I feel like engagement rings are one of those things you're not
"supposed to know about until you get engaged".
Which makes zero sense to me.
Especially since it's the one thing you wear that you will never get rid of, should never go out of style and that you are literally stuck with for eternity.
Yet, I am surprised how few of my twenty-something, engagement prime aged friends know their ring styles and shapes or even know what they want.
So we're going to have a little ring tutorial today, here on Wedding Wednesdays.
And hey, maybe this is a review for you.
But that doesn't mean you can't "casually" leave it out for your boyfriend to stumble across.
I think this chart makes things a heck of alot easier.
The only two I'm not really mentioning here are marquise and heart shaped diamonds,
because I think we all know they are rare for a reason.
This first shape is probably the most common and classic.
The round cut. Also often referred to as the "Tiffany" cut.
It's simple and elegant.
The next is the Emerald cut.
It's much more expensive than a round cut in most cases. It's beautiful with a variety of different bands.
It also looks great with a halo.
The Cushion Cut shape is getting more and more popular---with people still going after the rounded shape but wanting to be less traditional. It looks great with a split spoke band (as shown here) or with a halo of micro pave diamonds around it!
Princess cut is another very common shape. It is elegant on a simple platinum band, but also looks great with embellishments like side stones or an ornate band.
The Pear shape can be gorgeous. However, I would recommend throwing out this option if you're budget conscious. This is one of those rings that looks way more stunning when it's sizable.
I'm sorry, but it's true.
The Asscher cut is my personal favorite. Very similar to the Emerald cut, except, it's in a square shape and I just love how you can see all the facets inside the diamond.
Oval cut is the anti-tradional, and it's super gorgeous!
Radiant cuts are very similar to round and cushion cuts.
This is Khloe Kardashian's ring and man, is it beautiful.
This is another example of a round cut.
I just adore it, so I included it in the mix.
Martha Stewart weddings always has great options and ideas about engagement rings!
There are also embellishments that people are now adding on to their ring.
The most common now is the halo. A halo is a border of diamonds that contour to the shape of the ring.
It's a very popular look and makes the stone appear to be lots bigger that it actually is.
There are also side stones, which can be baguettes (above, on either side of the diamond.)
I am also loving three stone engagement rings. This is a three stone round cut.
Popularized by Kate Middleton's engagement rings, lots of people are now having sapphires made into engagement rings. It's a lovely and unexpected departure from the traditional diamond.
I also adore the yellow diamond engagement rings.
They're very glamorous!
What kind of ring tickles your fancy?