Non-Diamond Engagement Rings Gain Popularity in Fragile Economy

PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 27 e/ — Even in this tight economy, people are still getting engaged. But these days, couples are looking for value and timelessness, and it has become tacky to flaunt “bling.” As a result, non-diamond engagement rings are gaining popularity.

Turtle Love Committee is an online jeweler that has embraced that back-to-basics approach. The company focuses exclusively on non-diamond engagement rings and wedding bands at prices between $100 and $200. “Orders are coming in from all over the country,” says Adrianne Zahner, the company’s founder. The Turtle Love Committee collection includes a wide range of styles, all in sterling silver: there are vintage replicas, classic solitaires, organic designs and modern pieces.

Non-diamond engagement rings are not a new phenomenon. Johanna Farrell of Bellingham, Washington, has worn a garnet solitaire much like ones in the Turtle Love Committee collection since she and her husband became engaged in 1978. She says she loves her ring “because it is a reflection of who we are as a couple. I like knowing that my husband and I put creative thought into the ring I’d wear for the rest of my life.”

Other jewelers have also reported an increase in sales of non-diamond engagement rings. Nina Dinoff, a New York jeweler, has been selling rings from her accessories collection to couples who plan to wear them as engagement and wedding rings. “I asked one client if he’d like me to use diamonds instead of small gold balls in the setting, and he said no, his fiancee would love it just the way I’d designed it,” Dinoff marveled.

Turtle Love Committee was founded last year by Zahner, 29, an attorney who was alarmed by her colleagues’ subtle competition to have the best or the biggest diamond engagement ring. She chose the name “Turtle Love Committee” because she liked the “TLC” acronym and the imagery of a group of wise elders dedicated to promoting love. According to Zahner, an engagement ring from Turtle Love Committee’s collection “is priceless – it represents a huge emotional commitment, not a huge financial commitment.”