Engagement Ring Trends for 2021

A new year is on the horizon and after all that 2020 brought to the table, we’re ready for a fresh start. If your upcoming year will include a proposal, keep reading because we have the scoop on the hottest bling for 2021. Now doesn’t that have a nice “ring” to it? 

 

The New Halo

Beyonce said it best, you’ll be “Standing in the light of your halo” with this new take on an updated favorite.

The Retro Halo

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The Floral Halo

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The Alternating Color Halo

Featured: 4-carat pear shaped diamond with pink diamond halo

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The Colored Stone with Halo

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Featured: A Ruby set in white gold, with emerald diamond halo.



Pretty in Pastel

Speaking of different colored stones, pastel colored diamonds are giving us all the feels. They’re muted, yet sophisticated. Check out this upcoming trend below.

 

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Geometric & Offset Diamonds

If colorful diamonds aren’t your cup of tea, but you’re still looking for something uniquely you, perhaps thinking outside the typical setting is more your style. 

 

The Offset Round Brilliant Trio

 

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The 4-Corners Round 

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The Offset Oval

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The Trillion

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The Classics

Let’s be honest, no trending engagement ring list would be complete without the tried and true selection customer favorites that have a way of always staying in style. Which classic solitaire makes your heart beat a little faster?

 

The Round Brilliant

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The Emerald Cut

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The Cushion Cut

 

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The Oval

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If you’d love to learn more about any of our featured designs, visit our website to book a no stress appointment. They can be in person, over the phone or via zoom! We look forward to serving you soon.

 

~ LB

Diamond Shopping During a Pandemic

 

 

From groceries, to everyday supplies, there is no denying that online purchases have saved the day amid this pandemic, and rightfully so. This uptick in online purchasing has recently brought to light the question of whether buying a diamond online is a smart move, and if not, why? We’re here to answer that question and explain why you may want to think twice before adding that diamond to your online cart and book your in person appointment with a trusted retailer instead.

Did you know that diamonds with the same GIA grade can greatly differ in quality and in price? To understand how this is possible, it’s important to first remember that a GIA certificate is still an educated option. Basically these reports have a list of caveats protecting the grading authority from legal action resulting from inaccuracy. 

But why the inaccuracy? Well, we’re glad you asked. The general rule applied to grade intolerance in diamond reports, ie) GIA,  is one grade for both color and clarity. This means that a 1 carat diamond graded as a G SI1, may vary in color from F, (the top end of the grading scale), to an H, the bottom end. 

Similarly, the SI1 clarity rating may vary from VS2 at the top end, to SI2 at the bottom. As you might imagine, this range in a G SI1 diamond can create quite the quality and pricing difference, a 56% price difference to be exact. 

This example demonstrates that two different diamonds, with the same grading, can reflect two very different prices while still being graded with accepted international standards. Without the help of a professional diamond retailer, it’s almost impossible to determine accurate quality and cost. 

Color and clarity tolerance can account for very different levels in price when comparing diamonds in stores or on a website. Color and clarity grading is not exact science, the grading is subjective. The only part of diamond grading that is absolutely objective is diamond weight. 

Now, GIA cut grading is considering the industry standard, with the highest being a triple Excellent cut. This takes into consideration cut or proportion, polish, symmetry and fluorescence.  

Likewise, there is no universal sliding scale that can calculate a diamond's diminished value due to cut and polish differences. 

What about fancy cut diamonds? 

Clarity and color grading are treated the same with fancy shaped diamonds such as pear and heart shaped, as they are with brilliant. The difference is the cut of a fancy shape diamond is more subjective. GIA does not assign cut grades to fancy shaped diamonds because they’re are too many variables to consider. Instead they are inspected to see how pleasing they are to the naked eye. They lose value if they are misshapen, too long, too short, too deep or too shallow. All of which will result in a lack of brilliance. 

Diamonds have value in terms of cash money, and obviously a strictly graded diamond is more valuable than a poorly rated diamond. There is always a reason why one diamond is less expensive than another. More often than not, potential buyers believe the difference in price is due to retail margins, however the most common reason for price inequality is diamond inequality. Be sure you’re asking these important questions to any diamond retailer you work with.

The most important thing to consider is to buy the diamond and the dealer, not just the diamond report. Diamond reports do not assign dollar amounts, they only describe diamond characteristics. Remember, no two diamonds are alike, and strictly graded diamonds provide more value and are worth every extra penny. 

At La Bijouterie, we take a personalized 1:1 in-person appointment approach. We adopted this way of conducting business  over 6 years ago because it allows us to educate the potential buyer and it has proven to be most successful. Now more than ever, customers are seeing the value of dedicated and uninterrupted appointments. It’s a time to ask questions and express any concerns you may have.   

Interested in setting up a Phase I appointment? You can do so here. To learn more about the “Reasons To Think Twice Before Purchasing a Diamond Online,” click here. Want to learn about the 4 C’s of Diamond purchasing, click here. As always, reach out to us with any questions you may have. We love hearing from you! 

~ LB

 

The Rise of Local Connections

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Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

It’s an all too common misconception that purchasing a diamond online is cheaper than ordering one through a brick and mortar retailer. This misconception stemmed mostly from the lack of sales tax for online purchases. Did you know that as of December 1, 2018, online retailers began collecting and remitting sales tax for online orders placed by consumers, making the idea of a blind, online purchase, even less appealing. 

The once financial benefit of buying a diamond online has drastically changed. Today more than ever, consumers are looking to have a local connection with a jeweler and build a level of trust before making such a large financial decision. The bond you build during an educational in-person visit is unmatched.

Take Blue Nile for example, a diamond retail company that was born online and built to disrupt the whole diamond/jewelry business. They have now been forced to open five retail stores just to stay relevant.

The idea of wanting human to human interaction isn’t something new. Today, consumers want to be educated and feel like they’re not getting taken advantage of, regardless of the industry. 

When purchasing an engagement ring, they want to physically see the diamond they are purchasing and play an instrumental role in the process of designing it for their significant other. 

The truth is, when it comes to diamond shopping, there’s a lot more to consider than just the listed price on the website.  

For one, you want to ensure you’re being offered a quality guarantee. This means if something is in fact wrong with the diamond you purchased, (say an imperfection you weren’t expecting, or the color is off), you want to know that this can all be taken care of for you. With an online purchase, this type of quality guarantee just doesn’t exist. Buying a diamond with no guarantee could result in you overpaying for a diamond you thought was a great deal. 

A second thing to consider is the Customer Experience.  Buying a diamond online means making one of the biggest financial purchases of your life completely blind. As you might imagine, it takes years to understand and learn how to evaluate a diamond, which is why buying online can be so tricky and unforgiving. Sure you can try to pawn-off a faulty diamond, but you will end up losing hundreds, if not thousands in the process. Do yourself a favor and go with a jeweler that prides themselves on the customer service they offer, and has many repeat customers. 

Purchasing a diamond online means you’re not able to work with an experienced jeweler to come up with a diamond ring, (setting and all), that fits within your budget. It’s a common misconception that a shopping online will get you a better deal. An experienced jeweler can help you prioritize what is most important to you and your significant other, (say diamond size perhaps), and find you the best options given your criteria and budget.

At La Bijouterie, our goal is to find a diamond that makes sense for you by sharing our years of knowledge to help you make the best decision. The in-person shopping experience is here to stay, we are for it. As a matter of fact, we’re huge purveyors of it. 

Curious to learn more about what we offer? Book an appointment today and check out our reviews on Yelp. We’re here to help!

-LB

Financing provided by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. with approved credit

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La Bijouterie SF Downtown location
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