Fashion Week Wrap Up: Right Hand Ring Rules

Now that the Spring 2004 Fashion Week is behind us, one thing is sure - in a season characterized by vibrant color and bold embellishment, the Diamond Right-Hand Ring was the dominant jewelry choice, as designers partnered with some of the leading jewelry brands to create a signature look for the runways.

Fourteen of the world's top designers featured the diamond right-hand ring in their shows, and according to Sally Morrison, Director of the Diamond Information Center, this new diamond trend reflects an energetic shift toward personal expression.

"If you look at the collections, there's an incredible sense of optimism, as if designers are saying 'it's okay to indulge again, to celebrate your style with extravagant color and beautiful flourishes.' Likewise, wearing a gorgeous diamond ring on your right hand is a totally personal statement, suggesting you don't need an excuse to wear diamonds," she says.

Highlights from the Spring 2004 collections:

Hottest trend: The Diamond Right-Hand Ring Seen at: Narciso Rodriguez, Zac Posen, Badgley Mischka, Behnaz Sarafpour, Carmen Marc Valvo, Betsey Johnson, Alice Roi, Cynthia Steffe, Fusha, Halston, House of Field, Maurice Malone, Palmer Jones, Michael & Hushi.

Spring's dominant jewelry trend invites women to express their individuality, and several designers followed suit, collaborating with leading diamantaires to create signature diamond rings. Carmen Marc Valvo unveiled his first jewelry design with Vivid Collection, a 10-carat Diamond Right-Hand Ring inspired by Fashion Week's 10-year Anniversary, while Behnaz Sarafpour replicated a gingham fabric from her collection in a canary-and-white diamond ring for Kwiat Diamonds. Glamour's dynamic duo, Badgley Mischka, collaborated with Fred Leighton on an extraordinary collection of floral and dragonfly-themed Diamond Right-Hand Rings.

Designer of the Year Narciso Rodriguez chose to place his favorite diamond, the Ashoka by William Goldberg, on the right hand of models in his highly anticipated collection. Other designers opted for exceptional diamond baubles styled on the right hand, such as Harry Winston's stacked diamond rings at Zac Posen, Martin Katz's elegant modern designs at Halston and Lorraine E. Schwartz's spirited pendant-style diamond rings at Betsey Johnson.

Trend: Large Diamond Studs Seen at: Narciso Rodriguez, Fusha, Zac Posen, Alvin Valley, Halston, Palmer Jones, Pamela Roland. After several seasons dominated by the diamond chandelier earring, designers returned to the cool elegance of diamond studs - only this time, the bigger, the better. This "Size Matters" approach was reflected in the 5-carat Ashoka Diamond studs by William Goldberg at Narciso Rodriguez and the walnut-sized Asscher-cut studs by Fabrikant Couture at Alvin Valley. Trend: Stacked Diamond Bracelets Seen at: Cynthia Steffe, Zac Posen, Rosa Cha, Maurice Malone, Fusha.

The decadent look of multiple diamond bracelets takes a cue from Madonna's ubiquitous Gap commercials. The Spring collections offered a more polished interpretation of this trend, as expressed by the woven-style diamond cuffs by Roberto Coin at Cynthia Steffe and the multicolored diamond Riviera bracelets by Jacob & Company at Fusha.

Some source material reprinted with permission from IDEX Magazine (http://www.idexonline.com/).