In the ever-evolving world of jewellery trends, 2024 is set to bring forth a tapestry of captivating engagement ring aesthetics, each reflecting the diverse tastes and desires of couples embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Personalisation is set to become paramount, with couples embracing birthstones, secret engravings, and bespoke elements.
As discerning customers tread the path of trends, fine jewellers emphasise the enduring allure of diamonds, advocating for durability over fleeting fashions. The lab-grown diamond market is expected to continue to grow, with fine jewellers such as Steven Stone encouraging the rise of “made not minded” diamonds. “Heritage improved by innovation, there is not a better combination in our opinion,” explains Managing Director Zack Stone.
That being said, design preferences are witnessing a shift towards modernity and personal expression. Playful styles like multi-stone rings find favour, allowing couples to craft unique, bespoke pieces that echo their individuality. “Overall I think people are more open minded about what rings they might want, and also may not see the value in just going for a diamond when there are so many alternative beautiful options out there,” explains Alona Shlemey the founder of contemporary jewellery brand ByAlona.
Antique-inspired designs, reminiscent of the 1920s, blend seamlessly with modern aesthetics, marrying elegance with an edge. Yet, amidst the trends, experts like Rachel Boston and Emma Clarkson Webb offer timeless advice: let your heart guide you. Choose a ring that resonates with your essence, transcending trends, and standing the test of time. In a world where trends may fade, true love and enduring elegance remain eternal.
Lucy Crowther, Founder of Minka Jewels
Are there any emerging gemstones that couples are increasingly choosing for engagement rings?
Yellow and teal sapphires seem to be popular choices this year. The beauty of coloured gemstones is that they are all so different and each one is unique, which makes for an extra special engagement ring.
How are sustainable and ethical sourcing practices influencing the choice of materials for engagement rings?
Sourcing stones from reputable traders is very important and we as jewellery designers take this into account when sourcing our gemstones. At Minka we work closely with a handful of traders who source close to the mines and have a good reputation.
What are the upcoming design trends for engagement rings in terms of settings and styles?
Our clients keep coming to us for something modern and timeless; they want a design that is practical for everyday wear and that is unique and wearable. We love making fuss-free pieces which have plenty of gold and exceptional gemstones
Are there any specific vintage or antique-inspired designs gaining popularity among couples?
1920’s with a twist, chunkier gold, mixed metals and fabulous gemstones.
How are modern and minimalist designs shaping the future of engagement ring aesthetics?
Modern and minimalist designs are great for engagement rings, remembering this is a piece of jewellery that will be worn every day and should go with every outfit.
How are couples incorporating personalisation into their engagement rings?
Engraving is a lovely way to personalise your jewellery, a secret message on the inside or a gemstone that has meaning behind it, each gemstone is associated with a month of the year called a birthstone and the stones themselves represent a symbolic meaning
Are there any particular band styles that are expected to trend in the near future?
Simple gold bands have always been popular, we like making the bands a little bit chunkier and curved so they sit beautifully with your engagement ring.
What types of metal finishes or textures are becoming popular for engagement ring bands?
Polished and satin-finish gold are our favourites, we have just started to play with black rhodium too which is wonderful with diamonds as really makes them pop.
What advice would you give to couples who are navigating the process of choosing an engagement ring, considering the current trends?
Go with what you love, trends come and go, so it's essential to choose something that represents you -colour is a great way to do this as you don’t often change your mind on colours. We like designing fuss-free pieces that really let the stones do the talking, the gemstones for us are the most important part and therefore quality is at the top of our list.
Zack Stone, Managing Director of Steven Stone
Are there any emerging gemstones that couples are increasingly choosing for engagement rings?
We always have customers who look at trends, who enquire about the latest discovered gemstone such as Aquadité, a type of Chalcedony, was discovered by chance in Indonesia's Maluku Islands in April 2022, or the latest trend and currently we have been hearing a lot about spinel, a gemstone, oxide of magnesium and aluminium that varies from colourless to ruby red to black. While spinel might become even more omnipresent in 2024 in terms of clients' requests and enquiries, we suspect that in terms of actual purchase for engagement rings they will still remain anecdotal compared to diamonds.
How are sustainable and ethical sourcing practices influencing the choice of materials for engagement rings?
2023 has been the year of lab grown diamonds and 2024 will follow that trend, making it even stronger. Made not mined, lab grown are a sustainable option by essence and combined to a very attractive price they are definitely the sustainable trend customers are asking for. Far from cannibalising natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds are creating a whole new market, an inclusive one, with different customers who deserve to own the strongest stone there is.
What are the upcoming design trends for engagement rings in terms of settings and styles?
Skinny bands and Georgian-designs have been the biggest requests of the past few weeks, we can only predict this trend will grow stronger in 2024.
Are there any specific vintage or antique-inspired designs gaining popularity among couples?
Celebrity engagement rings have been inspired by Georgian and Art-déco styles quite intensively in the past quarter. Customers have been asking for Georgian and Art-déco style engagement rings quite a lot, which in practice means a demand for more contrast; mixing metals, black rhodium, mixed shape stones, and an attraction for what we call at Steven Stone the ‘Quiet Luxury Cut.’ This is the ‘Old European Cut’ with larger facets and cut to retain the highest carat weight possible.
How are modern and minimalist designs shaping the future of engagement ring aesthetics?
Since Hailey Rhode Bieber said yes to Justin Bieber with a super skinny band, the demand for a minimalist band and show-stopper stone has been rising and we are not even close to seeing the end of it. We can see the urge for ‘contrast’ feeding this trend too. From a fine jeweller point of view, we encourage this trend for anyone who wants an impressively large look - the skinnier the band, the bigger the diamond appears.
How are couples incorporating personalisation into their engagement rings?
Funnily enough 2023 has been the year of engraved bands for both wedding and engagement rings. To such an extent that we have invested in all our workshops North UK and London, Bond Street in a state-of-the-art laser-engraving technology for any request that is not hand-engraving compatible for things such as fonts and ultra-dainty crests.
Are there any particular band styles that are expected to trend in the near future?
Fashion and trends work in full circle, and what goes up must come down in this perpetual restart. It is safe to forecast that the ultra-popularity of skinny bands could end to give room to more substantial bands, if not towards the end of 2024, most likely 2025.
What types of metal finishes or textures are becoming popular for engagement ring bands?
Wth the attraction for Georgia and Old European styles, the metal finishes which are mostly on trend are: white gold, brushed metal, semi-matte finished.
What advice would you give to couples who are navigating the process of choosing an engagement ring, considering the current trends?
We recommend reference trends to get a unique piece while considering technical necessities stated by the purpose of an engagement ring; lasting forever. To wear for your generation and to be handed down to the next. As fine jewellers since 1937, our leitmotif has always been stick to the ‘Mohs Scale of Hardness' and choose the stone not according to trends but according to durability. Diamonds are by far the strongest stone, they do last for life. A sapphire for example which is the second-best option is almost three times less strong than a diamond.
Rachel Boston, Founder of Rachel Boston Jewellery
Are there any emerging gemstones that couples are increasingly choosing for engagement rings?
While most of the rings we make remain diamond rings, I think people are discovering how versatile and lovely sapphires are. They come in almost every colour imaginable, are a beautiful, sparkling stone, and are hard-wearing enough for everyday wear. It's definitely something we've seen people come to us for more and more often.
How are sustainable and ethical sourcing practices influencing the choice of materials for engagement rings?
We've always championed a thoughtful approach to sourcing and sustainability, so there isn't one option that will be hugely ‘better’ than the other as far as the pieces we offer. All of our jewellery is made with this ethos in mind, so there's not a single stand-out choice that is ‘more’ sustainable - except perhaps reusing a diamond from a family heirloom, the most sustainable option we can think of.
What are the upcoming design trends for engagement rings in terms of settings and styles?
People are moving away from the traditional dainty solitaire, and are being more daring with their engagement ring choices, which is lovely to see. I'm glad we're moving in the direction where someone's engagement ring reflects their personal style, rather than checking off boxes of what said ring ‘should’ look like. We've definitely seen an uptick in more playful styles, like Toi et Moi, halo rings, or multi-stone rings, which allow for endless combinations of colours and shapes.
Are there any specific vintage or antique-inspired designs gaining popularity among couples?
A lot of clients come to us for our Art-Deco inspired design aesthetic. While our pieces are resolutely modern, we take a lot of inspiration from antique designs: whether it's reusing antique stones, subtle band details such as notches or ridges, graphic diamond halos, there is often a nod to vintage rings in our designs.
How are modern and minimalist designs shaping the future of engagement ring aesthetics?
People want rings that suit their lives: extremely intricate and fiddly designs, rings that are high-set and catch on everything, are just not practical for people living active, modern lives. This is reflected in what our clientele gravitates towards: simple and tasteful design that still retain a lot of character, whether this takes the form of a unique bespoke piece, or a classic solitaire. Elegance with an edge!
How are couples incorporating personalization into their engagement rings?
A lot of couples are designing their ring together, which is lovely and means the ring is completely unique to them as we're essentially creating it alongside them, and both partners can give feedback, their ideas. We have 9ct placeholder rings that one person will propose with, so you have the surprise element of a more traditional proposal, but the design of the engagement ring is a shared experience. Otherwise, we love little discrete touches, like secret stones, the couples' birthstones, for example, flush set on the inside of the band, or a sweet hand-engraved message.
Are there any particular band styles that are expected to trend in the near future?
Personally, I love wider, graphic bands or double-band designs. They look so sleek and modern, while remaining really elegant. We've seen a lot of clients be bolder with their choice of bands - it's a great way to make a ring truly ‘yours’, as there are so many variations of this you can explore when you eschew traditional engagement ring styles.
What types of metal finishes or textures are becoming popular for engagement ring bands?
This is the only area where things remain fairly classic - we don't have much deviation from a classic, high polish finish, with the exception of certain brushed matte pieces.
What advice would you give to couples who are navigating the process of choosing an engagement ring, considering the current trends?
Take the time to make initial appointments with jewellers you like to try some pieces on: this is the single most useful bit of advice I can give. A design you might have not been so drawn to in a photo, can make your heart sing when worn, and vice-versa. Seeing something on-hand and getting that gut feeling, you'll know if you liked a style just because it was a trend you were seeing everywhere, or if it's truly the style for you.
Emma Clarkson Webb, Founder of Emma Clarkson Webb
Are there any emerging gemstones that couples are increasingly choosing for engagement rings?
The teal sapphire is still a very popular gemstone choice. Super durable for everyday wear and such a unique colour. Its colour always changes in different lights.
How are sustainable and ethical sourcing practices influencing the choice of materials for engagement rings?
We are using older cuts of diamonds more, the old mine cushion or old 'European cuts' are popular choices as is using our fair trade gold.
What are the upcoming design trends for engagement rings in terms of settings and styles?
The 'Toi et Moi' style is still emerging as a popular design choice as well as the oval cut or chunky Etruscan style engagement ring design.
Are there any specific vintage or antique-inspired designs gaining popularity among couples?
The art deco halo design, pavé setting diamonds with a filigree edge and setting an emerald cut emerald for instance is still incredibly popular as an antique inspired choice.
How are modern and minimalist designs shaping the future of engagement ring aesthetics?
Opting for clean, sleek lines and the use of one or two stones in a simple four claw design keeps the look very minimal, chic and timeless
How are couples incorporating personalization into their engagement rings?
We use a lot of birthstones which we hammer-set onto the inside of our bands as well as offering special engravings, colour formations and even mixing and personalising coloured golds.
Are there any particular band styles that are expected to trend in the near future?
The split or double band seems to be having a serious moment.
What types of metal finishes or textures are becoming popular for engagement ring bands?
Polished still seems to be the preferred finish for our engagement rings.
What advice would you give to couples who are navigating the process of choosing an engagement ring, considering the current trends?
Not to follow a trend purely for the sake of it, trends come in and out of fashion. When designing an engagement ring it’s really important to choose a unique design suited to you as well as creating a piece that is timeless and that you’ll still love in 20 years time. It’s important to get the balance right. Less is often more.