This year, traditional engagement rings have taken a backseat to a range of uniquely beautiful ring designs. Look at 2023’s top trends and you’ll see vibrant splashes of color, unexpected proportions, unique diamond shapes, and a dizzying range of vintage-inspired details. With such a wide range of designs to choose from, it’s never been easier to find an engagement ring that speaks to your personal style. Find yours as we go over the year’s 7 biggest engagement ring trends.
Wide Bands
Wide bands are on the rise in 2023, marking a shift away from the ultra thin bands that have been found on top ring styles in recent years. Those dainty rings have given way to bolder designs with modern-looking, chunky bands. Thick wedding bands, including cigar band styles, are also trending in the bridal category.
Yellow Gold Bands
Yellow gold engagement rings are having a strong resurgence this year. Yellow gold is currently as popular, if not slightly more popular, than white gold, which has been the top precious metal for engagement rings for years. Yellow gold is especially favored for designs with a more classic style, like solitaire and three stone engagement ring settings.
Vintage-Inspired Rings
If you’re a fan of vintage-inspired jewelry, you have a wealth of on trend engagement rings to choose from in 2023. A diverse collection of vintage engagement ring designs are trending at the moment, including everything from swirling Victorian era styles to bold Art Deco pieces. Vintage settings with graphic elements and milgrain are particularly popular.
Target Rings
One of the biggest trends in the vintage category is target rings, a unique engagement ring style with a lovely meaning. Originally created in the Edwardian era, target rings feature concentric circles around their center stone. This romantic design symbolizes a target that has been shot by Cupid’s arrow. Target rings also were quite popular in the Art Deco era, a vintage period known for its focus on geometric shapes.
Colored Stones
Colorful diamond and gemstone engagement rings are having a major moment. Both colorful center stones and colored accents are trending, and no single color rules the category. Whether you want a traditional colored gemstone style or a modern design that offers a pop of color, you have a rainbow of options to choose from.
The colorful gemstone trend has been heavily influenced by the rise in colored celebrity engagement rings. Some notable examples are Megan Fox’s emerald and white diamond toi et moi ring, Katy Perry’s floral-inspired ruby design, and Scarlett Johansson’s light brown diamond ring.
Jennifer Lopez also recently donned a colored diamond ring when she got engaged to Ben Affleck for the second time. For their first engagement, she wore a 6.1 carat radiant cut pink diamond ring. For their second, she wears a highly unique 8.5 carat cushion cut green diamond ring.
Non-Traditional Rings
An overarching engagement ring trend for 2023 is non-traditional rings. People are shying away from traditional solitaires and turning to rings with unexpected settings. We’re seeing a spike in demand for designs that are usually considered niche for engagement rings, like cluster rings, asymmetrical pieces, and rings with east-west settings.
Some of this year’s non-traditional rings are designed to make a bold statement, while others are more subtle. An example of a more understated non-traditional design is hidden halo rings, which look like classic solitaires from a distance, but have a modern twist upon closer inspection.
Lab-grown diamond rings also fall into this non-traditional category. In years past, people almost always chose natural diamonds for their engagement rings. But demand for lab-grown diamond engagement rings has risen dramatically over the last year. Lab-grown diamonds are popular due to their reputation as more ethical diamonds, as well as their substantially lower price point, which allows couples to get a noticeably larger stone within their budget.
Step Cut Diamonds
Fancy diamond shapes are trending in general in 2023, with step cut diamonds being the most popular choice in the category. Step cut diamonds have long, linear facets that create larger facets of light, rather than more delicate shimmer like brilliant cuts. Step cut diamond jewelry peaked in popularity in the Art Deco and Retro eras, giving step cuts quite a timeless style.
The three most common step cut diamond shapes are emerald cut, asscher cut, and baguette shaped diamonds. Asscher and emerald cut diamonds are used as accent stones and center diamonds, while baguette diamonds tend to be used solely as accents on engagement rings. One exception, however, is one of this year’s trending non-traditional styles: cluster rings featuring baguette diamonds.
Find Your Perfect Engagement Ring Style at Bridal Rings
Ready to find an engagement ring that speaks to your love story? Find your dream design in our engagement ring collection, featuring everything from timeless classics to on-trend modern settings.