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Maybe a long white dress isn’t your thing. If you find yourself bucking at tradition, wedding planning can be frustrating at times. Every aspect of a wedding can feel buttressed by traditions created by other people.
If you don’t want something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, you may want a less traditional engagement ring.
When it comes down to it, your engagement and wedding jewellery should be reflections of you. This is your special day, arranged to celebrate your love and commitment, and your personalities should infuse the festivities thoroughly.
Fortunately, today’s engagement ring selection provides plenty of gorgeous styles for alternative brides. As you sift through your options, pay close attention to the following elements.
Break the rules by incorporating several different metals in one super-fresh engagement ring. Mixed-metal rings run the gamut from subtle stack rings to fashion-forward oxidised looks. If you have a difficult time narrowing down your options, mixed metals might be the answer to your indecision. Choose them all!
If you want to push the envelope, consider a design like Spinelli Kilcollin’s Anath ring. It’s composed of four linked rings in mixed 18K rose, yellow and white gold with pavé-set white, champagne and cognac diamonds as well as a one-carat diamond solitaire.
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Nothing says “traditional” like symmetry. From architecture to fashion, symmetry creates balance and harmony. But not everyone favours these traits. An asymmetrical engagement ring is perfect for an alternative bride.
Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski brought asymmetry into the limelight with her stunning two-stone engagement ring. The two diamonds, an emerald cut and a pear, sit side by side next to a thick yellow gold band.
If you love asymmetry, consider a mismatched diamond guarded by two bands, one on top and the other on the bottom. This design has been trending in 2019 and shows off a modern sensibility.
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What’s the traditional gemstone for engagement rings? Colourless diamonds, of course. So if you’re looking for a unique ring, go for a splash of colour.
Thanks to Kate Middleton, Olivia Wilde, Blake Lively and Reese Witherspoon, coloured gemstone engagement are having a moment. And just because you include a bit of colour in your engagement ring doesn’t mean that diamonds are verboten. The combination of colourless stones with a fiery ruby or deep blue sapphire may be a match made in heaven.
Inventive couples are choosing birthstones or favourite colours to personalise engagement rings. From mint tourmaline to brilliant orange sapphires, the colour options are endless, giving you plenty of freedom to create the avant-garde ring of your dreams.
Often, unique wedding rings take on an angular, futuristic appearance, but the nature-inspired rings we see this year have a different quality altogether. Leafy tendrils, delicate floral motifs and gently curving lines give engagement rings a down-to-earth, back-to-nature feel. Designed to capture the beauty of the natural world, these rings range from whimsical and abstract to biologically accurate representations. Look for braided vines in mixed metals, flower-shaped halos and clover-embedded centre stones. The fusion of hard metal and rock with the appearance of organic structures creates a unique piece of wedding jewellery that gently breaks with tradition.
If round brilliants are too conventional for your taste, look to fancy diamond shapes to set your engagement ring apart from the crowd. The cushion-cut, with its square shape and rounded corners, sets a ring apart.
Lady Gaga, never a slave to tradition, received a 6-carat, heart-shaped diamond ring from fiance Taylor Kinney. Marquise, pear and oval shapes also catch the eye and lend themselves well to unique settings.
Another benefit to using fancy diamond shapes is that you can often get more stone for your money. Due to the high demand for round brilliants, they’re priced higher per carat. Choosing a less popular shape (such as Asscher, princess or radiant), will allow you to get a larger stone for the same price.
For a unique look, why not try a rough diamond engagement ring? Rough uncut diamonds have a mystical, distinctive look--perfect for the alternative bride.
Uncut diamonds look like natural stones instead of precious gems. They come in every colour you can imagine, from white, grey and yellow to blue, brown and even red. They’re cloudy. They have inclusions that would typically be eliminated during the cutting process. Instead of sparkling, raw diamonds shimmer with a subtle glory all their own.
Raw and rough-cut diamonds present exciting challenges for jewellers. They’re not usually symmetrical, so they don’t fit neatly into pre-designed settings. Natural and rough-cut diamonds may require a great deal of work from the jeweller, but the stones themselves are less expensive. In the end, you could have a one-of-a-kind ring for the price of a standard gem-cut diamond ring. It might be just the subtle, sophisticated look you’ve been craving.
When you find the unique engagement ring that perfectly suits your personality, insure it with Q Report Jewellery Insurance. No matter where you go, we’ll protect your ring from theft, loss and damage. Purchase your ring from a Q Certified Jeweller, or get an instant quote to find out how affordable it is to protect the things you love.
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