Like everything else in fashion, engagement ring trends are ever changing. The early 20th century saw the lacy and ornate design trends, while the 1920s and 1930s were crazy about geometric designs.
But what about today? What are the latest engagement ring styles that women around the globe are lusting for?
We’ve collected the most popular designs and choices of the brides-to-be and their partners. If you want to be trendy, check out this list of the top 10 trends this year.
1. Oval Brilliant Cut
Oval cut diamonds are increasingly becoming more popular than the traditional round ones because of its elongated look. Women love its shape, which it derives from the pear cut pattern, as it looks bigger than a round brilliant cut diamond of equal carat weight. If you’re going to design your own ring, you can’t go wrong with this shape.
The soft outline of an oval diamond exudes femininity and elegance while providing a retreat from the conventional. It complements long and slender fingers, but it also looks great on shorter fingers as it creates an illusion that makes the finger seem longer and slimmer. On top of that, it’s less prone to chipping as it doesn’t have sharp angles and corners.
Like a standard round diamond, manufacturers also make oval diamonds in the brilliant faceting style. With 57 or 58 facets, it has similar visual qualities to the round brilliant cut.
2. Colored Gems and Diamonds
The brilliance of diamonds too boring for you? Many brides-to-be are shying away from the norm by adding a splash of color to their engagement rings.
They say that “diamonds are forever” and “every bride needs one.” While the former may be true, the latter isn’t true today. It’s only a marketing strategy by De Beers, who’s monopolizing the diamond trade, anyway.
Today, we have a wide selection of colored gems and even colored diamonds. If you love the color red or blue, you can have your partner get you an engagement ring of that color. Don’t worry, as the gemstones have deep meanings attached to them as well.
Perhaps the most popular wearer of an engagement ring with a colored gem is the Duchess of Cambridge. To recall, Prince William gave Kate Middleton his mother’s blue sapphire and diamond cluster ring when he proposed.
3. Moissanite Instead of Diamond
Moissanite has a lot of similarities to the diamond. At first glance, you won’t probably be able to tell it apart from a diamond except for its heightened brilliance. The difference mainly lies in its structure.
French Scientist Henri Moissan was the one who discovered it in a crater from a meteorite. He mistook the particles for diamonds but later on found that they were a completely different gemstone. As meteorites carrying natural moissanite particles don’t fall to Earth often, the moissanite on engagement rings is lab-created.
As a gemstone from the stars with a greater brilliance than a diamond, you’d think that it’s more expensive, right? Surprisingly, it’s much cheaper.
The manufacturing process also has a minimal environmental impact. With a 9.25 hardness rating, it’s more durable than other gemstones for engagement rings. That is beside the diamond, of course, which is a perfect 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.
For these reasons, Moissanite is one of the most popular engagement ring trends in 2018. After all, practicality trumps everything else nowadays.
4. Three-Stone Engagement Rings
It was only last year that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement. Following this news, many immediately turned their attention to the now Duchess of Sussex’s engagement ring, which turned out to be a thoughtful triple stone engagement ring. This spurred the popularity of this particular diamond ring style in 2018.
Beyond the fact that a royalty is wearing a three-stone engagement ring, women absolutely adore this style. Why not? It has thrice the usual amount of gemstones.
Three-stone engagement rings come in a wide variety as well. The most common is having a centerpiece with two smaller stones on either side. Some want all three stones to be a diamond, while others choose to have a colored gem on the center or on the sides.
This style doesn’t restrict the cut of the diamonds as well. You can have round, emerald, oval, cushion, or whatever you want. The sides can even have a different shape than the center.
Most of the best custom rings utilize this style. You can find more ideas from jacobmercari.com.
5. Cluster Diamond Rings
Why stop at three stones, though, when cluster diamond rings are making a big return in 2018? Why not the kind of ring that can make a woman swoon?
Some of the latest engagement rings don’t feature a single stone or three stones anymore. Some ladies now opt for a cluster, which is essentially a group of smaller diamonds.
There are a variety of reasons why you may want to have a cluster diamond ring. You may want it for its pretty and unique look – its arrangement does appeal more to those who want to avoid a conventional ring. You may also prefer the sparkle that smaller stones give rather than a larger one.
One of the most popular reasons for choosing this style is its antique look, but as practical is in today, most choose it for its cheaper price. If you want an engagement ring with a bigger stone but you and your partner can’t afford it, get a cluster ring. If you want a diamond ring but it’s out of the budget, get a cluster ring.
A cluster diamond ring is cheaper because it has a lower carat weight. This makes it ideal for those who want a bigger stone – the cluster makes it look bigger than what you would expect of a single stone with the same carat weight.
6. Rose Gold Engagement Ring
Rose gold is not as timeless as yellow gold and not as durable as platinum. It goes in and out of style, and this 2018, it’s definitely back.
These past few years have seen the popularity of rose gold rising in various industries. Apple’s iPhone 6s offered a rose gold option in 2015, and fans went crazy. Over at the fashion industry, people were getting rose gold hair, accessories, and stuff.
Still, it seems that the obsession with this hue is not ending anytime soon. This year, we expect to see more engagement bands of this color.
7. Bold Bands
Speaking of bands, is it a rule that it should come with a head? The latest engagement ring trends don’t seem to think so.
The trend this 2018 is to have a band instead of a more traditional-looking engagement ring. However, don’t think that it would look simple.
Nowadays, women prefer what we call as bold bands, which have small stones all throughout. Some even get a thick band that has two or more rows of stones. It’s still glitzy enough to make a statement, but it still exudes that no-fuss look.
If you don’t like a ring that has a head sticking out, bold bands are the practical choice for you.
8. Stacked Rings
The latest stacking trend is the trend for those who want to add extra sparkles. One ring not enough for you? Add two or more!
Others give this trend a deeper meaning. For example, wearing a band before and after the engagement ring “seals in” the ring itself. Most of the times, however, it’s simply a matter of preferring the look.
Stacking three or more rings on the ring finger allows a lady to express their personal style. They can mix and match rings of different styles, stones, and colors to achieve that perfect sparkle.
9. Art Deco Rings
If you want to go full unconventional, art deco rings are the right style for you. These rings have unusual shapes and colors, although they still have the usual gemstones.
The main benefit of this style is that it’s definitely eye-catching. Unlike other styles, they don’t have a template or so to speak that they follow, but you would expect them to come with geometric lines and bold colors.
The best thing about it is that you can still choose the type of stone you want and its cut. It’s the perfect engagement ring for the unconventional couple.
10. Minimalist Round Cut Diamond
As expected, nothing beats the classic look of a minimalist round cut. Unlike the other engagement ring styles in this list that are on the high end of the extravagance spectrum, this style keeps it simple and understated.
This style uses a reasonably-sized diamond, which often comes alone, and a metal that has minimal details. With clean lines, you can pair it with a wedding band and still look modest. They will look great with your everyday style and they won’t stand in your way if you happen to use your hands a lot in your line of work.
Find the Perfect Engagement Ring Now
We hope that this guide would help you in deciding which engagement ring if fit for you or your future fiancee. Check out our wide collection of engagement rings. You’ll be sure to find the perfect one.
If you’re still unsure of what to get, visit us and check some of our other guides. Why not try this post that discusses 10 tips for wearing jewelry?
