Celebrity Life

To those whose whirlwind romance looks likely to become permanent, we've put together everything they'll need to know about that all-important token of everlasting love – the engagement ring.

If we didn’t know this already, 2021 definitely proved a certain point – that nothing can get in the way of love, not even a pandemic that knows no end. People may reschedule their weddings to 2022, even 2023, but proposals and engagements are still very much happening.

And with every proposal, there’s the ultimate prop: the ring to symbolise eternal love and commitment. It doesn’t have to be a diamond, but it sure needs to be something you know your partner will cherish. Whether you’re dropping hints to your partner about the ring of your dreams, or even shopping together for it, we’ve gathered all the advice from our favourite bridal jewellers to narrow down the top engagement-ring trends that we believe are here to stay.

Read on to discover all the engagement ring trends.

Trend 1: Keeping it Classic

The diamond engagement ring will forever remain a classic, even if it isn’t technically traditional – diamonds only became synonymous with bridal jewellery when copywriter Frances Gerety coined the phrase “A Diamond is Forever” for a 1947 De Beers campaign. Nonetheless, white diamonds remain a popular choice and numerous jewellery brands purport to offer the best of them.

For example, Graff, the king of diamonds, takes its diamond selection process extremely seriously, having spent generations perfecting the journey of a stone from mine to boutique, ensuring on the way that the cut, the setting and the craftsmanship behind each jewel are flawless. Diamonds are graded by the 4Cs, a universal standard set by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) that refers to a diamond’s cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. At Graff, the diamonds are cut and polished to be perfect balanced with symmetrical mirror-like facets to display the optimum scintillation; you’ll also find that in terms of colour, Graff only uses diamonds ranging between D and G – the rarest and most sought-after grades.

At Hearts on Fire, cut is the most important of the 4Cs. A round, brilliant-cut diamond is arguably the most sparkling and radiant, as it displays the highest number of facets within to reflect light, and this is also the cut that Hearts on Fire exclusively specialises in.

Trend 2: Going for Fancy Shapes

Today, however, there’s definitely a rise in popularity for fancy shapes. Clients who go to Angie Marei in New York, aren’t looking for round brilliant-cut diamonds.. The Dominican-Egyptian designer takes inspiration from Ancient Egyptian decorative arts, architecture and the anti-traditional elegance of the Art Deco era to bring each piece a unique story. Her Ayla Bridal Collection for example, is inspired by the majestic open curves and fluidity of Arabic calligraphy and decorative arts, with a serpentine design that’s a spiritual symbol of rebirth, transformation, eternity and immortality.

“Most of my clients are requesting unique cuts over the traditional round brilliant cuts,” Marei tells us. “For example, our Ayla Engagement Ring featuring a marquise-cut diamond is in high demand now. They love the ultra-feminine look of the marquise shape. We’re also getting a lot of requests for pear and oval-cut diamonds.”

Similarly, De Beers has noticed the trend for fancy cuts, and has extended its offering of fancy-cut and fancy-colour solitaire diamond rings this year, offering its clients full control of their individual expressions. Marquise-cut, a modification of the round brilliant that maximises carat weight and gives the illusion of longer and slimmer fingers, dates back to the 1700s. According to legend, Louise XV of France requested a diamond cut to resemble the perfectly-shaped mouth of his mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour.

Heart-shaped diamonds are also making a comeback among hopeless romantics. Their popularity dates back to the 16th century, when Mary Queen of Scots gave Queen Elizabeth a heart-shaped diamond ring as a gift of friendship.

Trend 3: Design-Forward

London-based designer Liv Luttrell, who excels in creating bespoke engagement rings for her clients, says she’s “found a real interest in dramatic design-led pieces.

“I’ve been exploring geometric shapes paired with detailed settings and simple curving architectural-inspired lines,” says Luttrell. “The challenge I relish is to take a bold brief and bring it to life, where the final design has the right balance of quality, uniqueness and timeless elegance that will be wearable for a lifetime.”

Intricate design is on the mind of Harry Winston’s designers, too. Inspired by the intricate details and elements of a bespoke wedding gown, the house has applied the same mindset and artistry to its new Bridal Couture collection of rings. Each ring highlights the various diamond cuts with signature elements that recall the wedding-day ensemble – such as the corset lacing of a couture gown, married with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone, or an emerald-cut diamond contrasting with the delicate open-weave fabric of Chantilly lace. For a more avant-garde take on an engagement ring, there’s also an exquisite ring designed with two marquise-shaped diamonds of approximately the same carat weight, resting asymmetrically side-by-side on a diamond and platinum band.

Trend 4: Attention to the Ring Band

Jewellery designer Rachel Boston has noticed a trend for more unusual band styles. “At the moment, we’re seeing a lot of interest in more unusual band styles, with people leaning towards wider statement bands,” she says.
“A chunky band is a perfect way to turn something that would otherwise be a much more classic-looking engagement ring into a piece with a really unique character,” says Boston. “Split bands are a popular choice as well, and much easier to wear and pair with a wedding band than you’d think. We’re also seeing a draw towards intricate, Art-Deco inspired halos.”

For popular British fine-jewellery brand Annoushka, which introduced its first bridal collection this year, it’s all about the ring jacket. Called Love & Commitment, the collection ranges from simple solitaires and delicate three-stone designs to more extravagant fine stone rings. What’s super interesting is the diamond ring jacket that clients can pair with an engagement ring. Available in yellow or white gold, the interchangeable ring jacket slides snugly around the solitaire ring for extra oomph and pizzaz. The ring jacket functions perfectly as a wedding band, or could even be added as a milestone gift in years to come.

Trend 5: Making a Statement with Colour

Every couple is different, and every proposal is unique. There’s definitely a growing number of people looking for something different – and coloured stones have never been more popular. According to London-based jeweller Michelle Oh, “We’re seeing a huge and growing demand for coloured stones to be used in engagement rings these days. Gone are the days when someone just wants a round brilliant-cut white diamond solitaire for an engagement ring.”

People today are looking for uniqueness. “More and more people try to be different and steer away from silhouettes and shapes that feel too commonplace,” says Oh. “I think this is all part of the zeitgeist of wanting to express individuality and uniqueness.”

Colour is an extremely personal way to display this sense of individuality, she adds. “Even those who still want some diamonds on their ring will opt for less traditional-looking diamonds, such as champagne or grey diamonds, or maybe an unusual cut or shape, to get that different look in their diamond ring.”

The post Engagement Rings: Here’s What You Need to Know About the Latest Trends appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Every major jewellery brand this year has adopted a male ambassador or featured a male model when showcasing their wares. And as we note of the baubles on display on the red carpet, one thing’s clear: size matters in men's jewellery.

Musicians, rappers and rockers have been wearing the biggest diamonds and bejewelled accessories since memory serves. In fact, at the height of their fame some 60 years ago, the Rat Pack stalwarts Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr wore signet rings and chains studded with precious stones.

The likes of Steven Tyler, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger – perennially festooned with chains, bracelets and stacks of rings – have been setting off airport metal detectors for decades. Men wearing jewellery has long been seen as rebellious and anti-establishment – perhaps a way of raging against the machine.

The Rise of Men's Jewellery

In ancient Egypt, deities ranging from Ra (God of the Sun and Radiance) to Osiris (the King of the Living) wore more gleaming accessories than cloth to underline their supreme power – and, to a certain extent, supreme beauty.
So why does men wearing jewellery make news in 2021?

To put it bluntly, it’s the size, the volume and the colours. As reported in Prestige recently, there’s a clear trend of
high jewellery and statement pieces being worn by men. Boucheron’s Claire Choisne says, “In the last Contemplation collection, we started putting jewellery on men. For me, I didn’t care whether it was men or women – what’s important is the aesthetic effect – when you saw the brooches on men, it became so much more interesting.”
Indeed men of all shapes, sizes and ages are taking risks and having fun with fashionable jewellery.

Whereas once it didn’t go much further a simple wedding band or the odd signet or pinky ring, in the 1970s The Godfather movie kickstarted the trend of the statement ring as the ultimate symbol of power. Today, however, stacking multiple rings is all the rage, as are coloured diamonds – look at the fingers of Joe Jonas (Chopard diamonds), Timothée Chalamet (Cartier’s new “friend”) or any American rapper worth his weight in gold, and you’ll notice the bling and ring are generously sized.

Closer to home, Hong Kong boy band Mirror's Anson Lo and Edan Lui were tapped by Bulgari to star in a campaign for the B.zero1 jewellery collection. K-pop idol and Kowloon Tong-born Jackson Wang is the face of Cartier’s Juste un Clou collection and has starred in the French maison’s campaign videos since early summer.

Travis Scott and Future have been seen wearing not just the usual flashy white diamonds but coloured stones of enormous value. Describing his original design for Scott, Elliot Eliantte posted on social media, “@travisscott called me from Tokyo to whip something for the squad. A Murakami Original he drew for trav crested ‘Melted Utopia Dream’ via Utopia. Paint used from the studio!”

While many around the globe noticed the pink diamond engagement ring Jennifer Lopez wore in the ’90s, rap star Future was seen with a vast canary-yellow diamond on his little finger after he broke up with singer Ciara. Although engagement rings are often seen as a symbol of commitment, rappers have worn jewellery to indicate freedom and release.

Rihanna’s current flame ASAP Rocky has been wearing pearl necklaces, earrings and rings – once the exclusive preserve of royalty, septuagenarian socialites and dowagers – to every major red-carpet event. Meanwhile, fashion blogs were abuzz when Harry Styles wore Gucci bee pearl earrings to the Met Gala.

Out and proud Billy Porter has been borrowing high jewellery to hit the red carpet on several occasions, most memorably at the Oscars earlier this year, when he made seismic ripples on Instagram. Featuring more than 500 diamonds, his white-gold collar necklace was from fine- jewellery brand Lark & Berry.

As for the “Sexiest Men Alive”, Johnny Depp (accessorises from The Great Frog, a London-based supplier of men’s jewellery), Brad Pitt (who prefers artistic David Yurman) and Michael B Jordan (Piaget) are rarely seen without symbolic rings, beaded Buddhist bracelets and designer jewellery around their necks. At the Oscars, Jordan (star of boxing flick Creed), was decked to the hilt with a Piaget Polo white-gold tourbillon watch set with diamonds, two Possession white-gold diamond rings and two Limelight Couture Précieuse brooches. And let’s not forget Benedict Cumberbatch, who wore a vintage $46,500 nosegay brooch from from Verdura when he hit the red carpet at a charity gala.

Will the trend last? If statistics are anything to go by, they sure will. According to market-research company Euromonitor International, global sales of men’s luxury fine jewellery has seen a steady incline since 2012. According to its most recent report, the key finding was that “trend-led and gender-neutral luxury jewellery sales was on the rise. The growing social-media influx makes jewellery wear not only more casual but inclusive.

The post Boys in Bling: The Rise of Men’s Jewellery and Statement Pieces appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The stack is back — ring stacks, arm stacks, you name it, are coming back in a big way this summer. From structural and striking bangles from Dior to diamond-studded necklaces the likes of Messika and more, shop our curation and stack to your heart's content.

Bvlgari Fiorever

[myaffiliate type="normal" button_name="SHOP HERE" url="https://www.bulgari.com/en-hk/jewellery/by-collection/fiorever" align="center" class="affiliate-one"]

Bulgari’s flower motif in the Fiorever collection, with its distinctive four-petalled corolla, now comes in a scaled-down new size that can be worn on its own or layered. The pendants come in white or rose gold with diamonds. There’s also a version in white gold with a blue sapphire centre, and one in rose gold with a ruby centre.

Gem Dior

[myaffiliate type="normal" button_name="SHOP HERE" url="https://www.dior.com/en_hk/womens-fashion/jewellery/gem-dior" align="center" class="affiliate-one"]

Designed by Victoire de Castellane, the Gem Dior fine-jewellery collection plays on the idea of abstract-organic shapes and is inspired by colour palettes from Dior’s archives. The rings and cuff bracelets, already a unique design on their own, appears even more striking when worn altogether.

Messika Move 10th

[myaffiliate type="normal" button_name="SHOP HERE" url="https://www.messika.com/en/jewelry/collections/move-10th-jewels" align="center" class="affiliate-one"]

From the moment Valerie Messika created her namesake brand, she knew she wanted to showcase diamonds freely and allow them to move as if they were loose and sliding through the fingers. The Move 10th is the signature design’s 10th-anniversary evolution, a sleek drop pendant style with three moving diamonds that are perfect for stacking.

Gigi Clozeau

[myaffiliate type="normal" button_name="SHOP HERE" url="https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-hk/shop/designer/gigi-clozeau/jewelry-and-watches/fine-jewelry/bracelets" align="center" class="affiliate-one"]

Dainty and colourful, Gigi Clozeau's bracelets are handmade by skilled artisans at the label's family-run workshop in the South of France. Crafted in 18k gold, and dotted with polished resin beads in punchy and fun hues, the bracelets feature glossy pendants such as a playful cactus (in red), the evil eye (in blue) or the Madone charm (in green). Available at Net-a-Porter.

Sydney Evan

[myaffiliate type="normal" button_name="SHOP HERE" url="https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-hk/shop/designer/sydney-evan" align="center" class="affiliate-one"]

Sydney Evan's whimsical designs with its beautifully faceted semi-precious stones are highly sought after by an A-list celebrity clientele — each piece is highly meaningful, featuring motifs that inspire hope and positive change.

(Header image: From Lauren Rubinski's chunky gold-chain bracelets to diamond-studded rings by Anita Ko and Repossi, Net-a-Porter has a wide selection of stackable rings, bracelets and necklaces.)

This story first appeared in print in Prestige Hong Kong.

The post These Jewels are Made for Stacking appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.