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We hear a lot about Millennials these days and their jewelry buying (or not) habits. When it comes to bridal jewels, however, they are still spending, but they are putting their

own mark on wedding traditions, including jewelry. Cynthia Unninayar reports...

As the Gen Y’ers take over the world of weddings, they are approaching this important milestone in their

lives differently-and often later-than earlier generations. It seems to be more about experience and less about tradi-tion. Whether in the choice of the ceremony, the cake, the dress (increasing numbers of brides are walking down the aisle in non-white wedding gowns) or the rings on their fingers, Millennials are doing it their way.

It is no secret that Gen Y’ers are not rushing into jewelry stores to buy tradi-tional jewelry, especially gold and diamonds. Among the reasons is a growing awareness of the environmental and social implica-tions involved in the mining of precious metals and diamonds. And, they also have grown up in the tech age, where the lat-est smart phone, tablet or other innova-tive gadget is a more important purchase than a piece of fine jewelry.

“These younger consumers don’t seem to see the same value in expensive jewelry as their parents did,” says Harry Rosenthal, CEO of Jewelry Innovations, a Utah–based fine jewelry distributor, metal alloy developer, and creator of the new contempo-rary metal Serinium®. “When Millennials walk into a jewelry store and see gold and diamond engagement rings priced at sev-eral thousand dollars, they just don’t get it. The value proposition just isn’t there.”

One reason the value proposition for traditional jewelry isn’t there is clearly eco-nomic, but what about spending on wed-ding rings? Again, economics plays a part in what they purchase and when they purchase it.

Research has shown that the high rate of student debt incurred by many Millennials not only curtails spending for wedding jewelry, but is also causing them to marry later. According to New America, the average college graduate leaves school with more than $30,000 in student loans, which is about 80 percent of their average income.

Digging further into the consequences of student debt, University of North Carolina economist Dora Gicheva

analyzed survey data that tracked some 2,500 Gen Y’ers. “Holding student debt decreases the likelihood of getting married,” she explains. “So, roughly four years after gradu-ation, those students who hold student debt were less likely to be married.” For every $10,000 in student debt, Gicheva

found that the likelihood of ex-students getting married in the seven years following their graduation dropped by about three or four percentage points.

In a recent survey from Bankrate.com, about 56 percent of student loan borrow-

ers, aged 18 to 29, said they were delaying life events such as marriage because of debt.

So what does this mean for the wedding jewelry sector? For both economic and social reasons, the appeal of contemporary

metal jewelry is rising among Millennials. A survey conducted by The Knot on men’s wedding bands showed that contemporary metals have approximately a 50-percent mar-

ket share. They include titanium, tungsten and cobalt, among others. While all have their

attributes, one major drawback of these metals is safety in case the ring needs to be removed in the event of an emergency.

Enter Serinium® This new, patented, high-tech, eco-friend-

ly and socially responsible contemporary metal is bright silver-white, ultrahard, resis-

tant to wear and scratches, non-toxic, hypoal-lergenic, and non-oxidizing, which means that it won’t change color even if repeatedly exposed to soaps or detergents.

Serinium® rings are also covered by a life-time warranty and size exchange policy. But,

best of all, this new metal is the safest of the contemporary metals. Serinium® rings can be easily and safely removed in an emergency using commonly available tools.

An important aspect of Serinium® is that its brilliant silver-white color will never tarnish or yellow. And, since white is the preferred color of nearly 90 percent of brides-to-be, it is the perfect choice for wedding jewelry.

So why is this new Serinium® metal alloy so unique? “It is a proprietary alloy, forged at extreme heat and pres-sure, with very distinctive and desirable qualities,” says Rosenthal, adding that only a very few facilities are able to cast this original and patented material.

He goes on to explain why the rings are in such demand by Millennials as wedding jewelry. “Our research shows that over 60 percent of couples consider it impor-tant that the wedding bands of both spouses be made of the same metal, with 40 percent believing it to be very or extremely important. On the market today, there is only one contemporary metal option available that appeals to both men and women. And, that option is our Serinium® bridal sets.”

Since its recent introduction, the contemporary white metal has been attracting a lot of attention, not just for bridal but also for fashion jewelry. Just ask Jennie Caro owner of Jewelry By Designs in Woodbridge, Virginia. “Our clients love it. It is a great ring in an alternative metal, and is light and easy to wear. Plus, there are so many dif-ferent styles. Customers can get almost any design in a wedding band.” She adds that another important reason why stylish Serinium® rings sell so well is that they are less than half the price of a gold ring. “A lot of guys even call it their ‘sports band’ because they can wear it to the gym or for whatever activity they want since it won’t get damaged.”

Caro is not the only one excited about this new met-al. Serinium® rings are now in more than 1500 stores nationwide and growing. Over 5000 styles of men’s rings are currently available, ranging from bold masculine designs to youthful and innovative creations to elegant wedding bands. With increasing numbers of beautiful ladies’ engagement rings and bands to match, Serinium® forms the perfect wedding set.

Today’s fastest growing contemporary metal jewelry, Serinium® is well positioned as the only material that appeals to both men and women, especially Millennials. It is truly ringing in change for fashion-forward and discerning consumers everywhere. (www.serinium.com) t

Research shows that 60% of couples consider it important to have both spouses’ rings be of the same material, even if the groom’s band is usually less ornate.This is one reason that Serinium®

engagement rings and wedding bands are so popular.

Center image: In both men’s fashion rings and wedding bands, Serinium® is available in more than 5000 stylish and innovative designs, including inlaid, laser engraved,

etched, textured, patterned and much more.

Serinium® is a brilliant silver-white metal alloy, and offers the color preference of more than 90% of brides-to-be.

A new contemporary white metal, Serinium® has already made its imprint in the jewelry world.