How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring?How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring?
There are few things in this ephemeral world as fickle-minded as fashion. A velveteen fabric rage today may earn you the dreaded roll-of-the-eyes tomorrow. But as they say, the form is temporary, but class is permanent. Nothing holds truer for diamonds – the girl’s forever best friend! Years may come and go, but nothing seems to replace the appeal of a well-cut rock sitting pretty on the bride’s slender fingers on the engagement day. As times roll by, more and more Sydney brides are choosing to go beyond the norm and experiment with the stylistic aspects of diamond engagement rings – variety in shapes, more attention to design, a look into the sourcing of materials and even matching their rings to the personality of the wearer. These are factors increasingly overriding the decision to invest in the biggest and flashiest rock in sight.
If your big day is around the corner, you are on the right page. Let’s begin by deciding which of these Sydney brides you are:
The Traditional Bride
Old is gold (or diamond) for you. You prefer traditions, the time-tested value of designs handed down for generations, perhaps even flaunting a ring that your grandmother proudly pops out of the family closet. You are the perfect traditional bride!
Here’s what you might look forward to in Sydney diamond engagement rings:
Art Deco and Two-Stone Settings:
Two Stone Engagement Ring Band
Two Stone Engagement Ring Band
According to Katie Zimmerman, Chief Merchant Officer at Blue Nile, most of the trends that are taking the market by storm aren’t essentially original, but inspired upgrades on traditional styles, making trends a distant extension of proven traditions.
Among the classic elements that are ruling the industry even today are vintage-inspired bezel settings and Art Deco details, including the darling two-stone ring.
If you are the traditional bride who is choosing the time-tested big-rock style, you can always reset it to new cuts and styles down the line with added bands according to changing tastes and how it feels in your hands.
Three Stone Rings:
Three Stone Claw Set Diamond Engagement Ring
Three Stone Claw Set Diamond Engagement Ring
Originally made popular by industry trendsetters Tiffany & Co., the classic trilogy ring has dominated the market for quite some time now. Representing the past, the present and the future, this style has recently regained its popularity with the royal wedding and the brouhaha over Meghan’s engagement ring. If you’re going down the aisle the old fashioned way, what better example to follow than the Duchess herself?
Classic Round Rings:
If you’ve been diligently looking for diamond rings online in Sydney or anywhere in the world, a style that will crop up now and always is the traditional round ring. 2019 is already years where round rings are gaining in stature and demand because of their intricate craftsmanship, vintage/heirloom value, and longevity. Add to that Emerald cut engagement rings to customise around the centrepiece that enhances its size, gives it a contemporary look and most brides are taking home a winner!
The Modern Bride
Pear Shaped Halo Diamond Engagement Ring
Pear Shaped Halo Diamond Engagement Ring
You’ve been there, done that and now want to do this. After all, you get married once, and who doesn’t want to make a statement with a ring that breaks away from tradition, a design that stands out, a setting that’s a trendsetter and a cut that makes the cut? According to experts Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert at Etsy; and Jess Hannah Révész and Chelsea Nicholson, co–founders of the direct-to-consumer brand Ceremony, online diamond buying trends from 2019 exhibited a marked tendency towards an anti-traditional approach to engagement rings. While classic diamonds will never go out of style, these timeless pieces are certainly being given a twist with subtle variations such as fancy and mix and match shapes. Guess what, you’re in for a feast of choices with the Sydney diamond ring market exploding with daring new customisations to old vintage forms.
Let’s get the ball (or the stones) rolling!
Delicate and Distinctive Halos:
Adventurous. Glamorous. Want to Flaunt. Check. Check. Check. You need to be under the halo! Whatever ring you choose – an Asscher, trillion, princes, marquise or hexagonal cut diamond engagement ring, it gets an immediate facelift with a halo. Halos never cease to amaze, quite understandably because they tend to make the centre diamond appear larger. Halos are smaller diamonds that cluster around the centrepiece, giving the illusion of your finger donning a sizeable rock. Halos enjoy the benefit of being tailor-made according to the tastes of the wearer – they can come in designs that are extremely attractive, curvy, multidimensional or ornate.
Fancy shaped diamonds:
Fancy shaped diamonds are the must-have in the modern bride’s shopping list. These are for brides who are looking for variety without their fingers looking ridiculous. And you have a fabulous company! The past year saw the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Cardi B, Karlie Kloss, Hailey Bieber, and more flaunting Pear, Oval and Cushion diamonds, getting their popularity shooting off the roof.
Here’s your run-down on shapes that can shape your dream wedding:
Pear-Cut-DiamondPear Cut: Pear shaped diamonds are going right up there with the finest of custom made engagement rings in Sydney and globally, mainly due to their unique shape and the slender illusion it creates for brides with short and wide fingers. Shaped like a teardrop, pear cut engagement rings are a combination of a round cut and a Marquise diamond, tapering at one end. What’s more, you have celebrities like Ariana Grande embracing the style for their personal engagement rings. How’s that for a benchmark?
Cushion-Cut-DiamondCushion Cut: The cushion cut is a romantic, gentle shape, not quite square and with a touch of the classic. It is on the increase in the popularity index with brides looking for something different than the traditional round cut diamond.
Oval-Cut-DiamondOval Cut: Unique and contemporary, oval cut diamonds featured among one of the most popular styles for Sydney diamonds online shoppers in 2018. This shape will continue to be the favourite as it works well with most hand shapes and types.
The Experimental Bride
If you are a bride walking on the wild side of things, go for outrageous asymmetric Sydney engagement rings so many Australian jewellers are raving about. Going by Emily Ratajkowski’s gorgeous two-stone stunner, couples today are all up for rings with subtle and delicate asymmetrical touches that flaunt their unique personalities.
The ‘Personality’ Bride
You’re the one with a conscience, a statement or a point to prove. You think the ring on your finger should ring a bell on the minds of people who see it. You want your rock to be ‘you’, your individual expression, in tune with what you are, a reflection of your very unique personality.
Hannah Révész of Ceremony notes that there is a change in values among modern brides. Today’s brides are increasingly focussed on delicacy and designs even if they have to compromise on size and go for rings that come with a lower price tag.
Here’s how you make you can make your engagement ring a true extension of you:
Aware and Concerned:
Asymmetric Diamond Halo Engagement Ring Sydney
Asymmetric Diamond Halo Engagement Ring Sydney
Materials, design, and sourcing: You think bling is overkill and size really doesn’t matter that much. 2018 saw brides gravitating towards a concern for ethics, sourcing, and recycled matters as well as a bigger focus on design and style rather than the penchant for the flashiest diamond possible. So, if you and you are all set for a 2019 wedding, it’s all about prioritizing good design, quality craftsmanship, and materials over the conventional parameters.
Lab Diamonds: Lab-grown diamonds are a rage with the millennial, especially Sydney brides who are eco-conscious and looking to make a minimal environmental impact. Since these diamonds are sustainable and can be created by order, more jewellers are coming forward with their services to design rings with lab-grown diamonds as centre-stones.
Elegant and Chic:
You exude elegance wherever you go. Your presence lingers like a sweet fragrance long after you are gone. Your sense of fashion is much like the blend of a summer breeze over a Parisian café of debating intellectuals. You deserve a ring that oozes style with just the right degree of chutzpah while not screaming for attention (which it gets anyway).
Rose Engagement Rings: The endearing appeal of gold engagement rings with diamond centrepieces never seems to wear off with time. If anything, custom made diamond rings are increasingly embracing the aesthetic combination of subtlety and colour that has resulted in this particular style in achieving cult status. Not only are these a definite go-to option for Sydney brides, but they are also a perfect match for a wide variety of skin tones – fair, caramel, chocolate, pastels and all shades between.
Simple and Graceful:
You make your statement with an understatement. Your fashion sense lingers in the nudes and the muted and the barely-there. You waltz freely between styles that speak volumes without saying too much. Your engagement ring style is one of simple sophistication.
Pave-Band_Yellow-Gold_Rose-Gold_White-Gold_Engagement-RingMicro Pave Wedding Bands: For the bride who likes to keep things simple, the micro pave wedding band with subtle detailing is the one to go for. These dainty styles whisper the ‘less is more’ dictum with exciting customization options – a variety in stones, metals, gems and the option for pure gold, platinum or silver wedding bands. This isn’t saying that your ring will look dull, neither will you have to compromise looks for comfort. On the contrary, simple wedding bands preserve an unmatched elegance that can serve as a family heirloom to be passed on for generations as also reserving the option for resetting stones or adding bands down the line. Most importantly, these are the perfect expressions of your unique personality and an ideal metaphor for the forever bond you are about to forge with your partner.
Mysterious and Confident:
Adventure is thy middle name. You have magic in your eyes, power in your walk, and an opinion in every sentence you utter. You are the cynosure of attention simply because people can’t quite figure you out yet (and you want to keep it that way!). If never settle is what you live by, you shouldn’t settle for anything but the best for your big day.
Coloured Gems: Black diamonds exude confidence, power, and mystery. Apart from being a decided shift from the convention, you will be spoilt with the styles and cuts to choose from. Apart from dusted through a plain band, placed as a centrepiece or flanked by other stones, black diamonds can also come in simple solitaires or the extravagant 3-stone set platinum. While black spells power, you could go for yellow or pink to give the perception of strength, abundance, and clarity. However, before you start seeing life through ‘coloured’ lenses, remember that diamonds are rare and more expensive compared to whites. On the brighter side, they are the toughest of their species, which gives them longevity and you the ultimate no-fuss wearer experience. So if you are the bride with the attitude and the purse to go along with it, splurge on coloured diamonds in a shape that suits you – angular halo, baguette, diamond sized stones or pave settings!
Details, Details, Details:
God is in the details, and so are you. Nothing misses your discerning eye. The littlest lint coming off the spanking new designer sweater that’s supposed to be designer, the smallest chip in the ceramic that you cannot possibly pass off as an afterthought and the speck of lipstick that always seems to be out of place on your perfect mouth. Others think you have OCD, we think you are in line for making the perfect choice for your engagement ring.
Gallery Detailing: Sometimes it’s about the little things. A hidden touch like an accented gallery or surprise diamond detailing to an otherwise understated and classic ring is just what you need to stand out from the engagement ring clutter as a blushing Sydney bride!
The Budget Bride
If you are a Sydney bride, there are no hold-backs to what you can or cannot have on your finger because you are sure to find something that speaks to you and your pocket.
On a Budget:
Halo Pave Cut RingsHalo pave Cut Rings: Spend less, get more! The halo pave set diamonds cluster around the centrepiece giving the illusion of diamond much larger than it actually is. It’s a win-win for you
On a Splurge:
Stacked and Nested Rings: Got all the money, honey? Pull out all stops for the extravagant nested look. A customary search for ‘Diamond Engagement Rings Sydney’ or ‘Diamonds Online Sydney’ is sure to throw up divine visions of a well-curated stack of rings with options of adding multiple bands. If money can’t buy happiness, well, this is probably the closest it can get!
The value of a diamond ring in a woman’s life cannot be overstated. While it may seem to be all about the style, the cut, the design, the size, and the price, in truth it transcends everything. When your knight in shining Armour goes down on the knees and ‘puts a ring on it’ it becomes, metaphorically and otherwise, a moment set in stone, for you to cherish till the very end of your days. Therefore, choosing an engagement ring may rank among the most important decisions a woman has to make in her life, no matter her circumstances or stature. It is a rock that cements a bond and symbolizes a forever love, a rock that is a rock no more once it rests on the fingers of the one it is made for. A match made in jewellry heaven.