He might not have been the first to think of it, but he’s the first to take it worldwide.  Jewelry designer Johnny Brookheart , who prides himself on being edgy, has created “alternative” engagement rings.  These are the kind you wear through your tongue.  Or nose.  Or other places.  Certainly, body piercing has become more and more common, and a barbell through someone’s tongue is fairly commonplace.  But these are pieces of jewelry designed to be noticed.

Ranging in price from $350.00 to $31,500.00, there is something for everyone.  A simpler piercing for the tongue or eyebrow of the woman in your life is made of 14kt gold with a .10-carat GIA certified diamond bezel-set into a 3/16” ball.   To make even more of a statement, Brookheart designed an engagement piercing with a hand-crafted 4-prong setting that holds a GIA-certified, 1 carat diamond.  It sells for $11,500 on his website.  For a truly extravagant, unusual bride-to-be, there is the $31,500 2 carat, heart-shaped diamond piercing that is suitable for a few different body locations.  For $550 there is a straight, 14kt gold barbell for the man or woman of simpler taste.  Also available are a $425 14-gauge traditional bull-ring for a man or woman who wants their engagement jewelry to be the first thing anyone notices.  The least expensive—but most intimate—of the alternative engagement jewelry created by Brookheart is 14kt, ½” diameter segment ring to be worn in more personal parts of the body. 

Prior to the creation of the alternative engagement rings, Johnny Brookheart still designed edgy pieces and has favored almost controversial images.  His work ranges from the sweet and demure to the absolute limit of exotic.  But each piece is beautifully designed, and most rings allow for each customer to choose a diamond size up to 5 carats.    This is a designer unafraid to take risks, and can be commended for finding a previously-untapped market.

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