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13 ultra-cool contemporary engagement rings.

December 12, 2016

I was browsing the Greenwich St. Jewelers website the other day to see what was new (they’re always a great place to find interesting but wearable modern pieces) and I found myself captivated by the bridal section. There’s some really exciting things happening in contemporary engagement rings right now, and I haven’t been doing the category justice here on Diamonds in the Library in recent months.

Bridal is becoming a more and more open-minded field of design, with a wide range of styles that guarantee that anyone on the quest for a contemporary engagement ring will be able to find one that feels just right. I think that’s just wonderful and these great new designs deserve our attention.

Here’s a baker’s dozen of the coolest contemporary engagement rings I encountered in my recent browsing:

I love this setting from Sylvie Collection because it embodies so many of the recent important engagement ring trends in a beautiful, wearable way.

With warm rose gold, a simple halo, and an elegant oval diamond – this ring is rocking the “I’m on trend now, but I’ll still look good in 30 years” approach. Bonus: how cool are those thorn-like prongs?

This is the Trellis ring by Megan Thorne. I think it’s fantastic: it reminds me of bridges and skyscrapers.

I love how it involves all the traditional elements of an engagement ring but uses them in such a unique way, with the wide, openwork band and bezel-set center stone that’s the same width as the ring shank. It occupies space on the finger in an unusual way, while still feeling very engagement ring-like.

One of the things I hear the most frequently from women looking for engagement rings is that they want something easy-to-wear that won’t interfere with their daily activities: namely, they want a low-profile ring (that sits low on the finger) that won’t get caught on things as they go about their busy lives.

This Jennie Kwon ring is proof that a ring can be low-profile and high style. It looks like it’s about as comfortable and easy as a ring can be, while still bringing plenty of style.

Reinstein|Ross: ancient techniques, modern beauty.

December 9, 2016

When Reinstein|Ross first reached out to me about a potential blog feature, I was in Italy. I read the name out loud, thinking it sounded familiar but struggling to picture their designs in my jet lagged state. The jewelry designer friend I was with immediately burst out, “Reinstein|Ross? Yes! Gorgeous, somewhat Etruscan-inspired, handmade gold jewelry. They’re great.”

Two seconds of recon proved her right: I loved everything I saw online and I knew I needed to share Reinstein|Ross’s designs with you posthaste.

Every piece of Reinstein|Ross jewelry starts out as an ingot of pure, 24K gold. The gold is melted, alloyed, and then shaped into its destiny right there there in the workshop. Their designs celebrate the lusciousness of high-karat gold and often feature sapphires of spectacular color and diamonds.

Because they alloy their own gold, Reinstein|Ross is able to carefully coax the precious metal into five custom shades of color: 22k Apricot Gold, 20k Peach Gold, 18K Chartreuse Gold, 18k White Gold, and 22k Yellow Gold. They frequently use the traditional techniques of cloisonne and granulation, inspired by Etruscan, Byzantine, and Roman jewelry.

Here’s a stunning piece that’s a great example of everything we just talked about: luscious high-karat gold textured with granulation and studded with gorgeous colored sapphires. When I look at this pendant, my fingers itch to touch it.

The Reinstein|Ross aesthetic combines ancient techniques with modern sensibility to create high-quality pieces that are timeless in a no-fuss way perfect for everyday wear.

Reinstein|Ross was founded in 1985 by renowned jewelry designer Susan Reinstein and gem expert Brian Ross.

In their own words:

Our jewelry is modern, striking, and timeless. It is jewelry for the client with discerning taste who doesn’t want to fit in, but rather show a sense of personal style that is the foundation of great style.

All of our work stems from materials, fabrication and design – rainbows of natural colored sapphires (orange, green, yellow, blue, purples, etc), diamonds, rubies and other stones – and high-karat gold.

All of our jewelry is made in-house, in our Manhattan workshops. None of the goldsmithing techniques that we practice were invented after the Romans. The combination of these ancient techniques, gorgeous and exotic precious gems, and contemporary design is the magic formula for our work.”

Did you catch that last bit?? Goldsmithing techniques that date to the Roman empire. So freakin’ cool.

Meet Carelle.

December 5, 2016

The most I learn about the jewelry industry, the more important it seems to me to recognize the people and the principles behind a brand’s pretty pieces. Today, we’re going to talk about what makes Carelle special before we even take a look at any of their designs.

Carelle was founded in 1977 by the fabulous, charismatic, and talented Chana Regev. Chana’s decision to launch Carelle was a continuation of the family business – she’s a fourth generation jeweler – but with a different focus. Chana’s line would be her own designs, created by a woman, for women to enjoy.

The name of the brand, “Carelle,” actually means because of her in French.

When I visited the Carelle offices, I was greeted like royalty and then immediately absorbed as part of the family. I sat down with Chana, her son, and several of Carelle’s other employees and we spent hours looking at jewelry and talking about anything and everything.

I actually had to send over interview questions after I’d returned home, because we were having so much fun chatting about our lives and families that that I forgot to ask about the brand’s inspiration and history while I was actually on site.

One of the coolest parts of my visit to the Carelle offices was that I actually got to visit the workshop where Carelle’s pieces are manufactured as well…because it’s directly across the hallway from the brand’s lovely, fuchsia-accented offices.

To get from the sunny Carelle conference room to the actual benches where the jewelry is manufactured, I had to walk about 30 feet.

This is highly unusual and totally incredible. It’s one thing to hear that a brand’s designs are manufactured locally, it’s another thing to be able to walk across a hallway and see it happening. Tomer, Chana’s son and my tour guide, greeted everyone in the workshop by name as they let me peer over their shoulders at their masterpieces in the making.

Here’s a brand new bracelet design in the making. It was pulled out from under a microscope so that I could feel its articulation.

Once the bracelet passes quality control, those empty settings will be completed with diamonds.

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