| By :
Martin Hofschroer
Brides-to-be are not willing to compromise on the quality of the designer jewellery for their big day. Research by the Houlden Group revealed that 70 per cent of its jeweller members said brides are not prepared to downgrade their wedding designer jewellery despite the current economic climate. Platinum wedding rings are the most fashionable among brides followed by white and yellow gold styles although sapphire is set to experience a boom in popularity since the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Prince proposed with a Garrard ring made from 18 carat white gold and set with a central oval Ceylon sapphire which has already spawned several copy cat designs selling for a fraction of the price. QVC reported that sales of a similar wedding ring increased by 800 per cent on the night that the engagement was officially announced as shoppers were looking to recreate the style of Kate Middleton. The ring cost £28,500 when it was bought by Prince Charles in 1981 for his wedding with Diana and was last valued at £250,000 just before the death of the princess in 1997. Anna Gatward, co-owner of W B Gatward & Sons, explained to Retail Jeweller that the wedding ring is still a significant purchase and in the majority of cases people are continuing to pay for quality. She said: "We're finding that if brides can afford platinum, then that's what they go for. Some may switch from platinum to white gold and we've begun stocking white gold versions of platinum styles to cater for this demand." Julie Blampied, co director of Aurum Jewellers, also told Retail Jeweller that people were still investing in designer jewellery and she had not noticed any change in the spend on wedding rings. Jonathan Ralston, director of Christian Bauer, told Retail Jeweller that couples will normally buy a ring even if it is out of their price range because the jewellery is a symbol of their union. Mr Ralston went onto say that significant investments from countries like China has increased the value of platinum and gold but this has not affected the amount of money people are spending on wedding jewellery. Graff Diamonds chairman Laurence Graff has explained to Professional Jeweller why he broke the world record for the amount of money spent on a pink diamond. He told the organisation that it was the finest diamond he had ever seen in his life and he could not pass up the opportunity to buy it at auction.
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