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span class="inline inline-left">Do you think a solitaire diamond is too much? Then try illusion diamonds, the new darling for 2013.

An illusion setting has small-sized diamonds that are grouped together to appear to be a larger stone.

Swan Jewellery director Bally Sunardi said that in addition to its beauty, an illusion-set diamond offers at least two additional benefits for jewelry lovers.

“First, it is a lot more affordable, as compared to the classic and expensive solitaire diamond, because we use smaller stones.

“Second, with those small stones, it is easier for them to be formed into one particular design, meaning that each customer will have more options in choosing a design.”

In an illusion setting, a faceted and shiny metal plate is added around the girdle of a diamond. The reflective plate makes the stones appear larger and more brilliant.

“I believe that the illusion setting will be a hit in 2013,” says Bally.

Illusion diamond jewelry is becoming more popular as compared to traditional solitaire settings, which are less versatile.

“It is quite hard to include a larger stone in a nice and simple pair of oval earrings, for example. It’s not easy to get suitable stones. Plus it’s too dominant, and the prices are skyrocketing.

“Another example is a full-set diamond necklace. A woman who wears the necklace will have to have security guards around her, because it is priceless. But the illusion setting will allow anyone to wear it to meetings with clients or other activities on a daily basis.

“The illusion-set diamond gives you a more comfortable feeling while wearing it, which automatically boosts your confidence, without digging to deep into your pockets,” he adds.

As for what’s trending, Bally thinks that developments in 2013 will mirror those in 2012.

“A design is defined by the person who wears it, so it’s pretty much an individual choice.

“However, I think that classic oval-shaped and pear-shaped diamonds will remain the favorites this year,” he adds.

The classic designs are easy to produce with illusion settings, says Bally.

“A pear-shaped solitaire is just too pricey. Even you have the money, it’s quite hard to get a suitable stone. Yet, with the illusion setting, we can easily make such a design without such hassles.”

Diamonds are not just for women, but also for men.

The illusion setting is more popular among women, who favor ovals and prince cuts. “But for men, they likely to put colored stones with diamonds on their rings — because they are more appropriate with their suits, and are more masculine.”

Technology has also become an important factor in the production of diamond jewelry.

“Diamond jewelers nowadays need super-detailed machines to do the job, because placing those gemstones, both small and big, needs meticulous effort.

“We’ve been using high-tech machines such as pave-set, micro-set and CNC- [computer-numerical control] set machines to produce the jewelry,” says Bally.

Each of the machines is dedicated to making a precise cut and placement for each stone before it is set.

Thanks to the better economy in 2012, Swan Jewellery CEO Vincent Claudius says that he is confident that the diamond business will have a bright future this year. “We are certain about this. It means that diamond jewelry is not just for the rich, but also for the middle class. Besides, diamonds are also a good investment.”

A 40-carat illusion-set bangle of diamonds of F color and VVSI(Very, Very Slightly Included) is worth around Rp 400 million (US$41,407).

Bally says that a diamond is an excellent long-term investment.

The Rp 400-million bangle, for example, can be considered as a valuable investment after at least 10 years of ownership due to its classic cut and rarity.

— Photos by Nurhayati