Glamorous Engagement Rings Designed by a "Citizen of the World"

December 20, 2012

It may take a mere village to raise a child, but it takes a world - of history & the history of design - to create wedding jewelry and engagement rings that are classic but still fresh & forward-looking.

Barry Verragio, the creative force behind the super-popular Verragio wedding bling - for brides & grooms both - has the design aesthetic of a stylish magpie who lifts a lot from Europe, in particular Italian and French art and architecture with collections named for the charm of Paris, the intricacy of Venice, the lure of Paradiso (which is a comfy place to be - the rings in this collection are specifically designed to hug the contours of the finger and not spin around). It's the feminine curves & other characteristic decorative flourishes tend to appeal to the person wearing the piece day in and day out. “When you design a piece of jewelry, you must think about women," notes Verragio. "Men have a tendency to create pieces that have too many hard edges and angles."

Instead, thinking about his designs on the fingers of the fairer sex was what led Verragio to develop his signature "Lumino" setting, suspending the stone to expose all the facets to light and show off the main attraction: the diamond. "A beautiful mounting should only enhance the beauty of a diamond in the same way a beautiful dress makes a woman even more beautiful," he explains. "I would never make a mounting that’s going to take away from the intrinsic beauty of the diamond, so I emphasize the main and side stones. It’s similar to the concept of a woman going out in the evening. If she knows her style and knows her strong points, she chooses a dress that will enhance her beauty, not detract from or overwhelm it. This is one of the true categories in the jewelry business where you are involved in perhaps one of the most special moments in customers' lives, the joy of this time and the history that will follow. When you see that type of reaction to a ring," he continues, "you know that you have played a role in one of the most momentous occasions in their lives. You will forever be a part of their memories. It’s a really incredible place to be. That's what the Verragio philosophy is about."