Jewellery News

It might take a little getting used to but the elegance of black seems to be seeping into the engagement ring scene as well. Paul Williams decided that he wanted to ask his girlfriend Sarah Taylor to marry him with something different. He thought the regular engagement ring was so passé! He also wanted to look beyond the classic solitaire. So he chose black diamonds set in black gold. Sarah was stunned but when she looked closely at it, she realised just how exquisite it was.

This seems to be a trend that is slowly coming in. Designers in London are confirming that there are more young couples looking for different rings even while they want diamonds. So black diamonds as well as coloured diamonds seems to be popular choices for engagement rings. Some seem to prefer rough, uncut diamonds too. It looks like there’s a wave of change when it comes to engagement rings.

What does a guy very much in love do when he wants to show his girl just how much he loves her? Well, if it’s Luke Worrall he gives her a second engagement ring because he wants her to have a diamond engagement ring that’s even more expensive. When the girl is Kelly Osbourne, obviously that makes news.

On Kelly’s 25th birthday, this is just what Luke did. He got her a diamond ring with a heart shaped diamond set in white gold. Not just any heart shaped diamond but a whopper of a rock and it was given to replace the old engagement ring he had got her. Well, she got something else as a birthday present that she loves – a black Pomeranian pup from her parents and she’s called him Sid.

No longer are diamonds just a girl’s best friend. More and more men are wearing them too on their wedding rings. Time was when a man’s wedding ring was solid yellow gold – no frills, no fancy designs, they all looked the same and if you saw one, you saw them all. Not anymore, not with men getting designer jewellery conscious. The first changes came with the metal itself. Suddenly you had platinum, white gold, titanium, etc. Now it’s diamonds and the great thing is, these stones can be tailored to give a man a tough and masculine look.

The metal is still solid and masculine, but encrusted in that metal are glittering gems that stand for fidelity and enduring love. What is different usually from the diamonds women wear is the colour. Black diamonds are finding favour with men and it could soon become a trend. Today, wedding rings can be matched with designs that are similar for both the bride and the groom. Imagine a similar design, if you will, with the woman’s diamonds being white while the man’s are black. Most of the black diamond rings are done in a pavé design and for them to stand out, it is advisable to use white gold.

There’s a range of engagement rings that is going to be introduced by Disney next year. Rather fitting, one would say because of all the fairytale stories and movies we associate with the brand. The line is expected to comprise of exquisitely designed diamond rings, each one named after a fairytale princess. The six rings that will be launched next spring will be Cinderella, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White and Jasmine.

The designer, Kirstie Kelly has designed wedding rings to match as well. Not just wedding rings – the theme carries on to wedding gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses. Each one has slight differences to make it unique, a bolder design for Ariel, an ethereal one for Cinderella. So if it’s a fairytale wedding you want, what better way to go than the ‘Once upon a time’ to the ‘…happily ever after’ way with Disney?

The international diamond trade is asking for exports to be stopped from Zimbabwe because of army brutality in that country. The news is that two hundred people were massacred on the diamond mines there and though official reports deny this information, activists state that it is very true indeed. So the members of the Kimberly Process are meeting in Namibia to decide what has to be done.

The Kimberly Process which was set up in 2003 to ensure that conflict or blood diamonds did not get into the mainstream of diamond trade is in a fix. They have to be seen to be taking action against Zimbabwe otherwise they could end up losing their credibility. If they do not act against this lawlessness which includes murder and rape of people in what was once a peaceful area, how can the diamond trade trust their assurances that the diamonds they attest are clean? The HRW or Human Rights Watch has asked the Kimberly Process to make sure that the diamonds that come out of Africa are not from the conflict areas.

A marketer who used to work with DeBeers in many parts of the globe has returned to London and set up the country’s first diamond rental service. This is where you can now rent beautiful diamond jewellery, so while you look like royalty, you don’t have to spend a small fortune on those gems. Jamie Mordaunt has set up the service called Diamondthrills and it looks like it could be a boon to many women who would love to wear diamonds but cannot afford them.

Jamie Mordaunt is Managing Director of this venture and this is his first attempt at setting up something on his own. Till now, he has worked with DeBeers in senior positions. A woman can hire jewellery for as little as £50 a week and she can have her pick of beautiful jewellery that goes from diamond rings to earrings, neck pieces, bracelets, tiaras and pendants. As all the jewellery is insured, it makes this a safe proposition. Now every woman can dress up like the stars who make their presence on the red carpet more dazzling with borrowed diamonds.

The show began on the 27th of October and in two days there were around 20,000 visitors to view and buy the wonderful diamonds and jewellery on display. There are jewellers from all over the world displaying their dazzling wares and it is estimated that the number is around 450. There’s a diamond set that is being showcased which is getting a lot of attention and it is the jewellery set from Zebrano Design, Singapore. It includes a diamond ring, earrings, bangle and handbag. It consists of half a kilo of white gold studded with 300 carats of black and white diamonds.

One of the crowd’s favourite pieces of jewellery seems to be the handcrafted diamond Christopher Road watches, maybe because they are affordable while reeking of a luxurious look. It comes in five styles in a range of colours and styles.