INSPIRATIONS

Watery Blue Aquamarines Make A Showing, Inspired By The Royal Wedding Jewels May 21, 2018CELEBRITY STYLE, INSPIRATIONSOff

The world watched as Meghan married her Prince Harry and radiated beauty in her simple dress, “new” Cartier diamond stud earrings and bracelet and Queen Mary’s diamond Bandeau Tiara. This could have been her “something old” and was definitely her “something borrowed” from the Queen who inherited from her mother in 1953. The tiara was originally created in 1932 and the center diamond removable brooch even earlier in 1893.

Her “something blue” was spotted on her right hand as the couple made their way to their reception—a wedding gift from Prince Harry and a tribute to his mother. It is Princess Diana’s emerald cut aquamarine ring, created by Asprey in 1997.

It has all the sentiment of a jewel being handed down through generations and also the deep feelings of passing on pieces from a loved one who has passed before. Meghan’s three stone engagement ring includes two diamonds owned by Princess Diana and, the gift of the aquamarine ring adds to the emotion and meaning of her wedding jewels. Although keeping jewelry in the family is a tradition that is carried on by women everywhere, it is one that  marks a historical occasion among royalty.

Within minutes after seeing the ring, I began checking my sources for aqua cocktail rings with the prediction that this was definitely going to trend immediately in antique, vintage and modern jewelry. Before I even received photos from those I emailed for this story, aquamarine cocktail rings began popping up on my Instagram feed, from Art Deco through mid-century styles. One of the styles on IG sold almost immediately.

There are more styles being shown on social media today and I have received a number of photos of beauties from different dealers and retailers.

This is somewhat comparable to when nineteen-year-old Diana Spencer became engaged to Prince Charles in 1981 and she was photographed in the sapphire and diamond halo ring, created by Garrard of Mayfair. Almost immediately, jewelers around the globe started designing rings with a similar look and feel, while manufacturers began producing more accessible imitations. Antique dealers also began to scout and sell the earlier Victorian sapphire styles with mine-cut diamond halos. In 2011 when the ring appeared on the newly engaged Kate Middleton, it created a new trend toward sapphires in bridal rings, but rather than recreating the same look as it did when Princess Diana wore it, it sprouted everything from intricated antique to streamlined contemporary settings for this deep blue gem.

So why aren’t I talking about Meghan, the new Duchess of Sussex’s engagement ring? I do believe that we will see a healthy resurgence in three-stone styles in all diamonds and those with diamond centers and colored side gemstones. But there is something current and modern about this watery blue aquamarine ring—it’s a bold statement ring, empowered with history and the mark of an independent woman—all attributes so relevant in jewelry today and marking a new and refreshing reign of royalty.

Here are some of the beauties out there in vintage styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that we have seen quite a number of vintage styles, we forecast modern jewelers creating some imaginative styles as well as those that will allow the cut and beautiful color variations to stand out in simple settings for this stone, which means “water of the sea” and is linked to spirituality, hope,  protection and love