Trends: In the pink: Jen's gems

Sunday Mirror, Apr 20, 2003 by Kim Carillo.

Style icon J.Lo has started another trend, this time with her engagement ring. The rare pink diamond is 6.1 carat, radiant-cut, and nearly flawless. It's mounted on a platinum and 18-carat pink gold band with two white trapezoid diamonds - one on either side - and is estimated to be worth over pounds 1 million. 'Jennifer's is a very rare gem,' confirms Carol Brodie Gelles of celebrity jewellers Harry Winston, where fiance Ben bought J.Lo's ring. And, since Ben slipped the massive rock on Jen's finger, jewellers worldwide have been adding pink gems to everything from rings to pendants, and are reporting a huge demand for anything pink and sparkly.

Pink diamonds are extremely rare and expensive, but the good news is you don't have to blow a fortune to get this season's hot look. 'We've been inundated with orders for pink jewellery,' says Beth Gillman, of Generous Gems, an online jewellery site specialising in celebrity lookalike styles. 'Let's face it, most of us could never afford a diamond like Jennifer's, so we've designed a lookalike ring using an imitation pink Tourmaline stone. It gives the colour closest to J.Lo's - without the huge price tag. We put the ring on the site for $189 (pounds 120) and were receiving orders within five minutes. We've since had over 6,000 hits.'

But it's not just the lookalike engagement ring people are after. It seems that - real or faux - pink gems are the perfect spring accessory.

'The demand is incredible,' says Beth. 'We've been selling thousands of pink-stoned pendants, earrings and eternity rings - some women are even having their own rings reset using pink stones. We can barely keep up with the orders.'

CAPTIONS: Three-tiered

ring, pounds 12, Oasis

Watch, pounds 17, Claire's Accessories

Clip-on pink studs, pounds 20, Adele Marie at House of Fraser

J.Lo's ring has a 6.1 carat pink diamond and cost over pounds 1 million

Charm bracelet, pounds 6, Claire's Accessories

Cross necklace, pounds 7.99, River Island

Dangly earrings,

pounds 2.99, Claire's

Accessories

Lookalike J.Lo engagement ring, $189 (pounds 120), www. generousgems.com

Big rock ring, pounds 75, Adele Marie at House of Fraser