2020 Engagement Ring Trends
While some engagement ring styles are enduring classics, we also see trends change each year as peoples’ tastes and fashions change.
To help you understand what’s ‘hot’ this year, we’ve identified three key trends for 2020 and beyond. We’ll also share with you some research we contributed to where other jewelers from around the US gave their input on what’s popular this year.
Center stone trend: fancy colored diamonds
A key engagement ring trend is the shift towards one-of-a-kind designs and unique, non-traditional looks.
There are many ways that this can be expressed, with one of the most obvious through the choice of an alternative center stone to the classic white diamond. Fancy colored diamonds are in high demand as pops of color are both unique and daring in the engagement ring world.
Popular combinations include fancy yellow diamonds in a white gold or platinum setting with yellow gold prongs and champagne colored diamonds in rose gold settings.
Colored diamonds allow for the look of an alternative stone without abandoning the durability of a diamond, and in most cases tend to be a little less expensive than white diamonds – always a plus!
Precious metal trend: yellow gold
While white gold is always a classic option and rose gold has had its time in the spotlight, yellow gold engagement rings are making a comeback in a big way!
Yellow gold looks great on a range of skin tones and, since white and rose gold were all the rage for so long, yellow gold is once again considered a unique option.
Vintage inspired engagement rings in yellow gold are simply to die for!
Style trends: vintage uniqueness
A big trend we are seeing is customers looking for personalization and a true one-of-a-kind engagement ring, and the desire for that extra special personalization is strong right now.
This process may start with a simple sketch or by taking inspiration from aspects of multiple rings, but either way, a custom ring can be the best way to compliment the wearer’s personality and style.
At Nelson, we have a large selection of one-of-a-kind true vintage engagement rings that are often used as inspiration for many of our custom pieces, including engagement rings that capture the exquisite beauty of the latest trends.
You can see more examples of our rings that fit these trends, as well as classic and timeless designs here.
How our trends match up with other jewelers
We recently contributed to research from Ringspo.com which asked 15 jewelers around the country to give their opinion on 2020 jewelry trends.
Interestingly, two out of their three trends identified matched ours:
- The resurgence of yellow gold for ring settings
- Oval diamond center stones
- The desire for individuality and custom rings
Trend 1: yellow gold
While white gold and platinum do continue to be the most popular colors in terms of actual number of rings sold, 60% of the jewelers that contributed to the research agreed with us and highlighted yellow gold as a burgeoning trend for engagement rings in 2020.
Trend 2: Oval diamond center stones
While we focused on the color of diamonds as one of our key trends, other jewelers highlighted the rise of different shapes in 2020 – particularly elongated shapes and especially the oval:
Ovals have the added benefit of looking large for a set carat weight while also usually costing less than round diamonds on a per carat basis.
Trend 3: individuality
The trend towards custom was another of our trends that other jewelers also highlighted. We like this quote from one of the other jewelers who contributed:
“A lot of brides are seeking something unique and looking for a ring with as much personality as its wearer.”
It’s definitely interesting to see the trends that we identified being reflected so strongly from other jewelers from around the country and hopefully this has been useful in providing guidance when choosing your own ring.
If you’d like to learn more about our range of engagement ring settings or start to see how you can build a custom ring to fit your personality and style then check out our ring builder here.
