Engagement rings are no longer the sole domain of diamonds and bling. It is all about unique gems, rosy colours and a different approach to design. Jewellery designer, Fairina Cheng (fairinachengjewellery.com), shares the 5 biggest trends in engagement rings and ideas for creating your own piece of custom jewellery.
1. Mixed metals
Where white gold has been the classic choice for many years, rose gold is now emerging as the choice-du-jour. Its soft feminine hues make it highly complementary to a wide range of skin tones. Combining rose and white gold, or yellow and white gold for example, are great ways to add some contrast to your ring. “For a subtle pop of colour, try a yellow gold setting with a white gold band, or a platinum wedding band with a rose gold engagement ring,” Fairina says.
2. Colour it coral
3. It’s all about shape
“The shape of your gemstone is the factor that makes the biggest difference in your ring,” says Fairina. Go beyond the traditional round, oval and princess cut gemstones and explore less traditional shapes like pears, trilliants or emerald cuts. “If you’re looking for something especially different, use distinctive shapes like hexagons, octagons and freeform gemstones. Freeform gems are cut to showcase the best of the gemstone, rather than conforming to a specific shape,” Fairina says.