Why a white diamond ring is still bridal jewellery’s glittering prize
Wedding bands with white diamonds never fail to draw the eye, and occupy pride of place in collections from maisons like Cartier, Rohan Jewellery, Chaumet and Graff
White diamond rings are front and centre at the world’s top jewellery studios.
Bridal jewellery is the first arena to benefit from diamond creativity in 2018, with diamond ring bands drawing the eye as much as the centre stone on rings. Perth-based, Italian-trained bespoke jeweller Rohan Milne, of Rohan Jewellery, says: “I’ve seen a trend towards full diamond bands for engagement rings, particularly those that use a diversity of stone cuts and colours.”
Milne completed a cocktail ring that could easily work as an engagement piece, with a delicately coloured solitary Argyle pink diamond sitting alongside a band of heart-shaped white diamonds, including the coloured diamond. Reflection de Cartier’s high jewellery white gold ring with diamonds is another example of the band getting the love.
Statement diamond rings are not going anywhere, but while many use a sizeable stone as the star, others’ visual impact is poised on architectural perspectives to design.
Sydney’s Raphaël Jewellers, one of Australia’s most creative bespoke ateliers and premier diamond setters, is inspired to make kinetic jewellery and pieces that have a premise in an optical illusion. Raphaël and Joseph Akelian, the architecturally influenced brothers at the brand’s helm, have achieved a hall-of-mirrors effect with their Inner Vision ring.
This trick of the eye sensation occurs when observing, with a slight roll of the hand, the large ring’s concave centre that is channel-set with baguette diamonds. Other notable monumental features include a trilliant-cut diamond on each end, embraced with two marquise diamonds set point to point.
One impression of the unique ring is a boat-like form, but there is also a balcony inspiration, so the wearer feels on top of the world or as if they are looking out from a balcony to the horizon.
Oval and pear-shaped diamonds are in favour, particularly in Chaumet’s Les Mondes de Chaumet and Chaumet est une fête collections. The former’s Trésors d’Afrique rings speak to exotic vistas as a tribute to Africa, displaying a diamond spear, while the maison’s other destinations, Russia and Japan, are explored in Promenades Impériales and Chant du Printemps creations. The Valses d’Hiver pieces from the Chaumet est une fête collection aim to evoke the flounces of fabric and intricacy of laces observed as a party-goer dances, and provide a potent example of rings with pleasing curvature.