LOVE ENDURES IN 2020

Written by Lou Ann Wilcox

Jonathan Katz and Al Schmidt, Graduate Gemologists at Simons Jewelers in Clayton, can attest to that. Over the past six months, Simons has not seen a downturn in business. “In fact, we have seen an uptick in couples ready to pull the trigger and in jewelry sales overall,” says Katz. “Many relationships intensified during quarantine. Couples are still falling in love and expressing that love through jewelry.”

With the holidays approaching, typically a time for marriage proposals, "Sophisticated Living" contacted these pros to talk about evolving trends in engagement ring styles, settings, and stones. “Five years ago, halos were popular,” says Schmidt. “Now, we are seeing more simple, classic shapes – thin, delicate bands with a focus on the center stone. If there are side stones, they are small and not in the style of an anniversary band. While we are seeing more ovals, the round, brilliant-cut diamond remains king.”

“We see a good amount of colored gemstones,” he adds. “Color is fun because we don’t see it all the time and many brides like color because they want their ring to be unique. White gold and platinum are always popular choices and we are now seeing a bit more yellow gold.”

According to Schmidt, due to social media, customers are more educated and knowledgeable about what they want. “They are more savvy and very informed. Social media has hugely influenced the types of stones and settings couples want.”

Katz notes, “Social media has made the world a small place. As a result, information on trends in every aspect of fashion and luxury goods are widely disseminated and are not confined to one area of the country. People are able to access a variety of resources to help them decide which style or setting they like best. I would say that there are no styles per se that are indigenous to one area of the country versus another. In addition to all of this, we source our jewelry from all over the world, so the manufacturers that we deal with are not regional, but rather international.”

“We love transforming heirloom pieces into something new,” says Katz. Oftentimes, people have old jewelry that has sentimental value but is not current in terms of style. We have helped many people transform “dated” jewelry into new beloved pieces. Even though the finished piece of jewelry looks different, it still retains the sentimental value of the heirloom. And who wants to leave jewelry in a drawer when it can be turned into something that can be worn and loved?”

“For wedding bands, we are not seeing significant changes or new trends,” says Schmidt. “Plain bands remain the most popular for men. Tungsten rings, for example, are not huge sellers for Simons.” Katz notes that they rarely sell sets anymore, that is, an engagement with a matching wedding band. “We recommend the prospective bride wear her engagement ring for a time and then decide on the wedding band based on her lifestyle and what look she might want. For example, some women like stacking bands or something with high contrast to the engagement ring.”

When it comes to purchasing trends, Katz and Schmidt observe that very rarely does the prospective groom purchase the stone and setting alone. The partner is usually involved. “The process seems to be that couples start out by shopping together so the groom has an understanding of what the bride loves. Our job is to listen to the description of the vision and then help them customize the look to fulfill their vision,” explains Katz. ”We love it when the fiancée comes back in after the purchase to gush about her ring and how much she loves it. It is great to be part of that.”

Fellas - it pays to listen and maybe to follow your girlfriend’s Pinterest account. “A lot of guys don’t realize that their girlfriends are always dropping hints,” says Katz. “So our advice for guys is to listen. Their girlfriend is probably making remarks about her friends’ rings, styles and shapes she prefers, and letting him know exactly what she wants. Let’s be frank - when picking out a ring style what really matters is what she likes. It is a common occurrence for women to come in and browse - for their engagement ring or any type of jewelry. We keep wish lists in the store. At the very least we do a lot of listening.”

For couples who might be shopping in the coming months, Simons has adapted and evolved how jewelry is purchased in the age of social distancing. “We’re leveraging technology to make it fun and intimate,” Schmidt says. “Besides in-person consultation and sales, we are publishing a new catalog. Customers can view jewelry on our website and Facebook page. We have the capability to do virtual appointments and we offer live messaging from our website.”