Traditional Diamond Engagement Ring with a Modern Obsession

Traditional Diamond Engagement Ring with a Modern Obsession


How We Got Here

The evolution of diamond engagement rings traverses generations of sharp and round shank designs, curved and split shank modifications, prong, claw and pave set diamonds, perfect symmetry and contemporary, asymmetrical aesthetics. While the 20th century witnessed an increase in sharp edges, the 21st century has gravitated back to the classics. Today's engagement ring trends are seeing more traditional four prong solitaire side stone diamond settings, with curved and split shank variations. Even round, princess, emerald and cushion cut halo wedding sets are being designed with more curvature and fewer contemporary design metrics.

But I am Buying an Engagement Ring for the Long Term - Will It Still Be In Style Next Year?

Welcome to every jeweler's dilemma, as we attempt to shape the future and predict the engagement rings' design aspects that will still be relevant tomorrow. Twentieth century engagement ring designs were predominantly based on the use of diamonds. The transformation of the past twenty years, however, has seen a growth in popularity of CZ, various gemstones and even lab grown diamonds. If you place two split shank halo engagement rings with milgrain and filigree wirework, where one is set with high quality real diamonds and the other features lab grown diamonds, it's not likely that you will be able to tell them apart without the use of magnification.

What if I am Not a Fan of Diamonds

The number of buyers choosing to think outside the diamond continues to grow at a fast pace. Along similar lines, plenty of buyers are choosing to balance their engagement rings with both gemstones and diamonds. The demand for sapphire, ruby, aquamarine and tanzanite engagement rings has grown exponentially. Those looking for an especially reasonable balance are enjoying the trend of setting a gemstone as the main, center stone, with beautiful diamond accents and side stones rendering the perfect finish. In this case, while the diamonds contribute fire and scintillation to the overall design, the spotlight is on the gemstone.

In fact, the only niche where gemstones have not yet broken through is the peripheral side stone and accent stone placement. Rarely do we see a sapphire engagement ring with a sapphire set as the main, center stone, and with sapphire side stones and/or accent stones in the periphery. To date, this role is still being filled by diamonds and cz stones. However, even this design metric has seen its share of evolution and transformation, in which side stones are being replaced by the likes of milgrain, filigree and other designs built into the shank.

A Classic Never Dies

Gemstones have been around for centuries, so perhaps it is reasonable to conclude that they will still be around for centuries to come. It would be reasonable to apply the same logic to diamonds. Similarly, solitaire and halo engagement rings have been around for generations, so perhaps it is safe to conclude that future generations will enjoy similar design characteristics. Since round edges versus sharp edges are a function of personal preference, the logical conclusion is that the chances of most of today's cheap diamond engagement ring designs of remaining popular in 20 years are in our favor. We are free to enjoy and satisfy our aesthetic cravings, one proposal at a time.