Fresh and Gorgeous: Contemporary Engagement Rings

Do you know the difference between a contemporary-styled engagement ring and a vintage-style ring? Most couples don’t know how to put it into words, but they do know they find the more modern rings especially appealing.

While traditional styling and vintage styles are classic and lovely, the new contemporary engagement rings allow much greater artistry and variety. Now couples can choose rings to reflect and blend with their overall style, whether they choose to have a jeweller work with them on bespoke rings, or choose from hundreds of modern styles already created by professional jewellery designers.

Contemporary rings are available in many more designs than even a decade ago. Advances in using and blending precious metals have allowed jewellers to create settings quite unlike the typical older-style high-profile solitaire with bezel, channel or prong settings. A brilliant-cut round solitaire held high above a yellow-gold setting is classic, but not for everyone. Now, couples who prefer a brilliant silvery-white metal to set off the lustre and cool sparkle of their diamond can choose bright silvery-white palladium for their ring, or have a ring made with white gold for a warmer silvery tone, or platinum engagement ring for a cool grey-silver hue.

Contemporary engagement rings don’t always feature a single large stone, either. With contemporary engagement rings, clusters and three-stone rings are in demand. The geometric forms that can be created with clusters of diamonds are fresh and eye-catching. Free-form clusters are especially gorgeous in contemporary engagement rings.

Some brides-to-be are choosing to have their bands pave-set. Pave settings “pave” part of the band on either side of the central stones. Pave settings are relatively new and add tremendous sparkle, since the tiny faceted stones are almost invisibly held in the band. Coupled with palladium, white gold, or platinum – silver-white precious metals that echo the clear “white” hue of the diamond – the tiny diamonds serve to make the band look like it is all continuous diamond. And since small diamonds are inexpensive compared to larger ones, those who choose this style don’t necessarily have to spend a small fortune to get a modern look.

Another way contemporary engagement rings create an illusion of larger or more diamonds is by using a tension setting, where the diamond is held between the two sides of the band and seems to “float” in the gap. Even a small diamond seems larger in this setting, as it is almost invisibly supported. Modern “star set” princess cut diamonds lend themselves to this treatment especially well, as do the “twist” bands that are new on the jewellery scene.