Watch the hands at any Twin Cities dinner party, and one ring is bound to catch the light. Maybe it’s a brand-new engagement ring making its debut. Or maybe it’s a recently upgraded 25th anniversary diamond, set low in a sleek gold bezel — bigger and bolder than anything its owner would have chosen at 27. After all, love may be timeless, but taste rarely stands still.
Fortunately, there are more reasons than ever to indulge. Couples are marrying later, marrying again and racking up anniversaries worth their weight in gold. Vow renewals, decade markers, long-promised upgrades — all of it walks through the door and is seen and tended to firsthand by Aaron Block, store manager of JB Hudson at the Galleria Edina.
Photography provided by JB Hudson
“Everyone celebrates milestones differently,” he says. “That’s what’s great about jewelry; it takes on the meaning you assign it.” He would know. Block has watched taste turn the page time and time again.
“Clean and classic styles of larger and bolder rings and bands are in,” he observes. “The halo look is fading. After years of delicate styles, the pendulum has swung toward bezel and thick settings, because it’s different from what others have.”
Proof of this shift in trend glitters in the store’s newest arrivals. A sculptural bypass ring winds emerald-cut white diamonds around radiant-cut fancy yellow diamonds, with nearly four carats carrying on a conversation in two colors. At the classic end of the spectrum, a round solitaire keeps things classic in warm 14-karat yellow gold. All of which is to say: After a decade of wispy solitaires, standing out is the new status symbol.
Every silhouette has its devotee. The bezel style appeals to the modernist, thanks to the clean architecture and snag-free profile. The shop’s new radiant-cut design in 18-karat yellow gold makes a convincing case for the look. Thick, sculptural bands speak to the design lover who treats jewelry like art. Vintage settings, meanwhile, appeal to the romantic who wants a ring to feel inherited, even when it’s fresh from the case.
The center stone is getting more attention, too. Lab-grown diamonds may be everywhere, but for life’s biggest moments, many JB Hudson clients still gravitate toward earth-mined stones. “People love being able to say that their diamonds are natural,” says Block. “They feel the emotional connection to something that took billions of years for the Earth to create.” Pressure and time producing something brilliant? The symbolism is hard to miss.
Of course, not every milestone lands on a ring finger. “More and more men are gravitating toward watches for their special occasions,” Block says. The anniversary timepiece does double duty as a daily companion and future heirloom. The timing is especially fitting: Chanel has recently arrived at the atelier with watches worthy of marking the hours, the years and everything in between.
But when the occasion does call for a diamond upgrade, Block doesn’t mince words. “Sometimes you have to start new,” he says. (He doesn’t make the rules!) Some settings simply were not built to accommodate a bigger stone, and a fresh design can honor the next chapter better than forcing the original to stretch.
This is where JB Hudson’s bridal expertise shines. The shop’s specialists assess the setting, select the stone and guide the redesign through final polish. Whether it’s redesigning an heirloom, combining elements from existing pieces or creating something completely from scratch, custom design is one of the things that truly sets the legacy jeweler apart.
For many, milestone markers are an opportunity to showcase one’s creative side. Ask Block what shoppers are loving most right now and his answer is instant: “Layering — both on the neck and wrist.” Necklaces stack at staggered lengths, while bracelets mingle with pieces collected through the years. One may mark an anniversary, another a birthday and another a moment worth remembering for no formal reason at all.
That may be the real story behind all the bold gold: Milestone jewelry looks different now. There is the original ring, the long-awaited upgrade and the pieces added along the way. By the time the jewelry box is full, so is the story.
