Jeweller - March 2020

Engagement Feature | OTHERWISE ENGAGED
LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SALES SUCCESS
In the past, the process of buying an engagement ring followed
a traditional path: a man would visit a jewellery store, purchase
the white diamond ring recommended to him by the staff, and
present it to his partner as a surprise.
One of the strongest indications of change in the engagement
category is the success of US jewellery business Ring
Concierge, which offers several key lessons for retail jewellers
wanting to improve their engagement sales.
Ring Concierge was founded by Nicole Wegman in 2013 based
on a female-focused, e-commerce approach to engagement.
“At our core, Ring Concierge is a brand for women, by women,”
Wegman tells Jeweller, adding that the business aims to
“empower women to be involved” in the design process: “We
work with couples to design their dream custom ring, from the
diamond they select to the details of the handmade setting.”
The business was also established to challenge the
“traditionally opaque” diamond industry, with Wegman
explaining, “We set ourselves apart by cultivating genuine
relationships through transparency and integrity.”
She calls social media “instrumental” to Ring Concierge’s
success. Its Instagram account has more than 290,000
followers, with Wegman revealing, “Over 90 per cent of our
new clientele find us through Instagram.”
Indeed, visual social media apps such as Instagram and
Pinterest are a key source of inspiration for women when
choosing their ‘dream ring’. “When a celebrity debuts a cool
new engagement ring style [on social media], we instantly
see requests for it. For example, we made a very unique triplerow
micro-pavé setting for [Victoria’s Secret model] Devon
Windsor and it became so popular we’ve since named it The
Devon,” Wegman explains.
Ring Concierge has developed its own criteria – beyond GIA
certification – to assess a stone’s “overall beauty and liveliness”
called the ‘RC Diamond Make’: “This is why all of the diamonds
on our Instagram look so beautiful,” says Wegman.
In 2019, Ring Concierge’s most ‘liked’ engagement ring
belonged to US The Bachelorette star JoJo Fletcher. “She
has our signature Whisper Thin band with a hidden halo –
it’s a gorgeous ring,” says Wegman.
Putting female customers at the centre of the purchasing
process, utilising social media effectively, and paying attention
to trends – particularly those of celebrities – are important
strategies in the new engagement ring environment.
32 | March 2020
IMPROVE YOUR
ENGAGEMENT
ENGAGEMENT RING HASHTAGS TO USE & FOLLOW:
#engaged 13.1m
#ido 4.9m
#engagementring 4.7m
#shesaidyes 4m
#gettingmarried 2.8m
#isaidyes 2.4m
#diamondring 2.3m
#justengaged 758k
#engagedlife 715k
#heputaringonit 389k
#howheasked 360k
#gettinghitched 304k
#imengaged
291k
#tyingtheknot 240k
#weregettingmarried 233k
#hesaidyes
122k
Jennifer Lopez
16-carat emerald cut
diamond set in white metal
Emma Stone
Pearl with diamond halo
set in ‘beige’ gold
Devon Windsor
Oval diamond with triplerow
micro-pavé setting
Bindi Irwin
2-carat oval solitaire
diamond set in rose gold
Scarlett Johansson
11-carat pear champagne
diamond on ceramic band
Hailey Bieber
6-carat oval diamond
set in gold
Michelle Williams
Pearl set in white gold
also sapphire – mostly for its ability to fulfil customers’ desire
for a range of colours, Graham explains.
She notes that teal, purple, peachy pink and ‘earthy green’
sapphires have been most in-demand in recent months.
Tourmaline, spinel, and garnet across the same palette are also
frequently requested. “We also have a lot of brides asking for
bi- and tri-colour sapphire and tourmaline, which is lovely as
you really don’t get more one of a kind!”she adds.
Fresh twist on the classic
While a significant proportion of customers are now opting
for alternative gems – including fancy colour diamonds – the
traditional white diamond remains the top choice for many.
West says 70 per cent of his engagement ring customers still
select the classic stone, with a preference for Argyle origin.
Duraflex Group Australia launched an affordable finished
jewellery collection, Diamonds By DGA, in September 2019.
Its engagement ring range features white diamonds of varying
sizes in clarity I1, colour H-I, set in either 9- or 18-carat
white or yellow gold.
Duraflex managing director Phil Edwards says “the classics –
single stone solitaires” have proven most popular to date.
“The feedback has been excellent and we are hence planning
to grow this offering from DGA,” Edwards adds. “A range of
new styles and rose gold settings will be available in 2020.”
Indeed, Worth confirms “there are still many who are partial
to the classic solitaire”, while Graham calls it “ever-popular”.
Alongside ovals, unusual shapes including pear and marquise
have also been in demand as centre stones. Indeed, there are a
significant number of brides-to-be willing to branch out in order
to enhance the impact of their diamond.
Different settings, as well as using unusually-shaped accent
stones, can enhance visual appeal or give an heirloom diamond
a fresh and modern look.
“There is a shift towards asymmetrical designs that look more
fluid and interesting to the eye,” says Graham. “This isn’t to
say that we aren’t still seeing demand for classic solitaires –
simplicity is a trend on its own that I’ve seen coming back into
play – but brides are pairing that solitaire more and more with
a fancy shape contour over a simple matched band.”
Meanwhile, Der Bedrossian has noticed increased demand
for halo designs in the past 12 months – in particular, those
featuring pink diamonds from the Argyle Mine.
Consumers have shown a desire for the classic engagement
ring metals of white gold and platinum, which complement
and enhance the sparkle of white diamonds. Meanwhile,
traditional yellow gold and feminine rose gold still attract
a significant proportion of shoppers.
At Stuller, Graham observes that wedding and engagement
band designs appear to have been influenced by fashion
jewellery trends such as ‘stacking’ rings and a ‘pop’ of colour.
At the same time, Worth notes that the traditional matching
engagement and wedding ring set “remains the most popular”,
though custom two- and three-piece sets, with bands made to
fit around an unusual centre stone, have also garnered interest.
Consumers’ desire for both ‘traditional with a twist’ and unique,
custom makes ensures the engagement ring category offers
jewellers both sales opportunities and creative challenges.