The ‘Meghan Markle Effect’ is Resulting in Demand for Three-stone Rings, but Other Trends are also in Play.

By Kyle Eustice

Many people wait their whole life for that magical moment when their significant other pulls out a tiny box, gets down on one knee and asks for their hand in marriage. For those doing the proposing, the pressure to find the ideal engagement ring is sometimes unavoidable.

Carolina Cervone, boutique consultant at John Atencio in Old Town Fort Collins, sees this scenario every day and understands the importance of the perfect ring.

“The ring solidifies the fact that someone has given you something to show their devotion to you and only you,” Cervone explains. “It’s visual, not just something that can be said. It’s the symbolism behind it that’s important.”

Finding the right engagement ring is often the first piece to the puzzle. Wedding bands and, somewhere down the line, anniversary rings are also part of the journey. The hunt can be a daunting task but also an exciting one.

Popular rings from local jewelers include (from left) the fantasy ring from John Atencio; A. Jaffe’s nature-inspired ring at Sather’s Leading Jewelers; and stackable eternity bands, also at Sather’s.

 

Prince Harry’s recent engagement to American actress Meghan Markle has sparked a higher demand for yellow gold. The custom-made ring Prince Harry designed for his future wife features three diamonds—two round cuts that belonged to his mother Princess Diana and one Botswana diamond in the center—and has women searching for a similar kind of look. But the yellow gold trend was actually already making its return.

“It’s trending now,” Cervone says. “It’s about every 30 years or so that gold colors start to transition. It’s like the fashion back in the ‘90s when we started getting back into bell bottoms and fringy shirts that were popular in the ‘70s. Jewelry often follows the same fashion trends.”

She adds, “I would say rose gold is very popular and so is pear shape. Sometimes Pinterest is the inspiration for the trends but it’s just like any other trend, and rose gold and pear shapes happen to be it.”

Julie Browne of Sather’s Jewelry in Fort Collins agrees. To her, it also signifies the more modern times we’re living in. Women want to customize their rings to express their uniqueness.

“Definitely rose gold is big right now,” Browne says. “We’re also seeing more petite bands, bigger centers, and fancy shapes like oval, pear or emerald cuts. Brides are choosing wedding bands that aren’t matchy-matchy with the engagement rings.

“I think it reflects the individuality of today’s bride,” she continues. “In the past, we had swirly sets with the band and the engagement ring as an exact match. Now, women are choosing what they want and that don’t necessarily go together. It’s a very eclectic style.”

Browne has also witnessed the “Meghan Markle Effect.” Since the couple announced the engagement in December, requests for three stone rings has started to skyrocket.

The ‘Meghan Markle Effect’ is resulting in demand for three-stone rings, but other trends are also in play.

“We’re going to see the three-diamond ring come back in yellow,” she says. “For so long, it was just really big everything. Now, women are going to more petite styles. There’s also nature inspired jewelry right now—muted metals like a satin or brush finish on a little scroll or leafy band.”

In terms of wedding bands, Cervone admits she’s not getting as many requests for them as she used to.

“It’s not as traditional as it used to be,” Cervone says. “People are after standalone engagement rings and not wedding bands to match. Instead, they’ll get a thin travel ring, something they can take overseas. I think they like to have something on their finger but not wear a big rock on their hand.”

Browne refers to this more non-traditional trend as part of the “millennial mindset.”

“The biggest departure is that they don’t necessarily match,” she says. “Women wear their jewelry differently. We live in a different world and women don’t want the engagement rings soldered to the wedding band, so they don’t have to match.”

Stackable eternity bands have also been on the rise and fit into the individualistic, eclectic trend that’s dominating the industry right now.

“Brides love to stack two or three eternity bands of different colors,” Browne says. “It’s truly a reflection of who the bride is.”

Kyle Eustice is a Fort Collins-based writer. To comment on this article,

send an email to letters@nocostyle.com.