When it comes to engagement rings, it is difficult to find a design that you can wholeheartedly agree on. Many people want their engagement ring to be everything – attractive, affordable, distinguished, unique, and versatile. Versatility is particularly important, as nobody wants a ring that can only be worn at extremely formal events; a good ring should be able to blend into any circumstance and any event, and should complement any outfit rather than clashing with it. Unfortunately, not all rings are capable of doing this. As a result, it becomes very important to make the right decision about the style of ring that you want.
Generally, most jewellers will tell you that it’s all in the diamond. This is true – most of the impact of the ring comes from the diamond. However, it’s important not to neglect the ring itself, particularly what metal it’s made of – for example, yellow gold is less versatile than white gold, which is slightly less formal than platinum. It’s necessary to keep things like this in mind when shopping for a ring.
However, getting back to the diamond, it is crucial to get a diamond with a cut and setting that creates the kind of visual impression youre going for. For example, if you want a large diamond with powerful presence, you will probably want a round or princess cut, rather than a more slender marquise or pear cut. However, if you are going for the more sleek and elegant look, the marquise or oval cut can be fantastic. If you want an unusual look, the emerald cut (long and angular) provides a very unique visual aesthetic, as does the trillion cut (a thick triangle – very distinctive), which is as lovely as it is uncommon.
There are other styles as well. One particularly interesting one is the pave diamond ring (pave is pronounced pah-vay). These rings are basically diamond-encrusted – there is a large central diamond, just like with other rings, but the rest of the ring is also lined with smaller diamonds, creating a fantastic interplay of sparkling light, not to be confused with a 3 stone engagement ring which is also extremely popular. The way that these rings dazzle cannot be overstated; when the light hits them, everyone in the room will involuntarily turn their eyes to your finger. This exquisite effect is part of the reason that pave diamond engagement rings are so desired; of course, they are also quite expensive, so the prohibitive price tag means that pave diamond rings are quite an exclusive design. Unlike, say, the princess cut engagement ring which is incredibly popular, you will probably almost never see a diamond pave ring like yours. These rings are generally only created to order, and mostly only crafted at the high-end jewellery houses.
The pave diamond engagement ring is also an interesting option because it allows you to reduce the size of the central diamond, and in the process increase the profile of the smaller diamonds set into the ring. Most jewellers agree that a pave set diamond ring is noticeably beautiful because of the smaller diamonds, not because of the larger central diamond – and that in fact, the larger the central diamond is, the less visible the other diamonds become.
This is, of course, just one option of many. There are a lot of different ways to experiment with your engagement ring; for a full spectrum of options, it is best to talk to a jeweler and have them show you some of their more interesting designs.