The Engagement Ring: What you need to know
Your ring may be an heirloom piece that has been passed down, or you may have had something specially designed. While watching trends is fun, your decision will ultimately be influenced by your personal preferences, budget, and practicality. Following on from last year, we still see more colours in engagement rings. While many couples are still opting for a white diamond as the centerpiece of their rings (and the solitaire ring will always be around), brides are increasingly looking to other options. These include either two coloured stones set on either side of their diamond or to have small stones set all around the diamond, creating a halo. Blue and pink sapphires, rubies and yellow diamonds are the alternative stones of choice for those wanting some colour. Diamonds are waning a little in popularity as couples realise that diamonds are not as rare as we once believed them to be. Couples who are looking for something special to symbolise their unique union are increasingly looking to other stones for their engagement rings.
Vintage rings are seeing a massive surge in popularity. There is an individual beauty in taking an old ring and giving it a new lease on life. It could be a ring that has been in your family for generations, or it could be an exceptional find in an antique shop. A ring with a great history could become symbolic of your happy relationship. There is also nothing wrong with taking a vintage ring and modifying it slightly to your taste. Dominating the vintage trends now is art-deco jewellery. The designs are typically geometric and quite symmetrical and often include filigree in the design. Filigree designs are small, intricate cut-outs, a technique that was perfected in this era. Usually, the diamonds are European cut diamonds, which was the style of the era – a predecessor to the round brilliant cut diamonds of today. The art-deco style also makes use of what is known as calibre cut stones, which are stones individually cut to the shape of the design. They are generally tightly spaced either together or to the metal, which is one of its identifying characteristics.
CREATING AN HEIRLOOM PIECE
If budget allows, your wedding presents a wonderful opportunity to create a legacy. It is a chance to design and have made your unique necklace or bracelet that can be passed down for generations. It could even start a tradition, being worn at a sibling’s wedding as their ‘something borrowed’ or at your own daughter’s wedding one day. An heirloom piece creates a connection to family history and is a way of making sure that some small part of you might perhaps be included in your granddaughter’s big day in time to come. Whether your piece is a ring, a necklace or a bracelet, the important thing is to keep some classic, timeless elements while still trying to incorporate aspects of you. The piece must be something you like and that you are comfortable wearing, rather than something that stays in your cupboard all the time. When considering the design of your heirloom piece, remember to consider how durable the gemstone is. Diamonds and sapphires are hard stones and as such, can go into most designs. If choosing a slightly softer rock, such as emerald or aquamarine (from the beryl family of stones), which are more delicate, you may want to consider a halo design on a ring to offer a bit more protection. Softer stones are more prone to scratches and wear and tear over time and are also challenging to re-set, meaning that if someone in a future generation wants to alter the design slightly, they may not be able to.
ASPECTS OF WEDDING JEWELLERY
Of course, the jewellery decisions do not begin and end at the engagement ring. Due consideration must also be given to the jewellery that the bridal party wear on the big day. Before making any big purchases, wait until you have your dress. On bridal gown, the neckline of the wedding dress is an essential factor to consider when looking at your bridal jewellery. The wrong necklace could prove to be a distraction from the overall look. For gowns with an illusion neckline, there is usually enough detail close to the neck area, and a necklace, in this case, would probably detract from the finer details of your dress. An elegant pendant would suit a dress with a V-neckline, while a halter-neck dress would allow for more focus on the ear-rings and hair accessories, leaving the neckline bare. Ultimately, your jewellery should reflect your personality. It should be simple in nature if you wear a simple style of jewellery daily. If you have one favourite piece of jewellery that always makes you feel good or that people always compliment you on, use that piece as your starting point. Either make it a featured jewellery item or incorporate it into your look somewhere. Pick a theme, as this will make all your decisions going forward easier. If you have dainty, elegant pearls, opt for jewellery that has pearls. Different style will compete for attention, so having pearls on your dress and sparkling rhinestone chandelier ear-rings will be a definite clash. Mix and match sensibly, and if you include a colour, such as a blue to match your sapphire engagement ring, don’t include other colours in your jewellery.
JEWELLERY FOR MEN
After all the stress of finding the perfect engagement ring for his bride, the groom’s wedding band can often be an overlooked and under-researched part of the wedding. As a piece of jewellery that will be worn daily for years, the man of the moment should give due consideration to his lifestyle and dress style. Is his lifestyle more active, or more sedentary? There are more options in terms of materials and men are no longer restricted. Apart from the gold options, other available materials are wood, tungsten, palladium and silver. Some, such as titanium, are a little more affordable than gold but may not be as durable. The groom’s band needs to be as tailor-made to the groom’s lifestyle and interests as the bride’s ring is to hers. As such, the rings don’t need to match, but it may be helpful to incorporate a matching element across both rings. This could be in the choice of metal, or including the same gemstone in both designs. There could be a matching design element across both rings, such as a pattern. The pattern could be an imprint of your fingerprints, which can be included on the inside or outside design of the ring.
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