Contemporary jewelry is a concept that changes rapidly on an almost annual basis. New designs are released regularly from season to season but the core idea of jewelry always stays the same. Especially when talking about diamond jewelry and engagement rings.

The new trends of contemporary jewelry are currently influenced by two main issues:

1. Social belonging
2. Economic recession

People still want the same important things as before. They want the diamond to have a presence and for the jewelry to have a contemporary design suitable to the current trends but that will also be classical and timeless.

In the reality of today’s world a big diamond is a problem due to the economic recession that has hit a lot of the middle and upper class. People just don’t have the same money as before or don’t want to spend as much on luxury items.

One thing people do want to do is purchase diamond jewelry that will be appropriate to their social status and also to their current financial situation. I am here to teach you the industry tricks to buy that perfect piece of contemporary jewelry.

One of the main issues and that most people talk about is the “How many carats is the diamond?” question. So in current times the most common contemporary diamond ring is considered to have a 1.00ct center diamond.
Let me give you an example regarding prices. Let’s take for the example a 1 carat G color VS2 clarity diamond:

• This diamond with an “excellent” cut certified by the GIA will be around $7,000.
• A diamond with the same specs certified by the GIA but with a “good” cut will be around $6,000. That’s 15% cheaper. You already saved $1,000 and purchased a diamond with the same basic specs.
• A similar diamond with an “excellent” cut but certified by EGL will be around $4,500. That’s 35% cheaper and you now saved $2,500 and still purchased a diamond with the same basic specs.
• A clarity enhanced diamond with the same specs of G VS2 “excellent” cut certified by EGL will be around $3,000. That’s 55% cheaper! $4,000 in savings!

If what is important is the same specs with a GIA certificate you can go with the second option. Yes, the diamond will not be as perfect as the “excellent” cut but it still will be a 1.00ct. The truth be told, once a diamond is set in a ring it is very difficult to tell the difference anyway.

If what is important is to have the same specs, than you can go with the EGL certified diamond. EGL’s grading standards are not as strict as those of the GIA. This means that if the diamond was graded by the GIA it would probably receive lower grading of about 1-2 colors lower and 1 clarity lower. But the point is that you will still be presenting a 1.00ct G VS2 “excellent” cut diamond.

Another very popular option now a day for people on a budget are “clarity enhanced” diamonds. These are real natural diamonds from the same diamond mines as all other diamonds but they have been enhanced to improve its clarity and brilliance. The enhancement process is permanent and only direct flame or corrosive chemicals can ruin the enhancement. It can always be re-enhanced easily if needed.

So when asked you can say with confidence that you purchased a 1.00ct G SI1 center diamond.

The other criteria to take into consideration is the design. Not always is the center diamond the only important thing to come into play. If the jewelry piece is designed correctly with an emphasis on contemporary jewelry design than the center diamond becomes less of an issue and the “piece” becomes the bigger issue.

For example if you were to buy a simple solitaire ring than the center diamond would be the only thing coming into play and being recognized for its beauty. But if you choose a contemporary design with thought being invested into the design of the ring itself, the center diamond starts to play a lesser issue to the jewelry piece as a whole.

In order to do this you can consider adding accent diamonds around the center diamond, what is called the “halo” effect. This gives the diamond a larger look than it really is and also beautifully accents the ring. It is also recommended to add accent diamonds along the band of the ring which will give the ring a fuller look and complete the ring as a whole making the center diamond a part of the show instead of a one man show.

Another good option is to go with a less conservative design from the classic Tiffany style ring. There are new intricate contemporary designs available out there. Some of the options to think about are:

• Twisted engagement rings
• Split shank engagement rings
• Vintage inspired engagement rings
• Halo engagement rings

I think by combining the recommendations above of choosing a main diamond to fit your budget and choosing a contemporary jewelry design that will compliment that diamond, you can still build a beautiful diamond ring that will receive awes even in the reality of today’s economy.

Authors Bio:

This article is exclusively written for www.designsmag.com by John Ramras. He is the Founder of www.brillianteers.com. John is a 2nd generation of diamond manufacturers with over 10 years of experience in worldwide distribution of loose diamonds and diamond jewelry such as 1 carat diamond rings, Cubic Zirconia rings and more.

Naaz

View all posts by Naaz
Administrators website