeles.
Blake Lively
Lively and Ryan Reynolds told People.com their ring was made by Lorraine Schwartz and featured a light pink oval-cut center stone in rose gold with pavé accents. The oval shape is uncommon in the realm of engagement rings, let alone celebrity picks, so its elegant, not-often-seen shape could ignite consumer desire.
Tip No. 2: If a client’s heart is set on a colored diamond, look at stones with secondary colors because they cost less, or consider colored pavé.
Consult with your trusted jeweler, who can pull in fancy-colored diamonds with secondary colors. According to John Kabbani, co-owner of Global Diamond Group in New York City, “orangey pink and brownish pink diamonds cost less—as much as 70 percent less—than straight fancy pinks because of modifier colors.” Also a consideration: pavé styles (see Tip No. 1).
Lively-inspired oval pink diamonds (still pricey but probably less than Reynolds’ choice): 2 ct. fancy pinks (top) generally range in price per carat from $175,000 to $250,000, orangey pinks (bottom) trade for $75,000 to $125,000, and brownish pinks (not shown) go for $30,000 to $60,000 per carat. The less-expensive pinks are still gorgeous!
Photos courtesy of Global Diamond Group
Jennifer “JWoww” Farley of Jersey Shore
The reality TV star received a colorless cushion-cut center stone with colorless and pink diamond accents in 18k white gold from boyfriend Roger Mathews. Layna and Alan Friedman of Alan Friedman in Beverly Hills, Calif., made the ring, telling JCK that they “spent months designing the ring,” and that he chose “a cushion-cut diamond center weighing more than 5 carats.”
Tip No. 3: Make a lookbook of stars’ rings to help consumers realize the styles they like.
“People are very visual,” says David Goldstein of Goldstein Diamonds in Scottsdale, Ariz. “They will create from them what they want.” And getting a similar look isn’t necessarily about the size of stones, but about color and shape. “People want to be like the stars,” adds Goldstein. And when you have Hollywood boards—framed pictures of stars à la the walls of the Palm restaurant—in your store, it will appear to clients as if you are in the know. “The appearance to consumers is that you sold all those people their rings—you’re not saying that, but that’s what it looks like,” he says.
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