Engagement Ring Trends to Consider Now
Just like seasonal directions in fashion, jewellery trends tend to swing back and forth every few years. With this being one of the most extraordinary periods to date in any industry, here’s where we are with the most coveted ways to currently propose “I do!”
0.70 Carat Diamond and Ruby Target Ring in Yellow and White Gold, £3695.
Mixed Metals
By the early 2000s, White Gold and Platinum ring settings reigned supreme and it felt like we would never see anything other than a Diamond and Platinum pavé solitaire engagement ring on a red carpet or in a Hello! magazine spread ever again. Fast forward twenty years and—shocker—it’s actually the millennial set that have since grown up and driven the return to warm and rich looking Yellow Gold rings (in order to match their more bohemian ring stacks, signet rings and medallion necklaces, natch.) While Yellow Gold, and its Millennial Pink BFF Rose Gold, engagement rings are still going strong, the next big wave is mixed metals, i.e. ring designs that feature the benefits of both warm and cool-toned metals and can be worn with every last item in your jewellery box, past, present and future.
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0.70 Carat Diamond and Ruby Target Ring in Yellow and White Gold, £3695.
2.17 Carat Old Euro Cut Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring, £17995.
2.28 CTW Diamond Daisy Ring in 18K Yellow and White Gold, £3295.
4.28 CTW Old Euro Cut Diamond Trilogy Ring in 18K Yellow Gold, £22995.
1.60 Carat Blue Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Ring in 18K Gold, £1995.
Vintage 0.86 Ruby and Diamond Halo Ring in 18K Gold, £2195.
2.90 Carat Emerald and Diamond Halo Ring in 18K Yellow and White Gold, £6995.
1.65 Carat Emerald and Old Euro Cut Diamond Ring in 18K Gold, £3795.
Go Big or Go Home
While it seems we’ll never tire of our obsession with A-list engagement baubles or those of the world’s Royal Families, our lust for headline-making gems has turned our super-sized gaze to our own ring fingers. While recent years marked the trend for more dainty, petite and traditionally feminine thin and fine necklaces, rings and earrings, modestly has officially gone out the window when it comes to our engagements and weddings. Instead, huge centre stones worthy of stealing the spotlight and mid-century and 80s-style cluster rings (which tend to offer loads of bang for your buck, especially when it comes to Diamonds) are making a comeback. Not to mention, those tiny Diamond “micro” pavé halos and bands are being traded in for sturdier styles, including flush-mount gypsy and bombe-style rings that truly make a statement.
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1.51 CTW Diamond Art Deco Ring in Platinum, £4150.
0.83 Carat Ruby and Diamond Ring in 18K Yellow Gold, £1795.
1.40 Carat Blue Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Ring in Platinum, £2695.
1.60 Carat Yellow Sapphire and Diamond Art Deco Ring in Platinum, £2195.
1.65 Carat Emerald and Old Euro Cut Diamond Ring in 18K Gold, £3795.
2.16 Pink Tourmaline and Diamond Ring in 18K Yellow Gold, £895.
4.00 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Ring in Platinum, £1695.
2.00 Carat Old Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring in 18K White Gold, £12995.
All About the Bezel
Diamonds and coloured gemstone rings are being set in bezel styles (also called rubover settings) more than ever, which gives your ring an undoubtedly modern and contemporary edge. It also has practical benefits: Bezels are ideal for protecting your stone from getting chipped along the girdle (the outside perimeter of the gem) and are especially ideal for slightly softer or antique stones, such as Emeralds or Old Cut Diamonds. Can’t imagine your ring setting without traditional claws? Compass-style prongs are also on the rise, which features prongs on the top, bottom and sides of your stone, rather than on the corners.
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0.50 Carat Bezel Set Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring, £1295.
0.80 CTW Diamond Cluster Ring in Platinum, £1795.
1.42 CTW Diamond Trilogy Ring in Platinum, £3495.
1.25 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Three-Stone Ring in Platinum, £1495.
1.31 Carat Ruby and Diamond Ring in 18K White Gold, £1395.
1.70 CTW Asscher Cut Diamond Trilogy Ring in Platinum, £6250.
2.00 Carat Old Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring in 18K White Gold, £12995.
2.20 Carat Emerald and Diamond Three Stone Ring in Platinum, £3195.
1.80 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Art Deco Ring, £1695.
Watch Your Step Cuts
While Oval, Pear and Marquise-cut stones made a mega-comeback in recent years, new brides are turning back to squared-off styles and sophisticated step cuts. Enter, Emerald and Asscher-cuts. Both have the benefit of being completely classic and timeless, while the latter is especially popular in Art Deco-inspired settings. Since Emerald-cuts are rectangular, they’re elongated, which means they can be extra flattering on your finger and tend to look a bit bigger than their actual size (win-win!) Looking for the best of both worlds? Radiant cuts are gaining ground since they have the sparkle of a Brilliant Cut but the shape of an Emerald, and Old Cut Diamonds are an in-between Cushion shape, with the sophistication of a step cut.
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2.00 Carat Asscher Cut Diamond Engagement Ring in Platinum, £14995.
Emerald-Cut Diamond Trilogy Engagement Ring, £8995.
1.00 Carat Emerald and Diamond Art Deco Ring, £2150.
1.00 Carat Yellow Sapphire and Diamond Art Deco Ring, £2150.
1.80 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Art Deco Ring, £1695.
Antique 2.00 Carat Sapphire and Diamond Ring, £2295.
Vintage 0.75 Carat Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring, £7995.
1.02 Carat Ruby and Diamond Ring in Platinum, £3695.
True Colours
Coloured gemstone engagement rings have been picking up speed and with couples looking to further customize and distinguish their engagement and wedding experience, the unique personal aspects that coloured stones and antique styles offer translates to them continuing to be as popular as ever. The opportunities to be creative feel truly endless: you can choose the birthstone of the bride or groom, one related to the month in which you met or got engaged, or simply a colour you’ve always loved or a gem that relates to your cultural heritage or a favourite travel destination (or some combination of the above!) The variety, history and rarity of coloured gemstones offers endless possibilities for customizing a ring setting ripe with strong personal touches. If you’re still tied to the idea of a classic sparkling Diamond solitaire, you can still add personal meaning by adding in some coloured stones as a halo, side stones or on your band. Mum still pushing Grandma’s ring? More and more couples are reinstating the tradition of using family rings or other antique finds by redesigning their settings or adding in family stones to a more modern ring style. Plus, re-setting gems is absolutely the most sustainable way to approach any new jewelry, which more and more couples are paying attention to. The result? A new family heirloom with even more stories to tell to future generations.
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3.00 CTW Unheated Edwardian Blue Sapphire and Diamond Ring, £6295.
1.50 Carat Emerald Art Deco Ring in Platinum, £2495.
5.00 Carat Colombian Emerald and Diamond Art Deco Antique Ring, £7295.
1.02 Carat Ruby and Diamond Ring in Platinum, £3695.
1.10 Carat Old Euro Cut Diamond and Ruby Halo Ring, £8495.
1.25 CTW Blue Sapphire and Diamond Art Deco Ring, £2695.
1.50 Carat Burmese Ruby and Diamond Halo Ring, £9750.
Pearl and Blue Ceylon Sapphire Ring in Platinum and 18K Gold, £1095.
Girl with a Pearl
If a Diamond and every other gemstone still feels a little ‘been there done that,’ the new wave of Pearl engagement rings might be right up your alley. Of course, choosing this elegant treasure of the sea comes with a slight drawback in the sense that it is a soft and sensitive organic gem, so you’ll have to be mindful of when and where you show it off. However, it’s a trade-off which A-listers such as Emma Stone and Michelle Williams seem ready to make in order to have such a unique and gorgeous engagement ring. The birthstone of June, Pearls also represent purity, integrity and loyalty—an ideal symbol of your forever union. The bonus: their creamy colour and lustre just happens to contrast beautifully with the sparkle of other gems, including Diamonds, giving you the ideal option of having a little bit of everything.
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Antique 0.80 Carat Diamond and Pearl Art Deco Bypass Ring, £1695.
Pearl and Blue Ceylon Sapphire Ring in Platinum and 18K Gold, £1095.
Antique Pearl and Blue Ceylon Sapphire Ring in 18K Yellow Gold, £695.
Antique Art Deco Double Pearl and Diamond Ring, £2150.
2.18 CTW Diamond Trilogy Ring in 18K Gold, £7995.
Three's Perfect Company
Thanks to the Duchess of Sussex, the search for regal trilogy rings is coming back strong. While solitaires with or without a halo have been the toast of Pinterest boards from the UK to the US and back, since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their engagement announcement in Kensington Palace’s garden in 2017, three-stone rings have been springing up on Google searches around the globe. While the style has been seen as quite traditional in the past, there’s still lots of opportunity to put your personal spin on the look. Consider a centre Diamond with two coloured side stones, or vice-versa. Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can even choose three different stones of similar size and shape. Of course, going the “Duchess” route with three gorgeous Diamonds is a beautiful option which will thrill you for years to come.
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0.95 CTW Old Cut Diamond Trilogy Engagement Ring in Platinum, £2395.
1.14 CTW Oval Diamond and Pear Trilogy Ring in Platinum, £5250.
1.00 CTW Diamond Trilogy Ring in 18K White Gold, £2095.
1.40 Carat Blue Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Three Stone Ring, £3295.
2.18 CTW Diamond Trilogy Ring in 18K Gold, £7995.
2.80 CTW Blue Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Flower Trilogy Ring, £1495.