Save E-mail

Send this URL to a friend:

* - Denotes a required field.
Your Name*
Your Email Address*
Friend's Name*
Friend's Email Address*
Subject*
Message*

Print

Soon-to-be-wed celebrities can’t seem to get enough of platinum.

Their affinity for the precious white metal is well-documented in various celebrity magazines, which for jewelers means that customers may well be asking for similar looks.

Upcoming nuptials announced right before the holidays include that of Britney Spears, who got engaged to Jason Trawick, her boyfriend and former manager, with a 3-carat Neil Lane diamond ring estimated at $90,000 in December.

The pop star’s ring has diamonds all around the band. Jewelry expert Michael O’Connor told Us Weekly that the groom-to-be didn’t “want a giant stone since he wanted to concentrate on the quality and beauty of a platinum setting."

Always stylish actress Anne Hathaway, who announced her engagement in November, is sure to be well-accessorized in the future since her future husband is Adam Shulman, a fellow actor and also a jewelry designer who founded the James Banks line in 2011 with Heidi Nahser Fink. He worked with Kwiat Fine Diamond and Jewelry to design a 6-carat diamond engagement ring in platinum with an estimated price tag of about $150,000.

"He had a very strong vision for what he knew Anne would love,” Greg Kwiat, chief financial officer of Kwiat and CEO of Fred Leighton, told People magazine.

One of the more unusual engagement rings was that of Brooke Burns, the former Baywatch star, who announced in December that she was engaged to writer and director Gavin O’Connor. She is wearing a 3-carat heart-shaped diamond, with the center stone embraced on both sides with platinum-set pavé shoulders.

Michael O’Connor, who estimated the ring’s price at about $70,000 told US Weekly that “the unusual cut adds huge value in a diamond that size, while the platinum setting holds it secure."

Platinum Guild International USA points to three celebrity-fueled engagement ring trends this year, with tips on how jewelers can steer customers who aren’t on celebrity budgets toward similar looks in platinum. 

1. Classic: Epitomized by Hathaway’s classic ring, women with a preference for timeless styles tend to choose rings that showcase the diamond on a simple platinum band. This type of design draws attention to the center stone, and a naturally white platinum setting makes the diamond look larger, regardless of its size, PGI points out. Personalized choices include opting for a brushed or polished metal look, and perhaps milgrain edging to add some texture. 

Platinum engagement ring with solitaire diamond from Memoire’s “Bouquet Collection” is 0.50 total carat weight, but the design makes the center stone looks like 1 carat; suggested retail starting from $4,000.

2. Pavé on the band: This trend was spotted on actress Reese Witherspoon’s engagement ring, which features a modern Ashoka-cut diamond with pavé diamonds set in a platinum band. Since a full circle of pavé diamonds typically costs a fraction of a single center diamond, customers who choose this look can have a lot of dazzle without paying a hefty price tag. Diamonds will look their brightest since platinum’s color doesn’t fade or change.

Platinum engagement ring with pavé diamonds by Tacori features eternity crescents that decorate a  band with hand-set pavé shoulders; suggested retail $3,580 (not including center diamond).

3. Colored gemstone rings: Actress Carey Mulligan sported this trend with her blue sapphire engagement ring set in platinum, as did Penelope Cruz, Liz Hurley, and Duchess Kate Middleton. All of the ladies have blue sapphire rings, but there are numerous benefits to setting any colored gem in platinum. Since the gems are valued because of their specific color, and because platinum is a naturally white metal, the setting won’t cast any color into it, allowing the beauty and color to stay true.

Caption: Sapphire and diamond 3-stone platinum engagement ring handcrafted with a 1.01 carat round sapphire center stone accented with 0.65 carats of round sapphires and 0.48 carats of brilliant diamond rounds. Suggested retail starts from $5,000, includes all gemstones.  Photo credit: Courtesy of Omi Gems, OmiGems.com