Arts Entertainments

Tea "Brilliant right hand ring" – The latest new accessory for smart singles….

When my first marriage fell into oblivion, the engagement ring that I had worn with such joy and love was banished to my jewelry box.

Some years later, older and much wiser, I resurrected the ring and had it re-set by a jeweler friend to reflect my newfound independence and style. But in those days, the sight of those diamonds on my right hand was simply a painful reminder of my failure at the stakes in marriage.

Now it seems I was ahead of my time.

The sparkling ring on the right hand is the ultimate status symbol for women who no longer feel like they have anything to prove.

Women are earning more, marrying later, and have more disposable income than ever before, leaving them plenty of room for a little complacency. And it goes without saying that the newest status symbol should include the latest status symbol, diamonds.

In fact, the trend has become such a force that it has been given its own (albeit lackluster) terminology: “self-buyer.”

According to Greg Distefano, a spokesman for the J. Walter Thompson Diamond Information Center, “The buy-in market is now a $3.75 billion business in the United States. Rings are the largest type in this market. They account for two out of every five self-purchased jewelry pieces”.

Eager to get in on the action, DeBeers, the world’s largest diamond producer, has produced a series of ads to tap into the hearts and wallets of this huge, previously overlooked consumer demographic.

“Your left hand is your heart. Your right hand is your voice,” their recent print ads sing. “Your left hand says ‘I do’. Your right hand says ‘I did what?’ Your left hand knows the answers. Your right hand asks the questions. Your left hand rocks the cradle, your right hand rules the world. Women of the world, raise your right hand.

With a market of more than 43 million single women in the United States, Ruta Fox, a former copywriter, created the “Ah Ring” in December 2000. “Since I was single, I called it The Ah Ring and decided ‘Ah.’ it would symbolize being A, available, and H, happy. I thought that since married women have wedding rings and engaged women have engagement rings, single women should have a diamond ring they can buy and call their own,” says Ruta.

The Ah Ring was an instant hit, generating over a million dollars in sales in its first year and being featured in Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine.

Never a bunch to ignore the latest concern with complacency, celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon and taken the diamond accessory trend to a whole new level. At this year’s Oscars, 5,000 carats of diamonds walked the red carpet. Showcasing diamond embellishments from jewelry design luminaries like Fred Leighton and Harry Winston, single celebrities Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz and Halle Berry outshone the strobe lights.

So what are the hottest selling trends in right handed bling rings?

Mondera.com, a leading online jeweler, suggests that colored diamonds are a popular choice, with pink, canary yellow and blue diamonds being the best sellers. The revival of brown diamonds, rebranded and now cleverly marketed as cognac and champagne diamonds, are also selling well.

Contemporary settings, such as the elegant bezel setting and pavé, are popular with singles who want to avoid the look of the classic round solitaire diamond. And for those who aspire to the cool sophistication of Audrey Hepburn, Tiffany’s newly launched Lucida setting is the ultimate in ostentatious ring elegance.

But for those daring singles who would have to give up three months’ rent to afford a diamond, there are plenty of fabulous alternatives.

For all the sparkle without the sting, cubic zirconia are crafted with such precision these days that usually only a jeweler’s loupe can tell the difference. From the sublime to the outrageous, the affordability of cubic zirconia means you can have a different ring to match your outfit and your mood.

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” may well have become the recently revived mantra for the modern 21st century woman, but if you still need an excuse to go out and buy some bling, I like to remind you of L’ Oreal – “Because I’m worth it!”

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