A bit of Christmas Sparkle, Engagement Ring sales soar by 45%

Searches for engagement rings in the UK reached an all-time high last December, with many couples promising to tie the knot after almost a year of lockdown restrictions. As searches begin to rise again, jewellers are seeing a huge rise in sales.

However, it’s looking likely that there’ll be another flurry of Christmas engagements in the next few weeks, with national jewellery specialists Berry’s unveiling that sales have continued to spike in the lead up the festive season. Already, the national retailer has sold around 29% more engagement rings than last year, before hitting the peak festive period.

Ruth Burnell, Diamond Buyer at Berry’s Jewellers said: “We’re seeing lots of interest in current favourites, such as the oval shape: a timeless classic which looks resplendent on any hand, as it goes with the flow of your finger. It’s a modern take on the round brilliant for people looking for something more contemporary with soft edges, rather than something sharp like a princess or pear cut. They’re also incredibly sparkly thanks to their brilliant cut, and it often look larger than its price would suggest.”

While bold statement shapes like emerald and oval cut diamonds are showing a huge vogue, Berry’s say that overall, the round brilliant-cut engagement ring prevails as the go-to for a classic when popping the question.

When speaking of romantic proposals, Mairead Molloy, Relationship Strategist and Global MD at Berkeley International suggests timing your proposal over dinner.

She says: "We once had a French client who had a helicopter. He took his partner for lunch at the Carlton Cannes and during an exquisite meal, asked her to look up! There was the helicopter, with a proposal message attached. Of course she said yes."

Mairead suggests planning your alfresco romantic proposal at either dusk or dawn for the most naturally beautiful alfresco settings. Another much-loved, popular idea is to have a massive box filled with boxes, ending with a small box containing the ring to build the suspense.

City break proposals are also a wonderful idea - particularly if it is an entirely new destination for the bride or groom to be, so you can revisit the same destination in future to look back in nostalgia!

For more information about Berry’s, please visit www.berrysjewellers.co.uk.

For more information about Berkeley International, please visit www.berkeley-international.com.