Fine jewelry offers so many ways to convey a message of love and commitment.

Giving gifts of fine jewelry is a meaningful way to mark a couple’s journey together, as well as celebrate the relationships that are important in their story. Jewelry, like no other keepsake, is a wearable time capsule imbued with memories and emotions, connecting us to those we love.

Millennial couples marrying pre-COVID were already re-writing tradition, a generation that wants to reflect their personal style and story. And, now with the pandemic postponing and altering our ability to celebrate together, couples are expressing their love and relationships in many different ways.

With couples getting married on average at the age of 30, wedding ring brand Novell offers a new line of commitment jewelry, BAE (Before Anyone Else), including delicate diamond promise rings. Bruce Pucciarello, CEO of Novell, in Rahway, New Jersey, believes that jewelers will see healthy sales growth when they make jewelry desirable to more consumers, providing more options.

The BAE Commitment Collection includes styles that are traditional and nontraditional, mixable and matchable, gender nonspecific, scalable and stackable, Pucciarello explains, describing it as the jeweler’s toolbox for bringing jewelry ideas to fruition, allowing consumers to co-create the jewelry that represents the way they say, “I love you”.

Expressive Jewels
Fine jewelry offers so many ways to convey a message of love and commitment whether in words, numbers, symbols, or gemstones.

Engagement ring and wedding band brand A.Jaffe offers a custom “Maps” collection of pendants, earrings, bracelets, signet rings, and cufflinks that are all about honoring the moments that people hold dear — where a couple met, where they got engaged, where they call home…

Darshna Rana, senior marketing manager for A.Jaffe describes the personalized map-coordinates jewelry as tied to “love notes” in a sense. “The volume of wedding day and anniversary gifts has been steady for us throughout 2020, due to the fact that COVID has shown us all the value in telling our loved ones we care, are here for them, and remember the special moments we’ve shared.”

Not only are they meaningful as gifts exchanged between the couple, Rana says the collection — available in gold or silver, with/without diamonds — makes a great gift for the best men and women standing with them.

Theresa Namie, merchandise manager for Ostbye, sees an uptick in expressive jewelry like the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based manufacturer’s Diamond Marriage Symbol Pendant — two interlocking circles with three diamonds (past/present/future) down the middle overlap. An updated design, Namie says Ostbye wanted to create something that was bold, and said our relationship is strong and forever. “It has been a best seller this year because of the sentiment.”

Pearl Perfect
Pearls have a history as the quintessential wedding gem. Ancient Hindu writings tell the story of Kirshna, the protector, who gathered pearls from the sea to give to his daughter on her wedding day—the start of a centuries-old tradition of pearls as the perfect adornment of the bride. To this day, pearls are a favorite of brides, as well as a treasured wedding gift from parent or partner to signify love.

Earrings are always the main category for pearls in bridal, reports Dana Cali for Mastoloni, New York – from simple pearl studs to pearl drops and hoops, with or without diamonds, versatile pieces that can be worked into the bride’s jewelry wardrobe well after the wedding day for everyday wear. Pearls worn around the face illuminate the bride with their lustrous inner glow.

Moreover, Karen Crowe, marketing/merchandising for Quality Gold, Fairfield, Ohio, cites the three-strand pearl necklace popular with brides for wedding daywear. The style offers traditional pearls in a layered look that is both classic and trendy.

Crowe also notes that sterling silver and pearls and CZ jewelry makes ideal wedding party gifts that are chic and affordable. Cora Lee Colaizzi, director of marketing and catalogs and senior merchandiser Quality Gold, cites pearl jewelry boxed sets like studs and a bracelet or pendant necklace, or all three styles together as a favorite gift option in a range of price points.

Gem Connections
Millennials have been more open to color stones in engagement rings and wedding bands to signify the couple’s birthstones or the gemstone representing the month they met.

In fact, birthstones have become the go-to design element for couples to personalize any piece of jewelry. The color versatility of the stones, as well as their meanings, makes birthstone jewelry the most personal keepsake.

Birthstones have become a huge part of the gem category, reports Crowe, and are a popular choice to customize monograms, signet rings, heart pendants, and signature jewelry. Namie notes that birthstone jewelry is very strong, as it can tell a family story or mark and important date in time.

Demand for jewelry that tells a story is up this year. “Because of all the importance now on giving gifts with meaning or curating your own collection that means something special during these unstable times,” Namie explains, “we created a new diamond line set in silver and 10K rose gold in interwoven heart, infinity, and cross pendant designs — iconic symbols well-made and well-priced.