10 Engagement Ring Trends Forecast for 2018

 

 

This engagement season is in full blast and we’ll do a wrap up of the rings you and your love picked in the new year.  Here is my trend forecast for the next engagement season, I was partly inspired by my recent visit to Greenwich St. Jewelers where some of the rings I picked can be found, my own taste as I have been shopping for an engagement ring this year and our audience strong opinions.

 


Hexagonal and Octagonal Halos

1 beverly k hectagonale engagement ring 2 sylvie hectagonale engagement ring
Beverley K Sylvie Collection

 

It’s hard to re-invent the wheel but this new Art Deco inspired halo shape is aesthetically elegant and makes your center stone look bigger. It’s a great pick for women looking for a ring with a vintage flair. I love the simplicity of the band of the Beverley K. setting and the trapezoid side details on Sylvie’s.

sylvie engagement ring number 2

Horizontally Set Stones

3 jane trau horizontal engagement ring 4 single stone engagement ring
Jade Trau Single Stone

 

I am a big fan of this trend, my engagement ring will feature an East-West orientation diamond. This type of setting is getting popular for several reasons. They are more practical to wear on a daily basis and great to stack on multiple bands. The 2 above styles feature octagonal bezels which could be an 11th trend for 2018. I love the slickness of Single Stone’s that works so well with a step-cut diamond center, and the optical illusion created by the mix of shapes in Jade Trau’s design.

sylvie engagement ring number 3

Tipsy Princesses

5 barkev tipsy princess engagement ring 6 karl lagerfeld tipsy princess engagement ring
Barkev’s Karl Lagerfeld

 

The Princess cut used to be the most popular fancy diamond shape, then cushion became a big trend. Since last year step-cuts, ovals and pears engagement rings have been on the rise. Everyone is now craving a unique engagement ring and picking a none traditional center shape is one way to do achieve that. I am happy to report that princess cut diamond engagement rings are coming back. They are either set in a classic and romantic square halo or sideways for a more modern and edgy look that some call a kite setting . The princess cut extra facets hide diamond flaws better than brilliant cuts and is more shallow, so you can get more carat weight and a bigger look for your budget.

sylvie engagement ring number 4

Curved Bands are the New Stackables

8 Anna sheffield curved band engagement ring 7 anna sheffield curved bands engagement rings
Anna Sheffield Anna Sheffield

 

In 2018, stacking bands will be so yesterday… JK. However I predict that chevron or tiara shaped bands and ring jackets will be what women will want as wedding bands, anniversary gifts or treat yourself self-purchases to spice up their ring stacks. These type of rings really transform the look of an engagement ring. Truth be told, a lot of you tell us that  you wish you could own several engagement rings… I don’t blame you. A more realistic option is to pick an engagement ring style that you’ll be able to dress up or down with stackables. Anna Sheffield has been a precursor of the curved band trend and offers a lot of options and combinations as you can see in the pictures. Ask your jewelry store or designer if they also offer fun stackables and ring jackets and let the ring party begin!

sylvie engagement ring number 5

Enamel and Onyx accents

9 emily gill engagement ring 10 noam carver engagement ring
Emily Gill Noam Carver

 

We are seeing enamelling coming back as a trend in fine and high jewelry. Enamel is made of glass and was first created by crafstmen in 13th century BC. I love these two very unique engagement rings. Emily Gill  has a whole collection of beautiful diamond rings with enamel details in an array of colors. Noam Carver won the 2017 Centurion Bridal Award with his super cool white enamel engagement ring. Keep in mind enamel is fragile so you should consider your lifestyle before picking a ring with enamel accents.  A great alternative  for more durability and hardness with the same look is white or black onyx. If you buy any piece of jewelry with enamel, make sure you are not sold epoxy instead.

sylvie engagement ring number 6

Enter the Marquise

11 love my romance marquise engagement ring 12 maevona marquise engagement ring
Love My Romance MaeVona

 

The marquise is the hot new diamond shape! Two celebrities got engaged with a marquise engagement ring this year, Katie Cassidy and Holly Marie Combs (click their names to see their stunning rings). This fancy shape looks good set vertically or horizontally. It is a great pick for a woman getting engaged in her thirties or more. It’s a strong and self empowering diamond shape. I love the vintage vibe of the Love My Romance ring and MaeVona’s unique setting and Celtic details.

sylvie engagement ring number 7

Salt and Pepper Diamonds

13 rebecca overmann engagement ring 14 anueva engagement ring
Rebecca Overmann Anueva

 

Finding beauty in imperfections, isn’t it what this human life is all about? Instead of trying to hide a greyish color or inclusions, salt and pepper diamonds are gorgeous and mesmerizing just because of them. Opaque grey diamonds have been a strong trend in alternative bridal in the past few years but I find the transparency of salt and pepper diamonds very appealing. I love the color contrast in this Rebecca Overmann ring and the light grey snowflake cluster ring created by Anueva.

sylvie engagement ring number 8

Eternity Bands as Engagement Rings

15 julie lamb wedding band engagement ring 16 picchiotti engagement ring
Julie Lamb Picchiotti

 

The  engagement eternity band is becoming a very popular trend . Evan Rachel Wood just got engaged with one as did Colton Haynes. Some designers are taking this hot trend opportunity to go beyond what is expected and add new design elements to this timeless classic. I picked two bands with emerald cut diamonds for this article but you should also consider marquises and cushions. Julie’s ring is all flexible for  a very unique fit close to a curb ring but not quite. Picchiotti’s band is extendable to accommodate larger knuckles and hormonal flux .

 

sylvie engagement ring number 9

Unisex Engagement Rings

17 erika winter engagement ring unisex 18 talore diamond unisex engagement ring
Erika Winters Talore Diamond

 

Many new engagement ring and wedding band styles come with no gender specification and would look good on any two partners men, women and non-binary. Erika Winters’ Hana rings are not only stunning, they feel like a million bucks on the finger, weighty and smooth — spot the double octagonal shapes, big trend I said! I love the two tone half bezel in the Talore’s ring, do note that the center diamond is slightly green.

sylvie engagement ring number 10

Solitaires With Many Pointy Prongs

19 erika winter oval engagement ring 20 jane trau pear engagement ring
Erika Winters Jade Trau

 

The solitaire setting is definitely coming back but with 6 to 8 prongs. It is an homage to the past and the Victorian era and I think it makes rings look edgy and modern. Though these settings also look great with round centers, I wanted to show you an oval with Erika Winters’ signature edge knife Laurel setting and  Jade Trau’s angled pear engagement ring with 8 prongs. Both of these rings are stand outs.

Written by Sev

Severine Ferrari AKA Sev is the editor and writer of this blog and the online magazine Engagement 101. Sev was born and raised in Paris and has lived in New York City for over 20 years. Her blogging style still includes elements of her French writing style and humor. We recommend reading it with a glass of champagne and a French accent.

Related Posts

Comments (2)

 

  1. Sereana says:

    I’m interesting Anna Sheffield engagement rings.how much does it costs?

  2. severine says:

    Your can find the info on http://www.annasheffield.com

Leave a Comment