Current Engagement Ring Trends
This guest post was brought to you by our friends at Rice Village Diamonds, a leading provider of engagement rings.
Brides-to-be want their engagement rings to exhibit timeless quality and design, and ring makers are all too happy to oblige with this year’s beautiful ring styles. In other words, there is nothing “trendy” about 2011’s top five engagement ring trends:1. Vintage and Vintage-Inspired
Vintage fashions are in, so it should come as no surprise that brides love vintage rings. While some are wearing actual family heirlooms or pieces found in specialty stores (reusing a ring is a great idea for the green-conscious bride), many more are selecting rings that are vintage-inspired. It can be difficult to find truly old, high-quality diamond jewelry, and so brides who love the vintage glamour are turning to new rings with the same elegant metal and diamond stylings.
2. Twisted Bands
Ribbon settings are setting brides all in a-twirl in 2011. Twisted bands create movement and modernity in rings ranging from the simple to intricate, and elaborately twisted metalwork can be interwoven with more than one band to create a romantic flair. Often these rings come with custom wedding bands that match the silhouette of the setting.
3. The More Diamonds, the Better
Taking a page from the all the ruffles and feminine detailing present in current wedding fashions, engagement ring designers (and brides themselves) are all about tasteful bling this year. Diamond-studded settings are extremely popular, and many brides are influenced by the fact that celebrities are choosing diamond halo designs for their own rings. Adding small, high-quality diamonds to the setting is actually a way to make the center stone appear bigger and add a bit of drama to a classic style.
4. Unusual Cuts
While the popular princess and round diamond cuts are perennial favorites, this year’s bride is wearing turning to exotic and fancy shapes such as emerald, oval, or pear-shaped stones. While many of the other 2011 styles tend to go for over-the-top numbers of diamonds, this trend tends to let the diamond speak for itself in a simpler setting.
5. Color and Gemstones
The wedding world (and, indeed, the entire world) breathed out a sigh of admiration when Prince Charles proposed to his bride-to-be Catherine Middleton with his mother’s 18-carat blue sapphire ring. This year’s brides are taking their cues from royalty when it comes to the growing trend of colorful engagement rings. Gemstones such as sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds are being used either as center stones or as accents to high-quality diamonds. Yellow gold is also seeing a resurgence in popularity, as more brides make an effort to incorporate color into their bands.
For rings, the best choice is always a high-quality stone with unsurpassed clarity and color complemented by a beautiful precious metal. Brides in 2011 are finding that there are many first-rate styles to choose from when it comes to classic elegance.
Can you say YUM?!
