https://www.costerdiamonds.com/tours/book-a-free-guided-tour/
At Royal Coster Diamonds, every day we have the privilege to make someone happy with a diamond engagement ring. Because we are in business for more than 175 years, we have a fair idea about what people like. Every year we see new trends occurring. Yet, the classic engagement rings are still very popular. That is why we wondered: what is the most popular engagement ring? Of course, our experts are well aware what the most popular engagement rings at Royal Coster are. However, we still felt it was important to take the long view. After hours of surfing the WorldWide Web and many Pinterest boards, eBay pages, Amazon ads, Instagram feeds and auction sites later, we found the answer. Although this is not a scientific research, we can make a safe assumption of what the most popular engagement ring looks like. It appeared there are roughly four factors that determine the perfect engagement ring. These factors are the stones, the setting, the metals and the (diamond) cut.
Many people already know diamonds come in all shapes and colors. However, not every woman dreams of a diamond. Engagement rings with gemstones are nowadays also quite popular. Still, the white diamond is the favorite stone for an engagement ring.
Almost 59% of the women prefer an engagement ring with one central white diamond with small brilliants on the side.
The timeless classic: a solitaire engagement ring. This traditional engagement ring with one diamond is with a little over 19% still one of the most popular rings. A solitaire ring’s beauty stems from its simplicity.
Although it’s still not extremely regular, around 7% chooses for another stone in their engagement ring. Instead of a diamond, they often opt for a gemstone that means something special to the one wearing it. Think for example about a sapphire, an emerald or a ruby.
The last 4% prefers something completely different. The options for engagement rings are endless. They vary from engagement rings with literally hundreds of diamonds to rings without stones. There are just as many options as there are people.
The setting is the way a diamond is encrusted to or in the ring. Maybe it’s not the first thing you’d think of, but the setting is an important part of the perfect engagement ring. The setting has a great impact on the overall appearance of the ring.
With a prong (or fork) setting, the diamond is attached to the ring by means of prongs. It looks like the prongs lift the stone above the ring. This is the most popular setting for engagement rings. No less than 29% of the women prefer a prong setting. This setting is something you see a lot for solitaire rings.
Almost a quarter of the women, 24%, choose a halo setting. Maybe the word halo reminds you of an angel’s aureole. You’re not wrong: that’s what the halo setting is called after. In this setting, one large center diamond (or another gemstone) that is completely surrounded by smaller diamonds. Sometimes, a halo setting is combined with a pave.
Pave literally means ‘row’. Within a pave setting, the band (the metal) of the ring is encrusted with a row of diamonds. A little over 15% wants this setting. There are different versions of paves. Sometimes half of the band or the entire band is plated with diamonds. This kind of ring is called an entourage or alliance ring. But it is also possible to combine a prong or halo setting with a pave. A pave can give those settings just that little extra va-va-voom and sparkles.
Whereas in the other settings, the diamonds are on top of the metal, a channel setting has the diamonds in the metal. This setting makes a ring look smoother than the other settings. The diamonds are also extra secure within a channel setting. They will less easy become damaged this way. Just like at the pave, there are combinations of a channel setting can with a prong or halo. 11% would be the happiest with a channel setting around their finger.
The other 21% of the rings we encountered were in other settings. Apart from the settings mentioned above, there are many others, like the bezel, three-stone and the bypass setting. It is impossible to name them all.
Gold is by far the most popular metal for engagement rings. Even back in the days, people used gold for precious rings and other jewelry. Most of the (real) jewelers sell rings of 14 or 18 karat gold. Pure gold is 24 karat, but this is too soft to use for jewelry. To make gold suitable for accessories, it is mixed with other metals. This can be silver, copper, palladium or platina.
With a whopping 72%, it’s obvious most women prefer a white gold engagement ring. This ring can be 14 or 18 karat white gold. 14 karat white gold is made from 58% gold; the rest is palladium or platinum. 18 karat has a higher amount of gold in the mix. This consists for 75% of gold and 25% of palladium or platinum.
Platina is also a very popular metal for engagement rings. 17% said they would be the happiest with a platinum ring. Platina is rarer and purer than gold. It has also a higher durability and is more exclusive.
Despite the popularity of white metals, 5% still wants a traditional yellow gold engagement ring. Just like white gold, yellow gold can be 14 or 18 karat. 14 karat consists for 58% of gold and 18 karat for 75%. The rest is a mix of silver and copper.
With a modest 2%, rose gold is also still in the game. Rose gold engagement rings are relatively new but already quite popular. 14 karat rose gold is not very common. This is a mix of 58% gold, copper and a tat of silver. 18 karat rose gold consists for 75% of gold and a mix of copper and silver. The high amount of copper gives the ring a pink hue.
The other few let percents prefer another metal for their engagement ring like silver or titanium.
The shape of a diamond has a tremendous influence on the feeling of the engagement ring. This is the part of the ring where the feelings and craftsmanship was put into. You can recognize a good engagement ring by the quality of the diamond cut. The most used diamond cuts are brilliant, emerald, princess, marquise, pear, heart, oval, cushion, radiant, asscher and baguette.
The most popular diamond shape, with 55%, is the brilliant cut. This is also known as the classic shape of a diamond. Over 95% of all diamonds are brilliant cuts. The round brilliant is beloved for its amazing sparkle. No diamond shape can top this cut sparkling-wise.
The second place belongs to the princess cut. This one receives 20% of the votes. The square shape can best be appreciated in a solitaire ring, but also looks good in a pave setting.
The emerald cut received a huge amount of popularity since celebrities started wearing them. Only the purest diamonds are suitable for emerald cuts because even the tiniest spots are incredibly visible. This makes it also one of the most expensive diamond cuts.
A beautiful square cut with rounded edges. It’s one of the oldest cuts known to man and thanks its name to its resemblance to – yes, indeed – a cushion. Especially in vintage rings, this shape looks marvelous. That is why 4% of all women adore the cushion cut the most.
This Dutch design is popular all over the world. The shape looks like a square emerald cut. Though it is nowadays a less popular than before, it is still worth mentioning since 3% of the women prefer an asscher cut diamond.
All other diamond cuts are scattered among the other 6% of the engagement rings.
Even though it will never be 100% accurate, the data suggest the most popular engagement ring looks like this:
The ring has a prong setting in white gold. It should contain a couple of white diamonds, like in a halo or a pave. These are an addition to the big white brilliant diamond in the center. Let’s face it: that sounds also pretty stunning.
Of course, it’s not all about popularity. The most important thing is that the engagement ring fits you and your partner. It should show it was made with love. A diamond cut with attention and craftsmanship is a hard condition for the best engagement ring.
1 Comment
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend"; you don't have to tell me twice. Being an online marketeer at Royal Coster Diamonds with a passion for fashion, styling, writing and - of course - diamonds, I love to explore all kinds of diamond jewelry, tell you about diamond trends and how diamonds can complete your look.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *