Tradition is always quite hard to break, particularly when you are talking about something as close to people’s hearts as engagement rings. Generally, the culture of tradition built up around wedding and engagement ceremonies has an aura of untouchability; it is just not kosher to violate these traditions that people have been carrying on for generations. This can seem quite unreasonable to most fashion-conscious young people, particularly since engagement jewellery is still jewellery, and as such, is still subject to the shifting whims of jewellery fashion, which change with the wind. Why would a modern couple want to spend massive amounts of money on supposedly “classic” and “timeless” rings that will no longer look so classic and timeless in a few years?
One particular issue that many of the youth have with wedding and engagement rings is with the stipulation that they should primarily be made out of yellow gold. Yellow gold is perhaps one of the most conservative options as far as precious metals go; it is staid, it is placid, and it is (for lack of a better word) boring. The youth, then, clamor for something different. However, as any good jeweler will tell you, it is not advisable to experiment with the material composition of an engagement ring – more exotic metals such as palladium and rhodium will probably go out of fashion long before yellow gold does.
What, then, are the available options for a young couple looking to experiment a little with their choices in rings? Platinum is a commonly voiced suggestion; but even if you can actually afford the prohibitively high cost of the ring, there are some limits posed by the aesthetic qualities of platinum. Brushed platinum, although it looks fabulous in thicker pieces, does not necessarily suit the slenderness of a woman’s engagement ring. In such a slim ring, it usually ends up looking more like stainless steel to the naked eye; which, although unusual, is probably not the desired effect.
Another option that is quite often suggested is white gold. This suggestion does have quite a lot of merit to it; white gold has the respectability of belonging to the larger gold family, but also has the exciting white gleam that adds a touch of exoticism to the jewellery, which is exactly what most restless young people are looking for. White gold engagement rings are also available in a lot of very interesting designs that meld the old and the new, seamlessly creating styles that are quite unique, particularly since the white gold engagement ring has not become anywhere near as popular as yellow gold.
There are many different styles for white gold diamond engagement rings. For example, white gold priness cut engagement rings are very beautiful, blending the dazzling presence of the princess cut diamond with the sparkling sheen of white gold. In fact, this is probably the best design one can get with a white gold diamond engagement ring, as the cushion cut does not make the diamond contrast enough with the white gold. However, there are so many different kinds of white gold engagement ring settings that there is no shortage of choice; a simple trip to a jeweler will probably helpt o put you on the right path.
It is interesting to note, then, that an attempt to move away from the plainness yellow gold does not have us exploring entirely different precious metals, but rather brings up a different form of gold – white gold. If used correctly, this option will satisfy both the tradition-minded and the adventurous alike.