Show of Bands

There’s no shortage of plain yellow wedding bands in the world, so innovative ones tend to really stand out. While styles differ for men and women—men’s are generally wider, many with super interesting textures, patterns, and inlays—the ability for clients to customize and champion OTT personalities has never been better. Jewelry manufacturers have been having a lot of fun casting, cutting, and/or fabricating the plain band into an anything-but-boring wardrobe staple.

Manufacturers gearing up for JCK Las Vegas sales couldn’t wait until Sin City to dish on new designs.

Benchmark

Textured and patterned bands have long been a staple in the wedding ring category. Benchmark has both, including some that won design awards, according to A.J. Tosyali, president. “Organic texturing and unisex patterning have been our main focus,” he explains.

In fact, for Las Vegas this year, the brand will be adding to its Brook & Branch line of wedding bands, designs that pack a storytelling punch, given that they reflect a love of an outdoors lifestyle. Think evergreen trees, pheasants, river rocks, and campfires, among other scenes depicted across a variety of metal types. Masculine types are especially loving these looks.

“Men are certainly more about lifestyle-focused products and are willing to spend more now on average than in the past,” adds Tosyali.

Asian Star Group is introducing three different band “stories” in the form of floating, shared prongs, and French pavé-set style with a “nice look and feel,” according to Erica Wadia, vice president of marketing and corporate communication.

                   Cynergy Trading

Plus, expect to see a new collection built around a theme of openness. Here, ring tops will have a gap of “approximately 5 mm where it can fit flush to almost any engagement ring,” says Wadia. “If the bridal head is protruding out, this collection is your answer.”

At Cynergy Trading, unisex numbers and more eternity bands will debut. There’s a growing demand for the latter, in particular.

“Our men’s diamond eternity wedding bands have been a hit,” says Jeff Levitt, vice president of merchandising. “We were an early proponent of men’s engagement rings and sales are definitely picking up.”

In metal types, platinum is enjoying a boost thanks to its price compared to gold. At press time, gold was trading at double that of platinum. Consumers are noticing. “Platinum is taking off given the increased cost of gold,” confirms Tosyali.

Levitt, too, is seeing a “nice” increase in platinum. “Men do like the durability and heft of it,” he adds.

At Novell Design Studio, platinum leads for wedding bands. “Since our wholesale cost is neck-and-neck with gold, once we explain the benefits of platinum over white gold—it’s a no brainer,” explains Rick Mulholland, sales manager.

Continental / Novell

At Shefi Diamonds, two-tone designs appeal to clients, and at ODI, the preference is yellow gold with black diamonds. “Recently we’ve had several stores asking for bands and bridal with black diamond centers, and mostly in yellow gold,” says Valerie Fletcher, vice president of design and product development.

And though business in alternative metals may be taking a backseat for some, Novell’s clients still love certain ones for their moodier tones. “We manufacture tantalum rings with gold accents because consumers ask for a darker metal design,” adds Mulholland.