Major shifts in the engagement ring world don’t come along every year.
Much like all other jewellery and fashion-items, there are seasonal changes, but a classy dress or suit you bought 2 years ago wouldn’t be a fashion disaster in 2017.
Over the last 15 – 20 years the whole look of an engagement ring has changed dramatically. Chunky domed yellow gold rings have been replaced by delicate platinum and white gold rings.
In its heyday yellow gold was the go to metal choice and more than 90% of engagement rings were manufactured in it. Our sales data shows it currently accounts for 5%-10% of our sales. Quite a change!
Yellow gold doesn’t seem to be making a comeback, but the “as fine as possible”-design request seems to be slowly tapering down in frequency.
Over the past few months we’ve seen more and more couples opting for multiple stack rings as wedding bands. This might be an extreme example, but one couple had a custom engagement ring manufactured, with a set of 4 different wedding bands that all stacked up neatly.
Stack rings afford you the luxury to dress up your engagement ring every day according to your mood, or the event you’re heading out to. The engagement ring should still take centre stage, but there’s no reason your wedding band(s) should be boring. Stack rings mostly fall in the R4 000 – R8 000 bracket, and make for great gifts on special occasions.
Although these stacks still look delicate due to the fine bands used, ladies are getting used to engagement ring sets that cover significantly more real estate on the finger.
…and so the stack ring phenomenon had a love child – slight more voluminous engagement rings. Not chubby-chubby, but also not flimsy in any sense of the word. The engagement ring needed some extra visual weight to stand out above the array of bands.
Even couples who who aren’t keen on a stack ring set, have grown used to seeing wider engagement ring sets, and often consider styles that aren’t ultra-fine. There’s a clear shift from the traditional engagement ring plus wedding band(s) idea to a preference for one, strong design. These style of rings usually occupy more space on the finger and have higher levels of complexity.
We sell quite a few rings per month set with diamonds over 1,50ct, and these pieces are always designed sturdier on the customer’s request. Sure, the ring should safeguard the expensive centrestone, but an overly fine setting takes away the prestige and visual impact that a large large diamond can display.
Our design team enjoys working with higher volume, or more spacious rings. It gives them space/room to push the boundaries of intricate detail.
Whether we’re talking about engagement ring stack sets or more voluminous engagement rings there is a generally more bold approach to engagement ring design in 2017, and we often see an all or nothing approach.
As a customer recently noted; “If there is going to be a ring on my finger people will darn well notice it!”
An Oval Halo Ring Works Wonders With Vintage Stack Rings– Franci.
via @marrymerings xxx
“Here we have what seems to have become the quintessential stack ring set. The lovely Franci forms the focal piece, and who doesn’t love an oval nestled in a halo?
By the way, did you know the oval cut is the shape that displays it’s weight the best? A 1,00ct oval looks larger than a round or cushion of the same weight. We covered this in a recent blog post; Which Diamond Shape Appears The Largest? (it’s a worthwhile read).
The first band has a vintage finish and alternating round and marquise shapes. The band has great flow and has become a beloved alternative to the vanilla wedding band. The second is a scalloped ring, and repeats the theme of the first, just on a slightly different incarnation. The bands add texture and personality to the set.” Christo E, Designer
Pricing Indications;
*These prices include the main setting and the centre diamond described. Stack rings will be custom made to fit your ring perfectly, and are extremely well priced at around R4 000 – R8 000, depending on the complexity. Please reach out for any quotes or queries.
A Classic Design Like Our Eline Looks Great With Classic or Modern Stack Rings.
* via @jewelrygram.
“Our Eline design is one of our timeless winners. It takes all the appeal of a classic diamond solitaire and ups the game with slight tapering stones on the band. Here we have it paired with a bold scalloped band, individual settings each holding a sizable diamond. The Eline performs its task immaculately, accentuating the center stone, and the band adds an element of cheekiness to the set. It does not try to blend with the Eline, and does not need to.” Christo E, Designer
Pricing Indications;
*These prices include the main setting and the centre diamond described. Stack rings will be custom made to fit your ring perfectly, and are extremely well priced at around R4 000 – R8 000, depending on the complexity. Please reach out for any quotes or queries.
A Relatively Large Diamond In A Delicate Setting Like Our Imara Stacks Up Stunningly With Multiple Bands.
* via @wifeysociety.
“Some ladies can’t get enough diamonds, and that’s a great mindset!
We have an example of some expertly stacked rings here, with the perfect use of contrast. A single rose gold band makes a secondary focal point to the Imara and ties the set together. We add volume with four bands matched to the delicate style of the Imara. This is my personal favourite in the line-up this month, I enjoy the simplicity of this stunning set.” – Christo E, Designer
Cushion cut diamonds offer tremendous value and their brilliance and life is unrivaled. I strongly recommend reading our post; Which Diamond Shape Appears The Largest? (it’s a worthwhile read).
Price Indications;
*These prices include the main setting and the centre diamond described. Stack rings will be custom made to fit your ring perfectly, and are extremely well priced at around R4 000 – R8 000, depending on the complexity. Please reach out for any quotes or queries.
Our Ishana is A Great Example Of A More Voluminous Engagement Ring;
* via @csmeyer5.
“The Ishana is a trinity design with fine halos around each of the main three gems. The top tier halo overlaps the second tier halo giving it a rich dimensional point of reference. Each halo is seated on a fine filigree milgrained basket. This trinity cluster is finished off with a clean classy split shank that focuses the attention on the three gems” Marco B, Designer.
This is a great example of larger engagement ring styles that are gaining traction and popularity.
Pricing Indications;
*These prices include the main setting and the centre diamond described. To keep things in perfect harmony the side stones are +/-0,40ct each when the centre stone is a 1,00ct. The quote above was calculated using “I” and “J” colours, and will change if your main diamond isn’t a 1,00ct diamond of “I” or “J” colour. Please contact us for any quotes or queries.
Larger Intricate Vintage Designs Like Our Isla
*Exquisite ringspiration from @anyedesigns.
“We have a bold ring here, don’t we? This design uses plenty of negative space with floating small stones, a sweeping gallery and a split shank. I wanted a ring with a highly decorative halo and some volume without making it to chunky. The design has a strong emphasis on geometric shapes that I decided to soften on the side detail.” Christo E, Designer.
Just like our Ishana (previous ring) this is a larger style we’ve been seeing more and more of. Isla is a great starting point that can be tweaked and customised to create an eye-catching stately vintage engagement ring.
Pricing Indications;
*These prices include the main setting and the centre diamond described. Please reach out for any quotes or queries.
Final Thoughts
Have fun with your engagement ring. Stack rings can be swapped out, and even if your personal style completely changes, these are rings that can easily be worn on their own.
The diamond prices mentioned in this article are indicative of our everyday prices, but not blanket recommendations.
Picking a diamond is just as personal as the design itself and I invite you to visit our Pretoria or Rosebank studio, and see diamond shapes, sizes, colours for yourself.
Once you’ve established your desired specification range, we’re in a better position to offer you perfectly relevant diamond options. If you’re unfamiliar with the 4C model of diamonds take a mere 5 minutes and run through our 1 Page Diamond Buying Guide.
*At the time of publication the mentioned diamonds were all still available.
As always, I’d love to get your feedback on these posts. I‘m available in the comments below or via email directly on johan@poggenpoel.com.
Take care.
Johan Poggenpoel