Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
EditorsFeb 26, 2016
A State-By-State Breakdown on Diamond Shapes and Sizes
Which states are home to the country’s biggest diamonds? What are the most popular diamond shapes where your store is located? Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff examines it all via White Pine’s new report.
Not many surprises here--round and princess-cut diamonds are the top most popular diamond shapes in the United States while the heart, the Asscher and the baguette lag, data recently released by White Pine shows.
Which state is home to consumers with the biggest and best diamonds (and no, the answer is not Texas)? What’s the popular most diamond shape in Alabama? California? Alaska?
These are some of the questions White Pine aimed to answer with a recently released report on diamond jewelry ownership in the United States.
Many jewelers already are familiar with White Pine, which has a business-to-business arm called White Pine Trading that buys and sells pre-owned jewelry and diamonds within the trade.
But, through WP Diamonds and WPDiamonds.com, the company also deals directly with thousands of consumers, which gives it access to a wealth of data about what type of jewelry and diamonds people actually own.
Matthew Howe, the company’s vice president of marketing, said White Pine has opted to begin sharing some of that data with the industry, and so it has published this first report, America’s Diamond and Jewelry Ranking.
The report is based on 15,000 consumer inquiries and interactions but, Howe pointed out, it is not a ranking of what’s selling at retail right now. It’s an ownership study, looking at what people already have and where they live.
There’s much to examine in the report and I had a hard time deciding where to begin but, in the interest of getting out of the office before 7 p.m. for once, I decided to go with diamond shape.
What the report shows about the most popular diamond shapes in the U.S. is not unexpected in the least, with round and princess-cut diamonds comprising the majority of the market.
What Howe said he did find surprising was that cushion-, emerald- and marquise-cut diamonds were all in the same ballpark in terms of ownership. A total of 4.8 percent of consumers included in the study owned a marquise, while 4.47 percent owned an emerald-cut diamond and 4.12 percent had a cushion; they were the three most commonly owned cuts after rounds and princesses.
The White Report also noted that since the launch of WPDiamonds.com in 2012, oval-shaped diamonds, which, as I understand it, are gaining ground in the market along with marquises and pears, have increased in popularity. They’ve gone from being the eighth most popular diamond cut in the country to the sixth in that three-year span. (And both ovals and pears are apparently very popular in Texas.)
From shape, we can move on to
size, meaning, what states have the biggest and best diamonds (two distinctly different categories in the White Pine study).
For me, there were absolutely no surprises when it came to the top five states for diamond quality: New York, Florida (home to many now-retired former New Yorkers), California, Connecticut (home to many people who have high-paying jobs in New York City) and Maryland.
Howe pointed out that Arizona and North Carolina, which, like Florida, are big retirement states for people with the means to do so, also ranked fairly high on the diamond quality scale, coming in at Nos. 15 and 17, respectively.
In addition to having some of the country’s highest-quality diamonds, Maryland and New York made it into the top five for average diamond size, which was analyzed by looking at loose stones, rings and diamonds set into jewelry but using only the largest diamond per piece for the data.
Maryland actually came in first with an average carat size of 1.75, followed by Michigan (1.69), Illinois (1.59), Alaska (1.49) and New York (1.47 carats).
The state with the smallest average diamonds was Vermont, at 1.03 carats.
Want to see more about what consumers own in the state where your store, or stores, is located? A complete rundown of the results is available to view at no charge on WPDiamonds.com.
For me, there were absolutely no surprises when it came to the top five states for diamond quality: New York, Florida (home to many now-retired former New Yorkers), California, Connecticut (home to many people who have high-paying jobs in New York City) and Maryland.
Howe pointed out that Arizona and North Carolina, which, like Florida, are big retirement states for people with the means to do so, also ranked fairly high on the diamond quality scale, coming in at Nos. 15 and 17, respectively.
In addition to having some of the country’s highest-quality diamonds, Maryland and New York made it into the top five for average diamond size, which was analyzed by looking at loose stones, rings and diamonds set into jewelry but using only the largest diamond per piece for the data.
Maryland actually came in first with an average carat size of 1.75, followed by Michigan (1.69), Illinois (1.59), Alaska (1.49) and New York (1.47 carats).
The state with the smallest average diamonds was Vermont, at 1.03 carats.
Want to see more about what consumers own in the state where your store, or stores, is located? A complete rundown of the results is available to view at no charge on WPDiamonds.com.
More on Editors
The Latest
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
MajorsNov 14, 2024
Saks Fifth Avenue Cancels Holiday Light DisplayInstead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
WatchesNov 14, 2024
Grand Seiko Partners With Ben Bridge on First Hawaii Store The new Grand Seiko boutique is located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood.
SourcingNov 13, 2024
Gem Legacy Adventures Announces 2025 Trip Eleven spots are available for travelers to visit Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya from July 25 to Aug. 4.
