BY KATHRYN RIDDLE
Christmas has long been a time of marriage proposals and the array of engagement rings available is infinite, especially with the option of having one custom-made, perhaps incorporating a family heirloom. According to the jewelers with whom we spoke, women today are quite savvy about new trends and know exactly what they want for that symbol of a lifetime of love and happiness. While couples often shop together, more often the man makes his special purchase without his intended so his marriage proposal with ring in hand can be that magical, memorable moment.
“Jewelry, especially an engagement ring, should be a reflection of self,” said Barbara Johnson who, with her mother Georgianna Bojtos, co-owns Jewelry Art in Hudson. Among the lines they carry exclusively are Henri Daussi, the Dutch company that specializes in cushion-cut diamonds, and Todd Reed whose designs feature raw diamonds unique in their natural beauty. Rose gold, a color complementing any skin tone, has become very popular, said Barbara. “The process unfolds as a woman tries on rings. The right one makes her heart sing.”
In choosing an engagement ring, “the most important thing to consider, said Chad Schreibman, owner with his brother David of Alson Jewelers in Woodmere, “is the cut of the diamond, its facet arrangement. A beautifully cut diamond with have scintillation. Three stone rings are very popular — the larger center stone representing the present and the side diamonds the past and future. Side diamonds might be trapezoids or half moons — those are cut from the same diamond. Only a small percentage of our newly engaged couples seem to want fancy yellow diamonds; usually they are more popular for an anniversary ring. An engagement ring should be an extension of a women’s personality.”
The Millennials, the generation of those born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, “come in well-armed and well-informed,” said Rock White, owner of Bella Design Jewelers in Bainbridge and now also at Eton Chagrin Boulevard. Tacori, a line exclusive in Northeast Ohio at Bella Design, “has heavily marketed to them. Tacori’s styles have a vintage-feel, many with a halo of diamonds around a center stone. White gold, or platinum, is the metal of choice and has ornate detailing in fine millgrain (beading) details. Wedding bands are designed to fit around the engagement ring or to complement it. We also modify family pieces as elements to create a style the couple, or she, wants.”
“It’s a dream ring,” said Dan Piunno, owner of Chagrin Fine Jewelry in Chagrin Falls, of the engagement ring whose choice may be driven by impressions a woman may have from her childhood. “She loved her mother’s or grandmother’s ring but she still wants to make hers her own. She usually wants a colorless diamond although of the colored diamonds, natural yellow diamonds are distinctive, most prevalent and most affordable. Most couples want white gold or platinum; the A. Jaffe line created a hypoallergenic white gold metal. It also is known for its signature Euro-shank that is square. It conforms to the natural shape of the finger and hand and is super comfortable.”
Additional resources for jewelry/engagement rings:
Different Facets, Chagrin Falls, 440.247.4866
Gino’s Jewelers, Cleveland, 216.831.5653
Great Lakes Coin and Jewelry, Mentor – 440.266.8900
IMG Jewelers, Lyndhurst, 440.461.4464
Robert & Gabriel Jewelers, Lyndhurst, 440.473.6554
