JCK 2017 Bridal

THE INDUSTRY AUTHORITY

FACTS OF LOVE

INSIDE THE KNOT’S 2017 JEWELRY & ENGAGEMENT STUDY

RING THEORY

MORGAN NORMAN/GALLERY STOCK

THE SHAPES, STONES & STYLES TO STOCK FOR WEDDING SEASON

W H O L LY M AT R I M O N Y OUR ANNUAL ODE TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE

90

R I N G T H E O R Y

FROM SPLIT-SHANK STYLES TO PEAR-SHAPE STONES, FROM BRILLIANT WHITE TO ORGANIC COLORED DIAMONDS, WE’VE GOT EVERY THING A MODERN BRIDE (AND ROSE G O L D – L O V I N G G RO O M ) C O U L D P O S S I B LY WA N T

(Clockwise from bottom left) Two-tone ring in 14k gold with diamonds, starting at $2,295, Mars Jewelry, 888-592-6277, marsjewelry.com; 14k white gold ring with 4.17 ct. oval tanzanite and 0.2 ct. t.w. diamonds, $1,499, Cirari, info@cirari.com, cirari.com; Perspective ring in platinum with 0.94 ct. t.w. diamonds, $6,800 (without center stone), Karl Lagerfeld, 800-487-2724, sayyeswithkarl.com; Modern engagement ring with 1.38 cts. t.w. round diamonds in 18k gold, $5,675 (without center stone), Noam Carver, info@noamcarver.com, noamcarver.com

91 (Clockwise from below) Skull eternity band in 18k rose gold, $1,495, Anthony Lent, 646-745-6831, anthonylent.com; faceted ring in tungsten carbide with patented rose gold–colored metal blend, $355, Triton, 800-487-2724, tritonjewelry. com; wedding band in 14k rose gold with Natcoco wood interior, $1,490, Lashbrook, 801-352-7388, lashbrookdesigns.com; Adonis band in 18k rose and white gold, $1,000, Spinelli Kilcollin, marisa@ spinellikilcollin.com, spinellikilcollin. com; 14k rose gold band with diamonds, $899, Kama Schachter, 866-843-5363, kamaschachter.com

92 (Clockwise from top) 5.16 ct. fancy yellow diamond ring in platinum and 18k yellow gold with diamonds, $173,160, Joshua J. Fine Jewelry, 213-624-0111, joshuajfinejewelry.com; Chevron collection pear-shape ring with 8.53 cts. t.w. diamonds in platinum, price on request, Harry Kotlar, 213-626-0428, harrykotlar.com; Vanilla Gold ring with 4.19 ct. Neon Blue Paraiba Tourmaline and 1.72 cts. t.w. Vanilla Diamonds, $69,498, Le Vian Couture, 877-253-8426, levian.com; ring in 18k white gold with 2.29 ct. pear-shape brown diamond, 0.6 ct. t.w. heart-shape diamonds, and 0.6 ct. t.w. pavĂŠ diamonds, $48,000, VTse, 626577-9288, vtsejewelry.com; Lovely collection semi-mount in 14k white gold, $1,129 (without center stone), Tasha R, 888-999-1597, tashar.com

93

(Clockwise from bottom) Ring in 18k rose gold with rose-cut champagne diamond and brown and white diamond accents, $3,650, Sethi Couture, 415-863-1475, sethicouture.com; one-of-a-kind naturally colored rough diamond ring in 18k yellow gold, $13,225, Todd Reed, 303-442-6280, toddreed.com; rustic diamond marquise leaf ring with sapphires in 22k yellow gold, $6,100, Cathy Waterman, cathywaterman.com; Katla ring in white gold with 1.03 ct. champagne diamond, $6,060, Chinchar/Maloney, 503-946-8227, chincharmaloney.com

FA C T S

96

LOVE OF

THE RESULTS OF THE KNOT’S 2017 JEWELRY & ENGAGEMENT STUDY

THE GIFTS

42%

OF BRIDES WORE FINE JEWELRY

WORE COSTUME ON THEIR WEDDING DAY

THE TOP 3 STYLES CHOSEN BY BRIDES:

69% EARRINGS

38%

HAIR JEWELRY/ HEADBAND

37%

BRACELETS

$106

Average spend on jewelry per bridesmaid, with earrings accounting for largest share

$333

AVERAGE SPEND ON JEWELRY FOR THE BRIDE $560

(59%)

$408

AVERAGE AMOUNT GROOM SPENT TO COMPLETE HIS LOOK, WITH CUFFLINKS (27%) AND WATCHES (22%) ACCOUNTING FOR THE LARGEST SHARES

Average amount bride spent on groom, with watches as most popular choice (64%)

40%

OF BRIDES HAVE GIVEN THEIR SPOUSE/PARTNER A WATCH AT SOME POINT

$160

Average spend on jewelry per groomsman, with cufflinks accounting for largest share

(45%)

FRESHWATER PEARL HINGED CUFF, $375, BOUNKIT; RETRO CLASSIC CABOCHON CUFFLINKS IN SILVER WITH BLACK ONYX, $490, TACORI; MEDITERRANEAN DROP EARRINGS IN SILVER WITH DIAMOND ACCENTS, $125, GABRIEL & CO.; THE RUNWELL 47 MM IN BLACK LEATHER AND STAINLESS STEEL, $550, SHINOLA; PAC MAN CUFFLINKS IN ENAMEL, $125, PAUL SMITH

58%

ANKE & GUANCHEN HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ONE YEAR. HER DIAMONDS HAVE SPENT TWO BILLION YEARS BENEATH THE EARTH’S SURFACE AND A FEW MONTHS ON HER FINGER.

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98

THE COUPLE

HE SAID

of brides prefer to have a different shape of stone than the traditional round

73% of brides began researching rings before they were engaged (compared with 78% of luxury brides*).

Luxury brides are more likely to look to luxury-brand ads for inspiration:

42% vs. 31% of all brides.

62%

OF BRIDES RELIED ON PINTEREST FOR RING RESEARCH AND/OR INSPIRATION

55% OF BRIDES —BUT ONLY 17% OF GROOMS —WOULD RATHER HAVE A

SMALLER, BETTER-QUALITY DIAMOND THAN A LARGER STONE OF LESSER QUALITY A majority of brides

(65%)still prefer the

42% OF BRIDES RECEIVED A NEW CUSTOM-DESIGNED RING (VS. 60% OF LUXURY BRIDES) SHE SAID

look of a white gold or platinum setting, but rose and yellow gold are both on the rise (11% and 9%, respectively)

“I received horrible service when trying to get my ring resized. They frequently missed my calls and did not return them. They told me the ring would be completed on a certain date and then it ended up taking twice as long.”

* Luxury brides and grooms are defined as those who spent spent $8,000 or more on an engagement ring.

“[I’d like] a cheat sheet of all the terms jewelers use— especially for the anatomy of the ring/diamond. In addition to terms, a quick reference guide for the scales of all the C’s.”

83% 90% BRIDES

LUXURY BRIDES

WILL RECOMMEND THE ENGAGEMENT RING RETAILER TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

62%

of brides favor a clear diamond center stone with side stones and/or accents (vs. 68% of luxury brides)

THE MAJORITY OF GROOMS

(75%)

SPEND 1 TO 7 MONTHS PLANNING THE PROPOSAL

$246

AVERAGE SPEND ON INSURING THE RING

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) CUSTOM ENGAGEMENT RING WITH MARQUISE DIAMOND, PRICE ON REQUEST, MALAKAN DIAMOND; RING IN 18K YELLOW GOLD WITH 3.76 CT. EMERALD-CUT DIAMOND, $62,000, RAHAMINOV; CUSTOM RING IN 18K WHITE GOLD WITH DIAMONDS, $4,800 (WITHOUT CENTER STONE), SOFIA KAMAN

33%

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100

THE RETAILER

THE RINGS

52% vs. 48% WHEN SELECTING THE RETAILER, GROOMS HAD MORE INPUT THAN BRIDES

The top 3 national chains (accounting for 56% of purchases from national retailers) are Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared. 24% of luxury grooms who purchased at a national chain patronized Robbins Brothers, while 12% chose Tiffany & Co. (down from 35% in 2015).

61%

of brides and grooms said friends/family were most influential in choosing a local retailer.

Ability to customize the ring was a close second.

45%

OF GROOMS PURCHASED FROM A LOCAL/ INDEPENDENT JEWELER (compared with

60%

of luxury grooms) $8,627 AND 1.8 CTS.

14% of grooms purchased the ring online (up from 10% in 2011). Their rationale?

Better pricing and convenience.

Etsy, Blue Nile, and James Allen are the top 3 online retailers, while Blue Nile, with 40%, is the No. 1 retailer for luxury grooms.

AVERAGE SPEND AND AVERAGE TOTAL CARAT WEIGHT FOR ENGAGEMENT RINGS PURCHASED AT LOCAL/INDEPENDENT JEWELERS

$4,681 AND 1.5 CTS.

AVERAGE SPEND AND AVERAGE TOTAL CARAT WEIGHT FOR ENGAGEMENT RINGS PURCHASED AT NATIONAL/REGIONAL CHAINS

“[The retailer] made us an incredibly high-quality… ring within our budget.

He worked around our schedules, made the design specifically for me, and said I could change whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. He even told us the profit he was making.”

$1,223 AVERAGE SPEND ON

BRIDE’S WEDDING BAND (VS. $1,933 FOR LUXURY BRIDES)

$619 AVERAGE SPEND ON GROOM’S WEDDING BAND (VS. $1,167 FOR LUXURY GROOMS)

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) ONE-OF-A-KIND CUSTOM HELEN PERMA-STACKED RING IN 18K ROSE GOLD AND PLATINUM WITH CUSTOMER’S OWN HEIRLOOM DIAMONDS, WENDY BRANDES; ANGELIQUE BAND WITH 0.07 CT. T.W. DIAMONDS IN 18K YELLOW GOLD, $1,990, KIRK KARA; RING IN STERLING SILVER WITH 0.024 CT. T.W. BLACK DIAMONDS AND LINE DETAIL, $1,100, TODD REED; VERA WANG LOVE 1.5 CTS. T.W. DIAMONDS 14K WHITE GOLD RING, $4,699.99, JARED THE GALLERIA OF JEWELRY; LAUREL ASSCHER-CUT DIAMOND HALO ENGAGEMENT RING WITH 1.64 CTS. T.W. DIAMONDS IN 18K ROSE GOLD, $8,820, VRAM

SHE SAID

REDEFINING E N G AG E D ®

T HE # 1 MOST RE L EVA N T B RA N D FO R TO DAY ’ S CO NSUM E R G A B R I E L N Y. C O M

102

47% OF GROOMS

SAPPHIRE

10%

MOISSANITE

14%

MORGANITE

42% 41%

OF BRIDES AND

AMONG THE 11% OF BRIDES

WHO FAVOR PRECIOUS STONES OTHER THAN DIAMOND, •

OF GROOMS WOULD PAY MORE FOR ETHICALLY SOURCED STONES

AMONG LUXURY BRIDES,

Among grooms who considered lab-grown diamonds:

55%

said it’s because the gems are conflict-free

49%

said it’s because the stones are a better value

38%

said it’s because they’re better for the environment • 90% OF COUPLES purchased nonmatching wedding bands

SAPPHIRE (56%) / RUBY (9%) / MORGANITE (6%) / EMERALD (6%)

• 60% OF COUPLES

$6,351 HIS AVERAGE SPEND

ON THE RING (COMPARED WITH $5,095 IN 2011).

LUXURY GROOMS SPENT AN AVERAGE OF

$14,897

purchased their bands together at the same retailer

• 66% OF COUPLES

purchased their bands at the same retailer as their engagement ring

• 24% OF COUPLES

52%

purchased a band that matched the engagement ring

OF BRIDES STILL OPT FOR ROUND DIAMONDS, WHILE PRINCESS CUTS ARE SUFFERING THE STEEPEST DECLINES (14% IN 2017 VS. 30% IN 2011).

OVAL AND CUSHION CUTS ARE ON THE RISE.

TUNGSTEN IS THE MOST POPULAR METAL FOR GROOMS

29%

• 25% OF GROOMS

considered purchasing lab-grown diamonds for the center stone of an engagement ring (up from 16% in 2015)

HE SAID

“[The retailer] was very patient…allowing her to try on every ring she wanted.

His knowledge of each ring and its capabilities for customizing were crucial.”

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) 7.41 CT. SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING IN PLATINUM, $59,467, JOSHUA J FINE JEWELRY; 18K ROSE GOLD RING WITH 2 CTS. T.W. LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS, $9,950, 18K WHITE GOLD BAND WITH 0.5 CT. T.W. LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS, $999, LOVEMONSTER BY ALTR CREATED DIAMONDS; BOHÈME LAVA DIAMOND BAND AND RING IN 18K WHITE GOLD, $1,499–$1,899 (WITHOUT CENTER STONE), JUST JULES/MARTIN FLYER; PAVÉ CATHEDRAL SPLIT-SHANK 1.22 CTS. T.W. DIAMOND RING IN PLATINUM, PRICE ON REQUEST, FOREVERMARK BY A. LINK; CAROLINE RING WITH 1.76 CTS. T.W. DIAMONDS IN PLATINUM, $14,800, SINGLE STONE

20%

THE TOP 3 ARE:

AGREE IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE DIAMOND BE GIA CERTIFIED (VS. 71% OF LUXURY GROOMS)

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Sources: Sources: 2017 2017 Jewelry Jewelry and and Egagement Egagement Study Study Photos, Photos, Left Left to to Right: Right: iStock; iStock; Shay Shay Cochrane Cochrane

73%

of couples tu rn to The Knot fo r ring inspiration.

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Give us a ring (we couldn’t resist) to find out more!

Local Opportunities

National Opportunities

localsales@theknot.com | (888) 843-4983

nationalsales@xogrp.com | (917) 386-2636

From one breathtaking moment to a host of brilliant possibilities

• Superior prototypes based on the latest styles A

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B

• Free and easy online customization at Stuller.com • Maximum customization via CounterSketch Studio® and Stuller’s CAD/CAM Services • Robust marketing support • Rapid turnaround To learn about the industry’s most powerful bridal customization program, visit Stuller.com/everandever.

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