Being in a position of leadership with respect to jewelry trends and innovations, we are occasionally asked to speak to the royal category of engagement rings, wedding rings and jewelry as a whole. On that note, what separates royal engagement rings from the others? What differentiates royal wedding rings from just unique wedding rings? Are royal engagement rings unique engagement rings? In order to answer these questions in the context of jewelry, we must first define the word “royal”. Royal is commonly defined as having to do with status, and some dictionaries refer to royalty as a king or queen. The engagement rings industry, as well as the jewelry industry in general, have modified the definition of royalty to instill a sense of status into certain wedding rings, engagement rings, necklaces and more. Thus, in the context of jewelry, royalty ultimately refers to the expensive nature of the particular design, whether it is an engagement ring, wedding ring or necklace. In this issue of DT Era we put royalty in perspective, with specific illustrations of Italian necklaces, diamond rings and other pieces to help our readers develop an appreciate of jewelry designed for royalty.
What is your first thought when you see this Italian necklace? For most people, the first thought is something along the lines of, “Wow, this looks expensive”. Indeed, this necklace consists of around 40 grams of Italian white gold, 2 3/4 carats of Italian round brilliant cut diamonds and 22-24 hours of manual labor by an Italian master jeweler. Imagine wearing this necklace with your favorite wedding gown. Does it make you feel like a queen?
There is a common misconception among jewelry experts – large diamond weight means royalty. Remember, royalty means status, and a large diamond weight is only partially indicative of status, and the remaining responsibility is on the design. Indeed, this Italian cocktail ring features an Italian hand cut 3 1/3 carat pear cut blue sapphire and 1 1/3 carats of Italian round brilliant cut internally flawless diamonds. Add approximately 8-10 labor hours by an Italian master jeweler, put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and you have a truly royal Italian diamond gemstone ring.
We rarely cover bracelets, especially Italian bracelets, but when discussing royalty, an Italian bracelet is a must. The Italian lily flower is a national native, and the subject of some of the most sensational Italian art. Replicating an Italian lily flower in a ring or bracelet requires insurmountable effort and scrupulous manual labor. To be specific, this Italian bracelet boasts over 40 grams of Italian gold, more than one and a half carats of Italian round brilliant diamonds and approximately 12-14 hours of manual labor by an Italian master jeweler. If you are wearing this bracelet, you stand for royalty.
Perhaps the foundation of royal jewelry is in fact driven by price, but the design and labor come from the heart. Taking forty grams of gold, combining it with one or two carats in diamonds as well as ten or more hours of labor to produce a piece of jewelry with unprecedented attention to detail – that is the work of royalty. Breathtaking? Absolutely. One of a kind? You bet. Expensive? You better believe it, and it is worth absolutely every penny!
