The engagement ring is a personal reflection of the person to whom it is given. For some, a simple, elegant gold band is more than enough. For others, a platinum, hand-crafted ring with a 2-karat emerald is the ring of their dreams. Just like every bride is unique, their tastes are just as unique.
Engagement rings and wedding bands have been around for centuries, where they originally were used as a form of dowry for marriage. This tradition led to the exchange of rings in Europe in the middle ages as part of Christendom, according to cleanorigin.com.
The exchanging of wedding bands symbolizes a couple’s promise to love one another for life, and can serve as a powerful reminder of the vows they took on their wedding day, says Samantha Hunick, a jewelry designer at David Gardner Jewelers in College Station. “If the wedding band is worn with an engagement ring, it is traditional that the wedding band be worn closest to the heart,” she says.
“The significance of any engagement ring is to show how much you love the other person and that you are committed to them for the rest of your life,” says Chase Colwell, third-generation jewelry designer for The Jewelry Store in Bryan. Hunick agrees and also believes engagement rings serve another purpose. “For years
engagement rings have served as outward expressions of love and commitment to a partner,” she says. “Today, engagement rings are often used to express one’s individual style and personality as well.”
Choosing the style
According to Hunick, there are three main categories for engagement rings: solitaire, halo, or three-stone. A solitaire engagement ring consists of a single center diamond or gemstone set in the mounting. Solitaires are known for being simple and timeless. A halo-style engagement ring features smaller diamonds that surround the larger center stone. Halos come in every shape and style imaginable and add a little extra sparkle, Hunick says.
Three-stone engagement rings usually feature a larger center stone flanked by two smaller side stones. The three stones are often used to symbolize a trilogy, such as past, present, and future, according to Hunick.
“As for wedding bands, there is a ton of variety,” Hunick says. “From simple gold bands to bands with colored gemstones, there are so many options to choose from.”
Just as design varies depending on the customer, so does the carat size of the diamond or gemstone, says Chuck Konderla, president and owner of Fifth C Fine Jewelry.
“I often encourage the customer to focus on the design of the piece and do simple math,” Konderla says. “Budget minus tax minus the cost of the custom setting equals the diamond budget.” Konderla then takes time to educate the customer about diamond selection, value, quality, and return on investment and wow factor.
Colwell has spent years designing and creating custom engagement and wedding rings for customers throughout the Brazos Valley, relying more on creativity and personalization than traditional looks. “I can design from the simplest, most dainty band to the most extravagant diamond ring you can imagine,” Colwell says. “Customization is exactly where it’s at right now, and it’s exactly what I do.”
What’s trending
There is a difference between the trends of younger and older generations, Colwell says. He and Hunick agree that younger people tend to prefer the simplistic, classic solitaire look; however, elongated diamond shapes, like ovals and radiant cuts, are also huge right now.
According to Hunick, some jewelers call the classic mounting with just a hint of design elements “vanilla with sprinkles.” She says, “Every customer likes a little added element of customization, whether that means adding a secret gemstone in the gallery or using sentimental family diamonds in the shank.”
Older generations lean more towards bigger and bolder styles, Colwell explains.
When older people come in, they are mostly coming in for one of two reasons: they want to get a new ring made with the stones from their first ring, or they are coming to get an anniversary ring, he says.
“A round brilliant cut solitaire diamond engagement ring is a simple classic — it’ll never go out of style! ‘Classic’ seems to be the trend of the moment,” Hunick says.
Other options
Another big trend that is currently growing inside of the jewelry industry is the creation and usage of lab-grown diamonds, Colwell says. “Lab-grown diamonds look exactly the same as regular diamonds and are made under the same heat and pressure, except this diamond costs half as much as natural diamonds and they are better quality,” Colwell says. “Nobody can tell the difference between a lab-grown diamond and a natural diamond. It takes a $6,000 machine to tell the difference.”
No matter the production, diamonds are still the absolute favorite for engagement rings, Konderla says, but some couples opt for the nontraditional. “But we have
worked with customers building incredibly beautiful rings using sapphire, morganite, moissanite, or whatever else the client was interested in . . . we love to explain the multiple options, and then work with the client on the best ones for them.”
Wedding rings seem to follow the same trends as engagement rings, with the addition of “stacking,” the practice of adding new bands to the wedding ring for special occasions or anniversaries, Hunick says.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the ring looks like but the feelings behind it, according to Colwell.
“I believe when people come in to buy engagement rings, they should only spend what they feel comfortable spending,” he says. “When you propose, that ‘yes’ should be coming from the heart.”
