Guide To Our Favorite Unique Engagement Rings


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Engagement Ring

If you’ve decided to take the plunge and ask your beloved to marry you, first off, congratulations! Now comes the time to find the perfect ring with which to pop the question.

Naturally, you want to find the most unique engagement rings to choose from so you have a ring that will speak to the one you love as an expression of just how much you love that person.

To help you find the best ring, we’re going to take you through a guide to explain why our favorite unique engagement rings are going to be the ones you design yourself.

Be Mindful of Your Budget

There are plenty of engagement ring guides that suggest saving at least two months’ worth of salary to purchase the ring, but that is not always necessary. The different types of metal are going to make a difference, too, as you decide between gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum.

Your best bet in putting aside a budget is going to be from being observant about what your intended likes when it comes to jewelry. Does bling make the heart sing? Maybe subtle beauty is the move you need to make.

If your beloved prefers understated jewelry, then getting the 2.0-carat diamond ring complete with ten smaller diamonds embedded in the band may not be the right one to get. Instead, you may be better off with a simple solitaire with a less ornate setting.

On the other hand, if bigger is better, then take that into account and create your budget based on that. The bottom line is that if you buy an engagement ring that your significant other will not enjoy, then it may not get the exact reaction you’re hoping for.

The difference in personal preference needs to be at the core of your budget. You may find that spending a thousand dollars may be overkill for what your future fiancé would like. Alternatively, you may need to save up for that two-month salary suggestion.

As you’re deciding your budget, don’t forget to give yourself some wiggle room just in case. Look for rings in your budget, and with all of the options that exist today, you’re going to find something that will still speak to you and your sweetheart.

Designing or Deciding on the Right Engagement Ring

When you start thinking about the engagement ring that you want to pick out that best exemplifies the love you hold so dear, finding the right one becomes exciting. You dream about it. Finding the right ring invades your thoughts like nothing else before.

You think about what the ring should look like, the shape of the diamond, whether or not you’re going to get a solitaire or something that is part of a coordinating set. It’s a lot to think about! To get you started on making that life-changing decision, we are going to break things down for you starting with the types of settings.

The Solitaire

The diamond solitaire is classic and will almost always guarantee a smile, possibly happy tears, and you feeling like the luckiest person on the face of the planet. These rings are set with a single diamond in the center of the band and are perfect for the person that prefers a more minimalistic look. Prongs holding the diamond in place are straight and set at a diagonal to go up the sides of the diamond.

The Cathedral

The cathedral setting is a very elegant take on a solitaire. Similar in design, it too has a single solitary diamond in the center. The difference lies in the way the prongs hold the diamond in place. These prongs are actually curved like an arch. The curves are meant to resemble the arches you would imagine when you think of a cathedral.

The Bezel

A bezel set engagement ring holds the diamond in the center, but instead of a pronged setting, there is a solid gold or platinum outline that holds the stone in place. These are beautiful and useful, too, if you’re worried about the ring catching on a piece of clothing or scratching someone accidentally. If your dearest has a preference to live actively, then this is a great choice.

The Channel

Think about the way a creek or a river flows down a channel, and you’ve got the idea of what a channel setting will be like. There is a channel on either side of the central diamond, and inside there are usually a few enhancement stones. They can be diamonds, sapphires, or any other number of semi-precious gems. The main stone is still held in place with a pronged setting.

The Pavé

This setting is similar to the channel setting in the way that there is a single solitaire in the middle of the band with diamonds across the band on either side. The difference between the two is that this setting has the diamonds set directly on the band as opposed to inside of a channel.

The Three Stone

This setting is another one that suits a minimalist perfectly. In the center, you’ll find a single diamond. On either side, you will find a complementary stone. The side stones can be the same size and cut as the central stone, although more often than not, they’re somewhat different in size and cut so as to not overshadow the center diamond.

The Cluster

Cluster settings are made of smaller diamonds that are set together to make them appear like a larger single diamond. The resulting effect is a stunning engagement ring. Clusters can be a combination of only smaller stones that are all of equal size or a larger center stone with several smaller stones clustered around it.

The Tension

If your love prefers a more modern look, then the tension setting is the way to go. Bands tend to be thicker than the other settings by design. They are created to hold the diamond by way of pressure from opposite sides. The resulting look is a diamond that appears to float in place.

The Halo

This engagement ring has a setting that resembles a halo all the way around the center stone. The diamond in the middle is larger than the encircling diamonds like a halo. This particular setting can be a bit more budget-friendly as the circle of diamonds can make the center stone look larger and still just as stunning.

The Vintage

For one of the most unique engagement rings, you should consider the vintage look. These rings, not to be confused with antique heirlooms, are merely designed in a vintage style that is reminiscent of the Art Deco movement of the 1920s or sometimes Edwardian era. The detail in pieces like this tends to be more intricate in detail, too.

Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat – Know What They Mean

When you’re in the middle of choosing an engagement ring, you’re going to hear jewelers toss around words like cut, clarity, color, and carat. It will be a good idea if you know what they all mean before you go out looking for unique engagement rings.

The Cut

The cut is not the same thing as the shape of a diamond. You’ll see diamonds in different shapes like round, oval, teardrop, and princess, but don’t confuse the shape for the cut.

Cut refers to the geometric proportions that make up how much the diamond sparkles in the light. The cut is specifically about the angles and faces that create the brilliance or fire and truly affect the overall beauty of a diamond.

According to the Gemological Institute of America or GIA, there are several different cut levels. An Ideal or Excellent cut guarantee that the diamond will be full of fire in the light. A Very Good diamond will still give a fair amount of brilliance, but you’ll see a noticeable difference between the lower and higher grades.

Good, Fair, and Poor ratings are worse and show little to no fire or brilliance. Do keep in mind that just because a diamond has an excellent rating for its cut, that does not mean it’s the best ring, although a higher rating indicates a better diamond.

The Color

Diamond color ranges from D to Z according to GIA. D is colorless while Z will have a distinct yellow or brown tinting. You might not be able to tell the difference between a D and a J with the naked eye, but you can be sure that there is going to be a significant price difference.

Compare two different grades side by side to compare the way they look to you. If a J rated diamond looks as colorless as an F rated diamond, then there is no reason to pay the F rated price.

The Clarity

Clarity ratings indicate how free of blemishes the diamond is and how clear the diamond looks both to the naked eye and under a magnifying lens.

According to the GIA, the ratings are as follows.

FL – flawless

IF – internally flawless

VVS1 – very very slightly included 1

VVS2 – very very slightly included 2

VS1 – very slightly included 1

VS2 – very slightly included 2

SI1 – slightly included 1

SI2 – slightly included 2

I1 – inclusions 1

I2 – inclusions 2

The closer you get to flawless, the cleaner the diamond is, although even with some inclusions and other blemishes, you might not be able to see them with the naked eye. Inclusions also don’t necessarily affect the overall brilliance of a diamond, so they don’t need to be the deal breaker on whether or not to buy a specific diamond.

The Carat

Carats do not indicate size, but rather the weight of a diamond. Generally speaking, the more a diamond weighs, the larger it is, but that’s not always the case. If a diamond is particularly dense, it may weigh more than another one of similar size.

Don’t put carat weight as the most critical category when you’re looking for the perfect ring. Truly, a smaller diamond that has a stunning fire inside will outshine a larger ring that does not.

Choosing the Most Unique Engagement Ring

In the end, you’re going to see the ring you want to buy and just know that it’s the right one for you. You’ll see the perfect combination of brilliance combined with the ideal setting that matches the style you’re looking for.

Part of that is selecting the right shape to the diamond and coordinating it to the right setting. Diamond shapes include what you’ll see like the Princess Cut, Round Brilliant, Emerald Cut, Oval, Asscher Cut, and Pear Shaped.

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The most unique engagement rings are going to be the ones you design yourself alongside a jeweler. You’ll be able to pick out the setting you prefer, like the cathedral setting, and be able to select the perfect Round Brilliant diamond that fits the look you’re trying to achieve.

Special and Unique, Exclusively for You

When you have the right diamond, cut, shape, and setting, your ring will be uniquely perfect for you and the one you love.

Remember that the ideal ring doesn’t have to always be the most expensive that you can afford or have the largest diamond known to man. Instead, it is a piece of jewelry that will reflect how well you know your intended and speak of your love from the depths of your heart.

The most unique engagement rings are the ones that you put the most thought into, that will complement individual style, and be one hundred percent exclusively designed by you for the one you love.

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