Capolavoro's "Brillantissimo": A ring that deserves attention

A diamond ring with a difference: Capolavoro has unveiled the new "Brilliantissimo" line, which makes small diamonds sparkle as powerfully as if they were huge ones. This idea is about so much more than just clever design.

Left: Brillantissimo white gold rings in various sizes. © Capolavoro

Looking forward to a special design

Good news from my email inbox. I've finally received the official photos from Capolavoro of a very special piece of jewelry that I was so impressed with when I first saw it at Inhorgenta in February. It's the "Brillantissimo" ring by Capolavoro.

It certainly deserves this name, as it's practically an intensification of the word "brilliance." It's so fitting because this ring has the look of a classic solitaire, but is actually composed of a series of cleverly set smaller diamonds. Brilliant! To explain why I'm so excited about it, I have to go into a bit more detail. 

How Germans decide on engagement rings

The meaning and purpose of this Capolavoro design immediately became clear to me. Solitaire rings with a single diamond are simply the classic when it comes to engagement rings. 

According to a survey by Engagementrings.deAccording to a 2024 survey by Munich-based jeweler Breedia, 76.4 percent choose an engagement ring with a single stone—if the ring is made of 14 or 18-karat gold. 14.4 percent choose a ring with more than one diamond.

In Germany, the recommended price for an engagement ring is between half and a full month's net salary. Various surveys and statistics indicate that men—who traditionally and still most frequently propose marriage—are willing to spend between €500 and €1,000 on an engagement ring.

The data comes from conversations with customers and direct purchases in Juwelier Breedia's jewelry store and was published in December 2024. According to the survey, 55 percent of buyers choose a natural diamond, 37 percent choose a cubic zirconia stone, and 2 percent choose lab-grown diamonds.

However, buyers also tend to keep diamond rings small: the most popular sizes for solitaires are between 0.10 and 0.15 carats. 

More real diamond jewelry for everyone

Back to Capolavoro with the "Brillantissimo" ring, and summarize the statistics: People prefer a solitaire with natural diamonds, but often choose a smaller stone size—partly because it's a question of price. A larger stone should ultimately also have a certain quality, so that it looks beautiful when given a brilliant cut. 

Lab-grown diamonds are a hot topic because they naturally make a larger stone possible at a lower price. The only annoying thing is the extreme price drop. Some customers may not mind, but for jewelers who buy at a certain price and see it plummet further a few months later, it's not particularly economical. And how do you explain to customers that they bought a product in January that costs only a fraction of that price in June? Also kind of stupid...

At Capolavoro, I was told at the time that the "Brillantissimo" ring was also the family business's response to the lab-grown diamond issue. It lowers the entry-level price point for genuine diamond jewelry and makes the high quality accessible to a wider audience. 

Why? Because with the design featuring smaller diamonds, other stone qualities can be used and look good than, say, with a classic one-carat diamond. It's logical. The larger the stone, the more imperfections I could detect. Of course, that doesn't mean that the small diamonds are of poor quality, but the idea should be pretty clear.

A diamond ring in a solitaire look

But that's precisely what's so great about the Brilliantissimo design: The small diamonds in three different sizes are set so seamlessly and skillfully that together they visually create the image of one large diamond. However, because there are multiple stones, each with the typical facets of a brilliant cut, this creates a unique and particularly vibrant play of light that's unheard of in a classic solitaire – which is why the name "Brillantissimo" is so apt. The ring is more than just brilliant. It's practically "the most brilliant." 

The diamond ensemble sits in a six-prong setting, rounding off the classic solitaire look, and hides a truly lovely detail on the back: a heart shape that distinguishes the ring as a symbol of love, making it a truly wonderful alternative to a classic solitaire ring.

I can't help but think about the potential this ring will offer as an heirloom many years later. Instead of being passed down to just one person, the individual diamonds could, for example, be distributed among several children and grandchildren to be incorporated into a new piece of jewelry. 

It's simply a beautiful idea. The "Brillantissimo" ring probably best achieves the visual impact of a solitaire in its white gold version, but it's also available in yellow gold and rose gold. In addition to rings, there are also earrings and necklaces, which I consider solitaire jewelry with a special twist. I'm sure such a great idea will bring much success and make many happy people.