Are you in the market for an engagement ring?
Do you know someone who is preparing to propose and has no idea what to pick for a ring?
Dr Rachel Healy, Gemmologist and Head of Jewellery at auction house Adams Blackrock, sat down with us to share her expert opinion on jewellery trends in Ireland and engagement rings.
What are the jewellery trends in Ireland right now?
From my experience, people in Ireland usually go for traditional types of jewellery. So, when they first start going to auction, they start off with the Diamond Solitaire Engagement ring. Then that will be followed by the wedding band, and then they’ll start branching out into the diamond stud earrings or diamond line bracelet and then they’ll start delving into the more colourful stones. Like a ruby and diamond cluster for the right hand then with sapphire and emeralds. There is more of an interest recently in yellow diamonds and your non-standard round brilliant-cut diamond rings. Emerald-cut diamonds and cushion-cut diamond solitaire are also massively popular. The fancy yellow diamonds are becoming more popular because there’s something a bit interesting about them because there’s a lot of colour in them. Other than that, you can get pearls at a very good price at auctions. Pearl earrings, pearl necklace, pearl bracelet and they are quite trendy at the moment. Branded jewellery is always super popular so, things like Tiffany, Van Cleef, Arpels and Cartier.
Is yellow jewellery a big trend in engagement rings?
10 years ago, people were still just buying the round brilliant cut diamond solitaire. But now people kind of looking to have a bit unique, and the yellow diamonds are definitely having a moment. You can get diamonds in any colour- but the yellow diamonds at auction are doing well at the moment. It’s still a diamond, so people are interested in getting them. You have yellow sapphires which have also been really popular recently. Yellow gold is really in at the moment so, the yellow sapphires and the yellow diamonds compliment the gold band.
Do you think other gemstones could take over popularity in engagement rings or are diamonds forever?
I think diamonds are still quite popular for an engagement ring. The whole engagement ring being a diamond came from De Beers where they popularised that a diamond lasts forever. People are still influenced by those ads from back in the day.
Is sustainability a big thing in engagement rings right now?
Yeah, I mean it’s the whole second-hand market. The thing is with auctions, it’s around a third of the retail price and if you buy and sell at the same market, you’re going to get your money back. When I started there was a much older crowd going to auctions. Now, there is a lot younger clientele which is great. It’s just making people aware that you can get good prices and authentic pieces at auction.
What is the most popular type of engagement rings?
Solitaire for an engagement and then for the right hand, people are always looking for diamond clusters. So, you have a centred colour stone. Whether that’s sapphire, emerald or ruby and then a diamond surround. Like they’re very timeless and it’s just down to what looks good with your skin tone. We’ve loads of emeralds in this auction and emeralds look great on Irish skin. People go mad for emeralds so yeah they’re a great thing to get for the right hand.
Adams Blackrock’s auction runs from May 7 until May 21 2025. Buyers can view items in person at Ross’s Auctioneers and Valuers on May St, Belfast from May 7 – 14 and at Adams Blackrock, 17 Kildare St, Dublin, from May 15 – 19. You can check out Adams Blackrock’s Jewellery auction here.