This Is The Time For Unique Engagement Ring Designers

Until recently, unique engagement ring designers were no more than a figment of some overactive imaginations. For decades, if not centuries, the business of engagement jewellery was restricted to a few pre-fabricated, ‘standard’ designs, and a customer who happened to have a slightly more creative jeweller could count himself or herself lucky.

In the last thirty years or so, that has all changed. The emergence of a new generation with a very distinctive set of character traits and values caused the engagement jewellery market to shift, becoming as favourable to unique engagement ring designers as to high street jewellers, if not more.

This shift in paradigm can be attributed to a combination of factors, ranging from personal upbringing to market trends. We will seek to dissect some of these and analyse why today’s wedding and engagement jewellery market is so favourable to bespoke designers.

The choice of a new generation

The first factor which might explain the sudden turn towards unique engagement ring designers instead of retail jewellers is the personality of the current generation itself. Men and women of engagement and marriage age – particularly the elusive 18-35 demographic – are part of a group who actively rebelled against their parents’ stolid, conservative values and made a bid for their own identity. It is this very identity that they try to preserve when shopping for engagement baubles, which goes a long way towards explaining why bespoke designers are popular: currently, nobody wants to have the same ring as their friend. Much to the contrary – they want it to be as different and unique as possible.

A diversified offer

Another factor potentially ‘at fault’ for unique engagement ring designers featuring more and more prominently in the jewellery market is the ‘second wind’ most styles of stone and cut are getting. After decades of the diamond, with all its myriad cuts, reigning supreme, recent years have seen other stones make something of a comeback, re-discovered and re-adopted by the aforementioned generation. This, in turn, leads to a much higher array of potential choices for rings, which high street jewellers are not quite as quick as custom designers to latch onto. Even when they do, there is the risk that their designs will still be too conservative and ‘classic’ to please this younger generation, explaining their preference for bespoke jewellers.

Combined, these two factors are responsible for the belief – among professionals and laymen alike – that upcoming years will see high street retail jewellers progressively give their place to up-and-coming young custom ring designers. Time will tell...

Frank L Orman is the founder of the F&L Designer Guides, compiled and written to help consumers choose the best and the most unique engagement ring designers in the UK. Offering advice, tips and suggestions on how to choose that perfect ring, F&L will accompany you on every stage of your search to find the right designer.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.