For expert top tips and all the latest trends in wedding rings, read on! (Now there’s something with a real ring to it…)
A thing of beauty is a joy forever (as Mary Poppins once said). Choosing your engagement and wedding ring is the only jewellery you will wear consistently for life – it’s got to be perfect (as Fairground Attraction once sang…). We spoke with Vineet Khandelwal, from Diamond Rocks, a Hatton Garden-based jewellery retailer, for an inside look at the latest trends in wedding rings…
“Round, brilliant-cut diamonds and gold bands may be synonymous with engagements and weddings, and yet more and more brides are abandoning the traditional formula for an increasing number of different shapes, stones, designs, materials and settings”. Here are Vineet’s predictions and top tips for choosing your wedding rings…
Pale aquamarine pear and marquise diamond ring in platinum copy
Precious platinum reigns supreme!
Platinum, with its white-silvery hue, is proving immensely popular for engagement rings and wedding bands at the moment. Considered rarer than gold – heavier and often more expensive – it boasts incredible resistance to wear and doesn’t tarnish easily either.
Choose thinner bands to flatter
More brides are opting for thinner bands on their rings, spurred on by the fashion industry’s preoccupation with delicate jewellery over the past couple of years. Thinner bands have a subtle quality and tend to be more comfortable to wear. What’s more, their streamlined design allows for more interesting detail elsewhere. They can also trick the eye into making fingers look longer and more elegant, no bad thing when it comes to the wedding day when everyone will want a look. And while more brides-to-be are opting for this sleeker look, they’re also tending to choose diamond-encircled wedding bands to accompany them.
Setting pretty
More than ever, brides are playing around with the way in which their diamonds are set. The traditional solitaire remains ever-popular, but halo settings are also proving very attractive for 2017 brides. A halo setting sees the central jewel surrounded by a ring, or ‘halo’, of smaller gems, helping to make the focal gem look larger. Double set halos, micro-set halos and diamond shoulders are all on the rise, too, likely influenced by diamond-dripping collections coming from big brands such as Tiffany’s, De Beers and Cartier. At the moment, no expense is to be spared when it comes to the setting.
Express your individuality with an unconventional colour
Unusual colours in engagement rings are a great idea for brides looking for something a little different. Sapphires, emeralds and rubies set with diamonds remain popular, but vary dramatically in their shade, saturation and intensity; a result of the complex cocktail of minerals within the crystal as it forms. If you like gemstones but are worried about one looking too loud, opt for a subtle look, like this pale aquamarine pear and marquise diamond ring in platinum, or this delicate yellow cushion-cut diamond nestled between two smaller, clear, trillion-cut diamonds.
Vineet’s takeaway tips for brides on a budget:
- Go for a lower-graded cut of diamond: opting for ‘very good’ as opposed to ‘excellent’ compromises some of the sparkle, but can help with those all-important budget decisions.
- Try a lower clarity rating: the diamond will have more inclusions (small imperfections or blemishes) but it’s unlikely that you’ll see them under the naked eye, or without the help of 10X magnification and a skilled grader.
- Choose a different colour grading: diamond colour varies in range from D (the best and fully colourless) to Z (light yellow.) G and H diamonds are an affordable medium, with the hue practically invisible to the naked eye. Setting them on a white metal can reduce the effect of the tint.
Polish up on your knowledge of the four Cs (carat, colour, clarity and cut) and visit diamondrocks.co.uk now!
