Notable trends from the fair’s aisles included labradorite, silver- and gold-plated jewellery, and snake designs. Coloured metals paired with stones also stood out, as did one particular finish that is quietly making its presence known: black rhodium.
Adding subtle edginess, mystery, and glamour to designs, black is the new gold, says Divyanshu Navlakha of Sutra. “It brings an element of drama to a piece, especially when mixed with coloured stones. They just pop. You’re probably going to see more and more black rhodium being used,” he notes. “It’s easier to match with an outfit—it is basically more versatile.”
Manuel Martin, director of U.S. operations for Utopia, says most buyers are aware black rhodium wears off over time. Yet, like the fact white gold requires rhodium plating to remain white, consumers still need to be educated about black rhodium’s characteristics. “It lasts a long time when plated over gold, and it doesn’t wear off on clothes or skin. It’s also something that can be put back very easily.”
In an industry where all deal with the same basic issues like fixed materials costs, Ricardo Vianna of Vianna Joias in Brazil says the number one challenge he faces is simply remaining different enough from the competition. For that, he relies on a team of four designers, each with their own style and take on what appeals to consumers.
“This is what makes it possible to come up with new designs,” Vianna says. “Everybody is always creating something different, contributing something unique that’s inside them. We are obligated to be innovative—we want to go against the grain.”
Coming up with innovative and original designs is one thing. Being able to source the materials to bring them to life is another. Jonathan Le Vian, sales executive for Le Vian, says lower output of brown diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is starting to impact their own production. With greater demand among brides-to-be for Le Vian’s line of brown diamond fashion rings, the company is producing a line of matching bands, increasing the need for the stones. The ‘accidental bridal designer’ is closely keeping an eye on the matter, and expects to see steadier supply in 2014 as work moves farther underground.
“We’ve been preparing for [the shortage] and collecting our stones in advance so we have the capability of producing what we need,” Le Vian says.
Expanding a business—even one with 500 years of history behind it like Le Vian—to a new market has its challenges, particularly when it comes to educating the consumer about a stone that is not traditionally valued the same way as colourless diamonds. “In India, they believe a brown diamond is an impure diamond, while in fact, it’s a natural fancy-coloured diamond,” Le Vian said. “This was the mindset 10 years ago in the United States. Through our marketing and education, we trained the consumer to understand the true value and that they’re actually rarer than yellow diamonds. We see the same potential in India. They’re very quickly modernizing.”
