Wempe’s New Engagement Rings Are Winning at Solitaire

My JCK colleague Brittany Siminitz recently explored whether J-Lo’s engagement ring from Alex Rodriguez will affect consumer appetites for emerald-cut engagement rings of a certain size. The answer: Yes, yes, and yes.

But as Engagement 101 founder and editor Severine Ferrari pointed out to JCK: “Emerald and step cuts were already on the up-and-up this year.” And knowing this, perhaps, is what prompted the luxury jeweler Wempe to roll out a series of astonishingly gorgeous engagement rings led by a number of Asscher- and emerald-cut solitaire diamond styles.

And the fact that these new engagement rings—now immediately available at Wempe’s boutique on New York City’s Fifth Avenue—synchronize beautifully with the timing of J-Rod’s engagement can only bode well for sales.

With the largest of these diamonds clocking in 10 cts., none are in the ballpark of J-Lo’s 16 ct. rock, but they are, nevertheless, exceptionally covetable.

Wempe is best known for being a retailer of the world’s most sought-after timepieces, but the jewelry aspect of its business has been gaining momentum and visibility, from classic tennis bracelets and rivière necklaces to high-jewelry masterpieces, all designed and produced in the firm’s Hamburg, Germany, atelier under the creative direction of company head Kim-Eva Wempe.

Several collections incorporate a proprietary diamond cut that launched quietly in 2015 and has gone on to become one of the pillars of Wempe’s bridal jewelry offerings. The Wempe-Cut is distinguished by 137 hand-cut facets, 80 more than the standard brilliant-cut diamond’s, and has an extremely high light reflection. The diamonds that become Wempe-Cuts are transformed from the rough by best-in-class diamond-cutting specialists in Antwerp, Belgium, and then sent to Hamburg to be set in engagement rings and other jewelry.

Here’s a look at Wempe’s latest engagement rings, starting with wildly beautiful solitaires and moving on to three-stone styles, another classic look that’s been enjoying renewed popularity.

All prices are on request.