Vanguard Embellishers: Verragio Presents its Latest Bridal Innovations

At the Couture show in Las Vegas earlier this year, I caught up with New York-based bridal jewellery brand Verragio, which has recently expanded into fine jewellery and launched its all-new ‘Vanguard’ collection. Within this offering are its patent-pending Vanguard Embellishers™️ – similar to engagement ring jackets – that bridge the gap between sentimental, once-in-a-lifetime bridal pieces and everyday adornment. If you like the idea of a classic solitaire but don’t want to sacrifice versatility and self-expression, this might be the hybrid jewellery route for you! I spoke to Barry Verragio, the brand’s founder, to find out more about this next step in its fine jewellery journey…

As always, we need to start at the beginning! Verragio was founded in 1996 as a designer bridal jewellery brand, specialising in cleverly crafted, finely detailed and elegant engagement rings and eternities. The business has always been inspired by the architectural magnitude of New York City, including the iconic Empire State Building and other prestigious Art Deco skyscrapers that fill the horizon line. However, its driving force has always been to offer women something that makes their hearts beat a little bit faster. Founder Barry Verragio tells me: “While brides were told their relationships were special and magical, they were shepherded to rings that were anything but. Nowhere did there exist an engagement ring with consistent, recognisable, and specific style and design that allowed for personal customisations.” 

And so, with this ethos in mind, Verragio has grown into a bridal powerhouse over the last twenty-eight years. You can see its romantic signature aesthetic through the Venetian collection – described by Barry Verragio as “a true Verragio flagship” – with its golden lacework, precious metal beading, distinctive haloes and interchangeable shank options that draw from the architecture and atmosphere of Venice. “Three stone rings have been incredibly popular for us,” Barry continues, “and the Insignia collection pairs the three-stone setting with a beautiful, twisted shank and bold diamond scrolls.” He also pinpoints the popular Renaissance collection with large diamond-set shoulders that “customers have been clamouring for” as they seek better ways to express themselves through their bridal treasures. 

I’ve always believed a ring should be as unique as the person who wears it, Barry Verragio.

Verragio could have continued in this vein for many more decades, but in recent months, it has decided to pursue additional new avenues. The brand continues to create bridal jewels but has now stepped beyond, into the realm of fine jewellery with very personal and intimate jewellery collections. I encountered these collections at the Couture show in Las Vegas and was immediately struck by the femininity and the depths of the details no matter how small.  I love the subtle vintage aesthetic that flows through each pearl-set rondelle in the Reverie collection, the regal, coloured gemstone orbs in the Devotion collection, and the curve of marquise-cut diamonds in the newest assortment – the Vanguard collection. Vanguard contains all-new necklaces, earrings, and bracelets that can be worn everywhere, anytime… not just down the aisle! There’s something aristocratic about this collection – as if it has emerged from a European noble line and not a New York-based jeweller! 

But this isn’t where the story ends. At Couture, I was introduced to a new addition to the Vanguard collection – the new patent-pending Vanguard Embellishers™️ – a crossover between the brand’s bridal heritage and its more recent foray into fine jewellery. These patent-pending styles are similar to engagement ring ‘jackets’, allowing brides to build a unique ring stack that is far more expressive and elaborate than what is typically available. Personally, I am excited by the creative opportunities presented by this fusion of bridal and fine jewellery. An engagement ring is a beautiful and sentimental treasure, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be elevated, accessorised, or adorned depending on your mood! You may not know this, but I often wear a custom-made ring jacket around my round brilliant-cut diamond solitaire engagement ring. The latter is crafted in platinum, but the ring jacket is fashioned from openwork rose gold to create contrast. 

These Vanguard embellishers are a little different, however, because of the way they are constructed. Each is perfectly shaped to hold a European-style shank (commonly abbreviated to ‘Euro shank’), which means a ring has a slightly squared-off bottom but a curved interior. This has the effect of ‘locking’ either an engagement ring or an eternity band in place while preventing it from spinning haphazardly across the finger. Basically, a ring will always be beautifully in place and facing upwards, which you can see in an Instagram Reel I took at Couture. The embellishers can be worn on their own or to add elegance to an engagement ring or eternity band, giving women many more options for their bridal ring looks. “With the Vanguard Embellishers, we knew we wanted something comfortable and innovative to differentiate our designs from everything else on the market,” Barry tells me. “The Vanguard engagement rings have Euro shanks that fit perfectly into the Vanguard Embellishers, no matter how big the centre stone is, and there are even beautiful diamond details on the shank to help show the wearer where it locks. This level of attention to detail is definitely a hallmark of a Verragio ring.”

In terms of aesthetics, Vanguard Embellishers follow the same design language as the Vanguard fine jewellery collection, just translated into bridal. There are hints of the signature Vanguard crest motif peppered throughout the line, as well as millgrain, fancy-cut diamonds (especially marquise shapes to create sparkling fan effects), and bezel- and channel-set diamonds that perfectly suit different engagement rings. Of course, all this has the effect of intensifying the central diamond in an engagement ring or upping the sparkle factor of an eternity ring, which results in a bigger, more brilliant look. Personally, I believe the most exciting facet of Vanguard Embellishers is the options it provides, not only in the moment but for the future. As a Vanguard shopper, I could have multiple Embellishers for a single engagement ring with bi-metal finishes, different textures, stone layouts and fancy cuts for whatever mood I wake up in! Verragio is committed to individualised style and self-expression, and that’s definitely reflected in this new offering. 

Barry continues: “Women have so many different occasions and situations in their lives, and feeling comfortable in your jewellery is important, especially when it’s as meaningful as engagement and wedding rings. Being able to add or subtract to create new looks puts our clients in charge of styling their lives. Adding bling with an Embellisher makes a solitaire look like a showstopper, but knowing our clients and their zest for customisation, we’re envisioning mixed metals (like a white gold engagement ring with a yellow gold Embellisher) and lots of innovation.”

So, what’s next in the world of Vanguard Embellishers and fine jewellery? Since Couture, the response to Verragio’s new lines has been positive, which is a confidence boost as it continues to design new pieces and introduce more variety. “Expect to see more crossover with the fine jewellery collection, as well,” Barry says, “and two-tone styles and pieces geared towards everyday wear”. If you’ve ever looked down at the precious engagement ring on your finger and wished for it to suddenly have a makeover, Verragio is trying to make these fantasies come true!