- What does an engagement ring mean?
- What hand does the engagement ring go on?
- What finger does the engagement ring go on?
- What does an engagement ring look like?
- What should an engagement ring cost?
- What is the most common stone for an engagement ring?
- What is a diamond solitaire?
- What is a the difference a vintage engagement ring and an antique engagement ring?
- Where can I buy a vintage or antique engagement ring?
- What is an estate engagement ring?
- What are Georgian engagement rings?
- What are Victorian engagement rings?
- What are Edwardian engagement rings?
- What are Art Deco engagement rings?
- What is the difference between Art Deco and Art Nouveau engagement rings?
- What is a filigree engagement ring?
- What are popular styles for modern engagement rings?
- What are some famous celebrity engagement rings?
- What is a halo engagement ring?
- What is a cushion cut engagement ring?
- Are black diamond engagement rings real diamonds?
- What are alternatives to diamond engagement rings?
- What is a moissanite engagement ring?
- Are there engagement ring styles for men?
What does an engagement ring mean?
An engagement ring means that the wearer is engaged to be married.
What hand does the engagement ring go on?
An engagement ring traditionally goes on the left hand.
What finger does the engagement ring go on?
Traditionally, the engagement ring goes on the fourth (ring) finger.
What does an engagement ring look like?
An engagement ring comes in many styles. A typical engagement ring is a solitaire diamond ring. Over the years, and due to costs and wanting customized rings, engagement rings have started to be made using a variety of gemstones and sizes.
What should an engagement ring cost?
A general rule for buying an engagement ring says should spend 2 months of your income on an engagement ring. If your income is $1500 per month, you should spend about $3,000 on an engagement ring.
However, this is not the only way to decide on how much an engagement ring should cost. You should consider your financial situation and your bride-to-be’s expectations.
The average price of an engagement ring is $1,000-$5,000. You can find engagement rings priced as low as $100 and as high as in the million-dollar range.
What is the most common stone for an engagement ring?
The most common stone for engagement rings is a diamond. Diamond engagement rings became popular after DeBeers Mining Company began exporting large quantities of diamonds out of South Africa. Today, a diamond is considered the traditional stone for an engagement ring.
What is a diamond solitaire?
The most traditional style of diamond ring is a solitaire. Engagement ring styles with a solitaire feature a single diamond on a plain band. Usually, the diamond is held in either a trellis setting (interwoven prongs) or a basket setting (four to six prongs holding the diamond in a basket shape). A non-traditional solitaire engagement ring can also have much smaller stones set into the ring’s band or on either side of the center diamond.
What is a the difference a vintage engagement ring and an antique engagement ring?
A vintage engagement ring is a ring that is made in the style of a past era. This is different from an antique engagement ring style, which is a ring that is more than 50 years old. A engagement ring can be both vintage (design) and antique (age), or it can be a modern ring made in a vintage style.
Where can I buy a vintage or antique engagement ring?
Some jewelry stores sell vintage and antique rings in special sections. These rings have usually been repaired and come with paperwork authenticating the metal and stones. Vintage engagement ring styles are also made by modern jewelry manufacturers. These rings are often custom made to mimic a past style of jewelry, such as Art Deco or Edwardian.
What is an estate engagement ring?
An estate engagement ring generally is a ring that is less than 50 years old but not new. Sometimes, though, jewelry dealers use “estate” and “antique” interchangeably when referring to engagement rings.
If an estate engagement ring is bought at an estate sale, it can be much less expensive than one bought new in a store. These estate engagement rings are frequently family pieces. However, many estate rings are sold at auction for high prices if they feature distinctive stones or once belonged to celebrities. Estate engagement rings can be in vintage or modern styles and may feature any metal or gemstone.
What are Georgian engagement rings?
The Georgian style of engagement ring was made between 1714 and 1830. These were often family rings given to women during a betrothal. Greek design and art were popular during the Georgian period. Many of these rings feature classical patterns like flowers, vines, and wheat stalks. Georgian engagement rings were usually made of yellow gold, though occasionally rings were silver plated and dipped in gold. They were set with a variety of gemstones, including emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and rubies. Because of their age, antique Georgian rings are rare, but many vintage-style rings are made with Georgian designs.
What are Victorian engagement rings?
The Victorian style of engagement ring was made between 1835 and 1900. Rings during this era were made of either gold or silver. Rose gold also became popular during the Victorian period, so shoppers looking for antique rose gold rings should look for Victorian pieces. Engagement rings from the early Victorian period were often made with bright stones, particularly the bride’s birthstone. After diamond mines were opened in South Africa in the late Victorian period, diamonds began to be popular for engagement rings, including the diamond solitaire style.
What are Edwardian engagement rings?
The Edwardian style of engagement ring was made between 1901 and 1910. Rings from this time period are known for being delicate and feminine, often with a lacy design. Gold and colored gemstones were used during the Edwardian period, but it is best known for the rise of diamond and platinum engagement rings. The designs of this era included garlands, moons, stars, and flowers. Other gemstones used in engagement rings included rubies, black opals, sapphires, and peridots.
What are Art Deco engagement rings?
Art Deco refers to the design style popular during the Jazz Age of the early 20th century. Antique Art Deco rings were made between 1915 and 1935, but many modern engagement rings are made in an Art Deco style. This style features sharp edges, geometric elements, and linear designs. Many designs in Art Deco engagement rings include abstract elements of Egyptian, Asian, or African art. Diamonds were the most popular gemstone for Art Deco rings, and most of these rings were made of platinum. However, some Art Deco engagement rings were made with gold or silver and set with colorful gemstones, such as emeralds, jade, and rubies.
What is the difference between Art Deco and Art Nouveau engagement rings?
Art Deco and Art Nouveau were two distinct artistic styles. Art Deco refers to the geometric style popular between 1915 and 1935. Art Nouveau was introduced during the Edwardian period, from 1890 to 1910. Art Nouveau engagement rings feature flowing, natural designs, such as leaves and flowers. Art Nouveau rings are also known for their stunning enamel work, which gives them the look of small stained glass pieces. While Art Deco rings were often made of platinum and diamonds, Art Nouveau engagement rings were more likely to be white or yellow gold and were set with stones such as amethyst, amber, or pearl. Modern Art Nouveau rings often replace these stones with diamonds, but keep the delicate, sweeping lines of the Art Nouveau style.
What is a filigree engagement ring?
Filigree is a particular style of lacy metal work made of ornately woven metal wire. In engagement rings, this is used to decorate either the band or the setting for the gemstone. Filigree work was very popular during the Edwardian era, and many antique engagement rings feature elaborate filigree designs and settings. Modern engagement rings made to imitate vintage styles often have filigree designs.
What are popular styles for modern engagement rings?
During the second half of the twentieth century, the rise of the middle class in American led to an increased popularity of elaborate engagement ring styles. These modern engagement ring designs featured large diamonds, often 1 carat or larger, or large clusters of smaller diamonds. The three-stone ring, with one large center stone and two slightly smaller stones on either side, became a common style for engagement rings. Many modern engagement rings are designed as part of a set and include a matching wedding band set with diamonds.
What are some famous celebrity engagement rings?
Celebrity engagement rings are known for having large stones in elaborate settings. Many celebrity engagement rings become very popular and set jewelry trends for years afterwards.
Elizabeth Taylor’s engagement ring from Richard Burton (which he gave to her four years into their marriage) featured a 33.19-carat diamond and became one of the most iconic rings of all time. In 2005, actor Tom Cruise proposed to actress Katie Holmes with an oval-cut 5-carat diamond right. Part of the setting was done in rose gold, which sparked a new trend for rose gold engagement rings over the next several years.
Prince William of England proposed to his wife Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, with a sapphire and diamond engagement ring that once belonged to his mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Kate Middleton’s ring led to the increased popularity of engagement rings set with large colored gemstones, rather than diamonds.
What is a halo engagement ring?
Halo engagement ring settings were first seen in the 1920s and have become popular again for modern engagement rings. A halo setting features a larger center stone surrounded by a circle (or halo) of smaller stones. Sometimes the circle is made with stones in individual settings, other times it is made with a row of pavé stones. The band can either be plain or set with pavé stones, as well.
The center stone for halo rings is often a diamond, though many jewelers will use colored gemstones such as aquamarine, sapphire, or emerald. The stones that form the halo are usually diamonds, regardless of the type of center stone, but they can be other gemstones, as well.
Halo engagement ring settings are a popular way of making a smaller center stone appear larger. Modern halo engagement rings are often made with up to two or three halos of pavé diamonds.
What is a cushion cut engagement ring?
A cushion cut engagement ring features a stone that is cut in a square or rectangle that features rounded corners and large facets, also known as ”pillow cut.” It has been been popular for over a century. Unlike round cut stones, cushion cut stones display their color very brilliantly. For this reason, cushion cut engagement rings are popular for colored stones, especially colored diamonds, such as yellow or canary diamonds.
Are black diamond engagement rings real diamonds?
Black diamonds are a popular alternative to white or clear diamonds in engagement rings because of their dramatic color. Many jewelers will pair black and white diamonds together in engagement rings for an even greater contrast. The diamonds in black diamond engagement rings are real, and the most expensive black diamond engagement rings are made with high-quality, naturally occurring black diamonds.
Naturally occurring black diamonds are very rare and expensive, so many of the black diamonds that are set into engagement rings are clear diamonds treated at high temperatures. This process turns white diamonds a dark green color that appears black in natural light.
Once the color changes, it is harder to spot flaws in the diamonds, so lower-quality white diamonds are used for this process. As a result, engagement rings made with black diamonds are often much less expensive than those made with clear or white diamonds.
What are alternatives to diamond engagement rings?
Some couples choose alternative engagement rings to to achieve a more vintage look with a colored stone or to save money. Others simply like the style of colored gemstones in engagement rings, which became popular after the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
Non-diamond engagement rings can be made with any gemstone, but some popular ones are pearl, emerald, sapphire, aquamarine, and moissanite. Moissanite, which often has a light pink color, is a popular stone for rose gold engagement rings. Another popular choice for alternative engagement rings is white sapphire, which has the same clear quality and shine as a diamond but costs less.
What is a moissanite engagement ring?
Observing it through the naked eye, it is very hard to distinguish a moissanite diamond from a diamond. It is a scarce gem that has qualities like those of a diamond. Moissanite is a crystal of the mineral composition of silicon carbide that exists by nature. It was first found in 1893 by French chemist, Henri Moissan, while studying stones in a meteor crater. The crystal, which he at first confused for diamonds, was later named after him.
In fact, some stones have passed for diamonds under professional scrutiny. It compares closely to diamonds in terms of color, brilliance, and hardness. Moissanite has a color similar to GIA certified K-color diamond, a hardness score of 9.25 (a diamond is a 10), and it sparkles more than a diamond.
The rainbow sparkles produced by moissanite are nicer than those of diamonds, but the two gems are very distinct. One sure way to distinguish between a diamond and moissanite is to test their electrical conduction properties. A moissanite is a good electrical conductor but a diamond is not. It is also twice as refractive as diamond.
Although a moissanite diamond looks as brilliant as a diamond, its value is considerably less, with a diamond costing 7 times or more than a moissanite diamond. However, the units to determine the value of a moissanite diamond is different than that of a diamond, with a diamond being valued by carat weight and a moissanite diamond being measured by millimeters.
Are there engagement ring styles for men?
While men’s engagement rings are not currently common in many Western countries, it was once traditional in Europe for both men and women to wear betrothal rings. In other cultures, a man would wear his wedding band on his right hand to symbolize his engagement, then move it to his left hand during the wedding. Men’s engagement rings remain traditional in other parts of the world, including some South American, Asian, and Scandinavian countries.
For men who choose to wear an engagement ring, there are a variety of styles to choose from which include thin silver, steel, or gold bands, either plain or textured. These are designed to be worn next to a wedding band after the marriage. Other options are a wide band set with a small diamond or row of pavé diamonds down the middle. Some men’s engagement rings feature popular Celtic symbols of commitment, such as a lover’s knot or a Claddagh.
Who are popular engagement ring designers?
Many famous jewelry designers are known for their distinctive engagement rings styles.
Comments are closed.