Have Simple Engagement Rings Become Obsolete?

What Does It Take To Fulfill the Creative Demands of the Modern Diamond Engagement Ring Buyer?

Simple engagement rings were once the norm, and a traditional solitaire, halo or three stone diamond setting was enough for celebration. Fast forward to today, and unique, unprecedented and one-of-a-kind engagement rings have become the name of the game. Does this mean that the simple diamond engagement ring has ceased to exist? Have we as a society started chasing the lavish and the extraordinary, leaving tradition behind? Or do we continue to enjoy the same classic engagement ring designs, produced with enough creative modifications to fulfill our urge to be different? The engagement ring industry has worked hard to make us believe that today’s designs are a refined, distinct spectacle, that could not have even been imagined by previous generations, but is that so? While most of these questions continue to be debated by industry experts, the fact is that today’s engagement ring designs do demonstrate certain creative modifications, relative to previous generations, and it is the perceived extent of these modifications that ultimately dictates the level to which they can be considered “unique”.

Diamond Engagement Rings in the Eyes of Our Parents and Previous Generations

Once upon a time, simple engagement rings like this would warm the hearts of many people regardless of age, background or creative preference. In today’s fast-paced world, however, where information is delivered at the speed of light, most would view this engagement ring setting as plain, unsophisticated and unfit for the modern engagement proposal. But what is the modern engagement proposal, what makes this particular engagement ring “unfit”, and what kind of diamond engagement ring design does it take to fit in?

The Hard Truth About Today’s Proposal

If you can imagine the planning of the proposal itself, the diamond engagement ring purchase and the after party, the motivating factors boil down to one element - perception. The modern perception does not only apply to the immediate spectators at the proposal, but also extends to everyone who will subsequently witness the proposal through the photos and videos, most of which will be posted on social media for the world to see. As you can imagine, the current generations are fortunate to be able to witness many engagement proposals, occurring all over the world, within seconds of them being made available on social media. As such, each proposal is subject to comparison with all of the others, and this comparison will inevitably include the diamond engagement ring itself. Since none of us would like to be perceived as plain and unsophisticated, we begin the planning phase of our engagement proposal by browsing countless contemporary diamond engagement rings, to find a unique design that stands out from the crowd. But what exactly constitutes “unique”, and can this phenomenon be explained in words?

How Far Would You Go to Be Different

In evaluating this particular diamond engagement ring design and comparing it with the simple solitaire setting presented earlier, the main difference is the presence of an infinity shank and round cut side stone diamonds. Strictly from a design perspective, the difference is less than immense, but the finished product does look different. Does this satisfy the modern definition of unique? If so, then perhaps it can be argued that the work it takes to transform the unsophisticated to modern and unique is rather superficial. For those who see it differently, diamond engagement ring sellers have their work cut out for them.

This diamond setting features a split shank, round cut side stones and a four-prong center diamond. Most would agree that, creatively speaking, aside from the split shank and the addition of side stone diamonds, the difference between this design and the first “simple” solitaire is far from extraordinary, and yet the finished product does create a different feeling. However, does this suffice to be “fit” for the modern engagement proposal? It is often at this point in the conversation that the debate takes a drastic turn.

Finally, this design combines a curved, split shank, effectively creating a bypass, set with round cut side stones and a prong set round cut center diamond. Most would agree that the difference between this design and the very first solitaire we called “simple”, is more involved, and yet it remains up to each one of us to determine whether or not this diamond engagement ring is fit to take the stage in front of tens, hundreds or thousands of social media viewers across the world.

Who Is the Diamond Engagement Ring Being Purchased For?

It appears as though, when selecting a diamond engagement ring, we not only consider the perception of the person the ring is intended for, but also all of the spectators all over the world, who will witness this engagement proposal. And if you pose the question, who a diamond engagement ring is ultimately purchased for, the intended recipient or all of the spectators, to a large extent the answers will vary. However, there is a common denominator among most answers to this question, and the best way to summarize it is, "a little bit of both". After all, our engagement proposal affects many people in our lives, so what could possibly be wrong with us trying to make as many of them as happy as possible? In our opinion, absolutely nothing.