There is no doubt that the most important piece of jewellery in a woman’s life is her engagement ring. If you are planning on popping the question and are looking for the perfect ring, then you will have a lot of different styles to narrow down to your partner’s taste. This may sound like a daunting task but we have listed a few of the popular styles that range from elegant and classic to bold and colourful.
Classic and elegant: Solitaires
The classic, solitaire ring is popular because it can portray a very simple, elegant and graceful style. This unobtrusive style of engagement ring can be placed anywhere along the price scale depending on the size and quality of the diamond. Some women, prefer their jewellery to be understated or minimalistic to fit their style. A solitaire is also a good way to focus all the attention on the diamond alone, as it has no distractions surrounding it.
Vintage:
Vintage engagement rings are enjoying a surge in popularity. Typically vintage styles are the antithesis of the classic solitaire; they often feature a lot of side stones and intricate metalwork. Micro-pave and milgrain are common features as well as filigrees and elaborate patterns under the diamond settings. The influence of the modern vintage look is broadly from the Edwardian era at the turn of the 20th century when the use of platinum in jewellery was just becoming popular.
Bold: diamond halos:
A halo is a circle of small stones set around a larger centre stone. The main feature of this is to significantly increase the ‘look’ of the ring. Obviously, there is an advantage to adding a halo to modest centre diamonds to give the impression of more bling; but halos are increasingly popular with larger-size diamonds also. This style is for ladies who like a big and bold look – there is nothing understated or discrete about these engagement rings.
Distinctive: Fancy shapes:
Round brilliant cut diamonds have become the orthodox shape for an engagement ring due to their fantastic lustre. About 80% of diamonds are cut to this shape, which means that the remaining 20% is shared by all other shapes; collectively referred to as ‘fancy cuts’. These include princess (square), cushion, radiant, oval, pear, heart and marquise, which are all modified brilliant cuts. And also ‘step cut’ shapes such as emerald and Asscher cuts. These shapes are very much to personal taste but are becoming increasingly popular as points of distinction.
Embrace the rainbow: gemstones
Diamonds have only been the classic choice for an engagement ring since the 1950s. Up until that time, there were no the same conventions or norms regarding what an engagement ring should look like. Prince Charles’ engagement ring to Lady Diana featured a large blue sapphire and sparked a renaissance of popularity for large gemstones in engagement rings. This was repeated when Prince William proposed with his mother’s ring to Kate Middleton. As with fancy shape diamonds, having a gemstone as a centre stone will make for a unique and distinctive ring.
If you would like any more advice or need help making the perfect ring for your partner, then Haywards can help you to choose and design the perfect engagement ring. Their personalised service is unrivalled and they are well known for creating some of the highest-quality engagement rings in Hong Kong. Their vast experience in the industry ensures that you are in the safe hands of top professionals
