As things start cooling down swiftly in South Africa the Northern hemisphere is enjoying Springtime. It’s always a time of year when warmer jewellery colour combinations from the USA, Europe and major parts of Asia light up our screens on social media.

When considered for an engagement ring; keep in mind that coloured gemstones (Morganite, sapphire etc.) are not as hardy as diamonds. As pretty as they are, they’ll collect a few scratches over the years if they’re worn all day, every day… as you do with an engagement ring. Due care and sensitivity to their softer nature should keep them pleasing to the eye for many years. These combinations are magical for higher end dress rings that accompany you to your special occasions.

Rose gold remains a popular metal choice and it works stunningly with coloured gemstones. Just keep in mind that richly coloured engagement rings are eye-catching, but probably not as evergreen as you’ll imagine. If you’re fond of coloured gemstones consider setting them in a white metal like platinum, white gold or palladium. Alternatively do a switcheroo and opt for a white diamond in a coloured metal. This way your engagement ring won’t start looking like a Christmas decoration to you a few years down the line.

The Oval Halo Engagement Ring – Franci.

*Ringspiration and from Pinterest, set with a Tanzanite in rose gold.

Oval cut diamonds and gemstones have been very popular for quite a few years now. Well beyond the fad stage. If you’re looking for an eye-catching alternative to the round brilliant cut, the oval is classy A.F.  

In diamond form they carry their weight tremendously well. A 1ct oval looks larger than a 1ct round diamond, and it gets better… with the 4C’s being exactly even an oval will cost you slightly less than a round diamond.

Pair this larger appearance of an oval with a halo and you’re well on your way to Envy Town.

Oval Pricing Indications (May 2017)

• 1,00ct G VS1 Ex Ex GIA-certified Oval Brilliant would cost you around R75 000. A Round Brilliant of the same specification would cost you just over R90 000. That’s a significant difference.
• 1,00ct Morganite and sapphire options are available from around R3 000 – R5 000 depending on the colour. A rich peach colour is more expensive than a pink one.
• 1,00ct Tanzanite options start at around R4 500. Tanzanite pricing is currently very linear; so a 2ct would be +/-R9 000.
• The Franci setting (excluding centre diamond) is available in platinum (R12 900), palladium (R9 900) and white, yellow and rose gold (11 900).
• Centre diamond options; 1ct+ Oval options HERE.

The Cushion Cut Pave Setting – Imara

* via @gem_hunt, set with a 1.50ct+ diamond in platinum, white gold or palladium.

The cushion cut is my personal favourite, and our second best-selling shape. It’s quite rare in South Africa although it’s a massive hit abroad. If you do a quick flashback to some A-list celebrity engagement rings most will be set with a cushion cut. 

I’ve seen how people fall for this shape thousands of times when they lay eyes on it in person. It’s unrivalled in brilliance, sparkle and life. If the shape even moderately appeals to it, you owe it to yourself to come and stare at a few of these wonderful diamonds.

Although our Imara vintage wedding set can be executed stunningly with anything from a 1,00ct upwards, it really comes to life at around 1,50ct and higher.   

Pricing Indications;

• Being the lowest priced of the three most popular shapes (round, oval and cushion) you’ll be surprised to see how far your budget can stretch if you’re looking for a cushion cut.
• 1,00ct Morganite and sapphire options are available from around R3 000 – R5 000 depending on the colour. A rich peach morganite colour is more expensive than a pinkish one. We have all morganites we sell polished to our exact specifications. If you’re interested in morganite sizes larger than 1,00ct please reach out for current pricing. We need to check what rough/uncut morganite options our gemstone polisher has in stock. He’s also a very nifty source of ultra-rare gems.
• The Imara setting is available in platinum (R9 600), palladium (R6 500) and white, yellow and rose gold (R8 400). 

The “Princess Diana Style” Oval Halo Ring – Elva

*Beautiful ringspiration from @lamoredesign!, set with a pink morganite in rose gold.

Often referred to as the most recognisable jewellery style in the world – it stays in our Top 5 most popular engagement ring list for another month.

This is a very feminine iteration of this classic setting. As mentioned above, sticking to a coloured gemstone or a coloured metal is probably the best choice for an engagement ring.

If you wish to stay as close as possible to the iconic original design opt for a sapphire centre stone with a halo of white diamonds set in a white metal. 

The original showcased a 12ct blue sapphire. Although over the top in size, keep in mind that this design is better suited to larger diamonds and gemstones. Dipping under 1ct wouldn’t do it justice.

Pricing Information;

• Please see the oval information in the Franci-section.
• The Elva setting is available in platinum (R12 900), palladium (R9 300) and white, yellow and rose gold (R11 500).
• You can view our current 1ct+ oval specials HERE. 

Intricate Vintage Designs – Felia

*Ringspiration from @loveaffairdiamonds.

Vintage engagement rings are extremely popular at this stage. It’s quite interesting to note that these vintage pieces cluttering your Pinterest page were in 99% of cases designed well after the 2000’s. It’s a contemporary exercise in cherry-picking detailed elements from a few historical jewellery periods.

If you’re ever bored on a Saturday morning go out into the wild and try to find a granny wearing one of these intricate yet delicate “vintage” pieces. I’ll trade you the best carrot cake in South Africa for the photo. It’s as high-cal as you get, but don’t worry, you’ll be in calorific deficiency after searching for that unicorn granny.

Regardless of how new/old this style actually is, the fine metal work and all round attention to detail is fascinating and appeals to a lot of couples.

Modern 3D printing technologies have made a completely new level of detailed and symmetrical engraving possible. What only a handful of master engravers could achieve by hand in the 80’s can now be bettered by any high-end jewellery 3D printer.

You still need a brilliant designer, and unlike with the granny quest – you’re in luck. We have three fulltime designers churning out stunning custom vintage designs.

Pricing Indications;

• Detailed work of this level use to be prohibitively expensive. Since we’re able to bring these pieces to life using 3D printing and manufacturing technologies a large chunk of the labour component is eliminated. Yup, it still takes extra time to finish these pieces by hand (as we do), but you’ll be pleasantly surprised with our quotes.
• If you’ve found a few vintage pieces you like please get them over to us via info@poggenpoel.com or bring them with during your studio visit. We’ll have you speak directly to one of our brilliant designers to design something similar, yet unique, just for you.
• The Felia engagement ring design is available in platinum (R10 600), palladium (R7 100) and white, yellow and rose gold (R9 100).
• You can find our latest diamond offerings here, or just include your preferred diamond range in your discussions with our team and they’ll gladly guide you to the perfect choice.

 Classic Pave Band Engagement Ring… with a vintage twist – Imelda Vintage Wedding Set.

*Beautiful ringspiration from @paradedesign.

Most classic, simpler engagement ring styles can be dressed up with a vintage band. Whenever, if ever, you’re over the vintage style, you can wear the band separately and/or consider an additional classic diamond wedding band for a stunning three ring stack.

Pricing Indications;

• Our engagement ring sets are exceptionally well priced. When budget allows we’ve even made four ring stacks. Dressing up your engagement ring according to the occasion (or mood) can be great fun.
• Consider a set like the Imelda above. Designing the band with your engagement ring creates a very cohesive look.
• You can browse all our engagement ring styles here, or we’re more than up for your custom challenge.
• You can find our latest diamond offerings here, or just include your preferred diamond range in your discussions with our team and they’ll gladly guide you to the perfect choice.
• The Imelda vintage wedding set is available in platinum (R18 300), palladium (R13 200) and white, yellow and rose gold (R16 300).

As always, I‘m available in the comments below or via email directly on johan@poggenpoel.com.

Take care.

Johan Poggenpoel