Posted on: October 25, 2007
With This Skinny Ring I Thee Wed
Engagement rings are increasing diamond size and shedding excess bulk in the band
By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features
Small bands with big diamonds are chic, but can also bend easily, and the damage is more expensive to correct.
There’s a new inverse relationship in the engagement ring world. Rock sizes are increasing, the bands are shrinking and as jewelers are fielding more requests for bigger diamonds, the canvases on which the jewels sit (the shank in gemologist lingo) are downsizing to skinny loops of metal.
David Goudjeian, owner of David K. Jewelers, Los Angeles, reports there’s been a 60 percent increase in customer requests for three-carat diamonds in the past three years. And, they’re pairing them with platinum settings at hair-splitting widths of two millimeters compared to three-10 millimeters in the past.
“The thicker, gaudier rings are out,” he says. “Customers really want to show off the diamond and not cover up their finger.”
Online jeweler Blue Nile reports that its four-and six-prong platinum setting, which can accommodate diamonds as big as 20 carats for engagement rings are consistent “best sellers” And, even if couples aren’t seeking quarter-sized diamonds, the dainty band serves another purpose: Creating the illusion of a robust gem.
“The thinner shank … also makes it so that any sized diamond, whether a ½-carat or 2 carats, appears larger,” says Darrell Cavens, senior vice president of Blue Nile, Seattle.
Of course, such ice doesn’t come cheaply. These days the average cost of an engagement ring is $5,400. David K. Jewelers charges $3,000 to $7,000 for three-plus carat rings. The price tag certainly helps cover the cost of the diamond (round center cuts are the overwhelming customer favorite at Blue Nile), but customers really are paying for the labor involved in creating the unique settings.
“These are handmade works of art,” Goudjeian says. “You need more microscopic tools to set the diamonds. And, if you want side stones on the band, those are more complicated to set.”
These delicate baubles, however, aren’t for every bride-to-be. Goudjeian cautions customers to realistically view their lifestyles before purchasing such a thin ring lest they incur damages pretty quickly. He notes one customer went rock climbing at Joshua Tree in Southern California wearing her engagement ring and damaged the ring. He was able to fix it, but at a cost to her.
“These rings can bend if you’re not careful,” he says. “If you’re going to the gym, lifting weights or are active in sports, you shouldn’t be wearing this kind of jewelry.”
