You’re not the only one bored with round diamond rings

SINGAPORE — When it comes to occasion jewellery, there is no denying the enduring popularity of classics such as the sparkle of the round-cut diamond ring. But as times change, more people want to stand out as individuals instead of following the herd.

That is why more customers are looking to customise their jewellery with unique designs and uncommon gemstones, say various jewellers here.

Creative director Juliana Foo of Ilya Diamonds (www.ilyadiamonds.com), which specialises in bespoke jewellery crafted right here in Singapore, said that when she started out in the industry seven years ago, she dealt with five queries a month. These days, she entertains at least 30.

“Individuals today are more design savvy, and many seek to own something that is unique and special to them, not simply ready-to-wear jewellery pieces,” she said.

She added that she has often been told that designing a piece with her allows clients to really “own” the jewellery. “A common piece of feedback I get is that (having a designer take a customer through the design-to-product process) is like having a companion on their journey — they don’t feel like they are buying a product, they feel like they are creating and owning their stories,” she said.

The Canary Diamond Company at Delfi Orchard is a fine jeweller that has seen an increase in clients looking for customised jewellery, with between 70 and 80 per cent of its pieces being bespoke creations.

“More people are creating their own pieces of jewellery, with many investing time and money to re-create unique experiences and memories that will stand the test of time — they want something that belongs only to them,” said founder William Lam.

“Gems and jewellery pieces, like memories, will become more valuable in time.”

Natalie Elverd of Elverd Designs (www.elverddesigns.com), which specialises in hand-cut gemstones, said she has witnessed strong demand for custom and personalised pieces more recently over the last year. Thirty per cent of the pieces she makes are customised.

“I love this part of the business,” she shared. “I delight in watching my clients get excited as the design and the item take shape.”

You can view Elverd’s fashionable creations at Boutique Fairs Singapore today and tomorrow at the F1 Pit Building, as well as at 420 Joo Chiat Road.

Unusual requests come with the territory, Lam said.

“We have had a famous civil engineer, who designs bridges, as a client. He came in with his own sketches of a bridge he had designed before — quite a masterpiece. We worked with him to conceptualise that into an engagement ring. It took us six months, but he was very happy with the results. He drove his girlfriend to that very same bridge and proposed to her there.”

Foo has designed a Harry Potter Golden Snitch-inspired South Sea pearl engagement ring, a Steampunk-inspired pair of sapphire and diamond cufflinks, and a five-stone diamond engagement ring with upturned diamonds as a crown.

“I also get requests to give new life to heirloom heritage pieces,” she said. For instance, a client had her turn a 40-year-old collection of gold and diamond jewellery into three pairs of elaborate earrings for each of her three daughters.

HOW ROCKS ROLL

In the case of engagement rings in particular, trends are nudging their way towards individuality.

“While the round brilliant diamond is still the popular go-to choice for engagement rings, increasingly, I am getting requests for fancy-shaped diamonds, especially the cushion, pear and princess-cut ones,” Foo said. Coloured diamonds in shades of pink, yellow and green are popular as well.

“For those who choose to stay away from diamonds for personal or ethical reasons, gemstones such as sapphires (both white and blue), alexandrites and spinels are often the top choices.”

Lam agreed that the trend is moving towards non-traditional shapes such as the emerald cut, oval cut, and Asscher cut.

“The round diamond is classic and timeless, but these new shapes give the wearer a sense of originality and exclusivity,” he said.

In addition, rubies from Burma, and sapphires from Burma and Sri Lanka with no indications of any heat treatment (which enhances a stone’s colour) are extremely rare, but currently very popular, he said.

Elverd said that engagement rings are no longer necessarily assumed to be diamonds.

“As a jewellery designer and gem hunter, this is very exciting. The popularity of coloured gemstones in engagement rings is growing. This opens up more bespoke designing options for dress rings, (and) engagement and wedding rings,” she said.

A trend has recently developed for lesser-known coloured gemstones, and she has found herself sourcing Brazilian ametrines for custom pieces. “These are a gorgeous and affordable gemstone with amazing colour layers of yellow citrine and purple amethyst. Tourmaline is another gemstone that is growing in popularity,” she said. Rose gold is also gaining favour as a setting.

Clients enjoy having the option of personalising the jewellery they wear from day to day. Besides stacking rings and bangles, Elverd is currently working on a new earring design that can allow interchangeable colours.

JEWELS IN THE ROUGH

For these jewellery designers, making bespoke pieces is a challenge they love.

“I’m so fortunate to live and work in Southeast Asia, and have some of the world’s best gemstones right at my doorstep. I’m able to source and work with any special request. Recently, I’ve worked on a number of special requests including sourcing an emerald, a blue zircon and a sapphire,” said Elverd, who founded Elverd Designs in Singapore in 2012. She works with dealers she has cultivated relationships with for over five years, because “the jewellery and gemstone industry is largely based on trust and relationships”.

For Lam, whose childhood dream of designing jewellery materialised when he established The Canary Diamond Company in 2000, much pride is taken in having crafted heirloom pieces for generations of families.

“There are no words to describe a grandma reminiscing about that special Mogok ruby ring to her granddaughter with the words, ‘Your granddad gave this to me the day your mum was born’,” he said. “It is important that we recreate that emotion in the highest-quality gems with the best craftsmanship.”

The Canary Diamond Company has three small factories in Singapore and one in Hong Kong, and employs craftsmen from Hong Kong.

Finding skilled craftsmen to work with in Singapore is an uphill battle, especially for Ilya Diamonds, whose pieces are all made locally.

“Nothing beats the charm of a well-made, handcrafted piece of jewellery. It breathes life,” said Foo, who founded Ilya Diamonds in 2009. “But the initial finding of skilled craftsmen who take pride in what they do was not easy,” she said.

More pressingly, the craftsmen who are “able to handcraft these pieces at a certain level of quality are dying out. They’re getting older, and there’s no new blood willing to put all their blood, sweat and tears into crafting these pieces from scratch”, she said.