WHAT IS THE BEST DIAMOND FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING IN 2022?

As we approach the second half of 2022, proposals, engagements,
weddings and honeymoons are all very much back in play. As far as we can tell, there are no restrictions to cramp your style if you’re looking to get hitched in 2022 now. Except that you may have to wait a while to get the venue you are after, as many are booked out for months ahead now. That’s because people are making up for lost time! Thousands of couples indefinitely postponed their engagement parties and marriage celebrations, which were just not possible during 2020 and 2021. And 90% of honeymoons were out of the question, especially if you had it mind to hit somewhere exotic overseas, that was simply impossible. Many couples pretty much took a raincheck on the whole idea of becoming betrothed, to wait and see how things played out. We hope that the timing was not too much of a bump in the road for those people, and that it’s all systems go now. The upshot is, the wedding industry is back in business big time, honeymoons are back on, and there’s a fair bit of proposing going on. So, it may be smart to get on with it, if you’re up for question popping, in case your engagement and wedding plans are delayed by the current surge in demand for services! With that in mind, we’ve prepared an easy guide to help you understand better what might be the best diamond for your engagement ring in 2022.

WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE WHEN CHOOSING A DIAMOND
ENGAGEMENT RING?

SET YOUR BUDGET:

You may have heard the old adage that an engagement ring should cost you around two months’ salary. Sure, that’s possibly a good amount to spend for some people, but not for others. Some will want to spend more, some less; salaries vary enormously. There are other factors too. You and you
partner may not want a massive sparkling solitaire, but something understated,
which is more affordable. You may have inherited a ring, and wish to use the setting and you are looking to purchase a new diamond for it, which will obviously save you some money. The fact is that the two months rule of thumb was borne out of a marketing campaign in the 1940’s by the diamond company De Beers, which somehow stuck. Must have been some amazing ads! The point is, you shouldn’t feel compelled to spend exactly that amount. The amount you should spend is what you can afford and what will buy you and your partner the diamond engagement ring which makes you both happy, suits the wearer’s individuality and speaks to your personality as a couple. But do make sure you’ve got a fairly firm idea about how much you can spend, otherwise you might become very frustrated quickly. You should be comfortable with the budget that you set. Don’t forget, there are a number of ways to maximise your budget,
too. Speak to your jeweller about this. Some tips for getting the most bang for
buck include:

- selecting gold instead of platinum for the setting – particularly white gold – which has a similar look and effect but costs less than platinum

- opting for accent stones around the setting (many options with this)
– meaning that you can run with a smaller centre stone; a bunch of smaller diamonds will often cost less than a huge solitaire, but bring the same level of bling

- get fancy; the shapes other than the traditional ‘round brilliant’ (such as cushion, emerald, marquise, pear, princess or oval shape) are usually more affordable

- slightly smaller is a significant saving; because once you hit one carat and more, the price increases exponentially, so a stone which is 0.9 ct will prove to be excellent value for money, and you won’t be able to tell the difference between it and a 1ct

- diamond engagement rings without a starring solitaire are often more affordable yet deal some definite dazzle, such as eternity bands and other bands with accent diamonds

CHOOSE A SHAPE:

It’s good if you can decide upon the shape early on, and don’t forget about what we said above, about the ‘fancy’ shapes. Check them out. Not only are they usually more affordable but they often make for a more unique and individual diamond engagement ring for your beloved.

Round diamonds, usually known as round brilliants, are the most popular and the most commonly selected diamonds for engagement rings. Around 75% of diamond engagement rings feature round brilliants. Really you can’t go wrong with this shape.

Fancy shapes include Asscher, Emerald, Cushion, Marquise, Oval, Princess and Pear shaped diamonds. Other gemstones can be cut in these shapes too.

Without describing them all here, you can see what all the various fancy shapes look like on our website, here: https://diamondexchange.com.au/pages/diamond-education

In general fancy shapes cost less than rounds, and they tend to stand out more, so they are definitely worth considering.

DECIDE ON A SIZE:

This may be mostly to do with your budget, but also with the quality of the stone (more on that below). Size is measured in carats, which is actually a measurement of weight. You can opt for a diamond with the most carats which your budget will allow, or perhaps go for a slightly smaller stone which is better quality. This is best discussed with your jeweller.

QUALITY:

As mentioned above, the overall quality of all good diamonds is rated; the criteria being the famous ‘4 Cs’. You may have heard of them: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. You can discover a whole lot more about these characteristics in the diamond education section of our website, here: https://diamondexchange.com.au/pages/diamond-education

RING STYLES & SETTINGS:

There are so many different styles of diamond engagement rings to
choose from. And you can also design one yourself and have it custom made. Some styles will not suit the wearer’s personality or lifestyle. Some ring styles
are a lot more expensive and might not fit in with your budget. Many styles are
rather traditional and elegant; this is always going to be a popular look. Other
ring styles are more extraverted and a bit daring. Some are more naturalistic
and outdoorsy. Lots of diamond engagement rings have a romantic quality to
their design and look. Then you have ring styles which are super contemporary.
Which style is for you? It’s best to have a really good look at lots of images
– which are really high quality these days – and then of course, in person.
Your jeweller will help you with this decision; they will know all the right
questions to ask in order to narrow it down to two or three options which are
appropriate for your budget.

Settings include Bezel, Basket, Prong, Channel, Bar, Cathedral, Pavé, Halo, Solitaire, Three-Stone, Split Shank and quite a few more. The setting is an important way in which the style of the diamond engagement ring is achieved. Go to our education section (link above) to discover more about the numerous possibilities with ring settings.

WHAT’S HOT IN 2022?

Many of you may be wondering what’s trending in 2022. Keeping up to date with what’s in vogue can help you feel more confident about your general knowledge about diamond engagement rings. Earlier this year, Katie Zimmerman, industry expert and Chief Merchandising Officer at US jewellery firm Blue Nile, predicted, “In 2022, we are going to see a mix of trends with engagement rings as we know that there is no one-size-fits-all when shopping for a ring that exemplifies a love a person shares with their partner.” Well said.

These are the trends we’ve noticed developing so far this year:

TOI ET MOI

Toi et Moi means ‘You and Me’ in French. Pronounced twa eh mwa. This is a really unique style, which features two separate stones, positioned adjacent or facing one another. It symbolises the coming together of two souls. To many people, it looks like a really out-there, modern design, but it’s actually quite an old style, which has very much come back into fashion.

GENDER NEUTRAL RINGS

The move toward more interest in gender neutral rings has been building over recent years, and now it is quite a regularly chosen type of engagement ring. Also known as gender fluid, the designs tend to be simpler, less about daintiness. This trend has been quite popular with celebrities.

VINTAGE

Like wine, there’s nothing like a fine vintage! Vintage styling is super popular at the moment. This can mean a brand new ring made in a certain vintage style, such as Art Deco or Antique, or it may involve an heirloom stone or setting which gets finessed. A vintage or vintage inspired diamond engagement ring can symbolise a special connection to a certain significant person, place or time.

STACKS

The stacked style is extra creative. This is often a custom made diamond engagement ring. There are all sorts of structures and combinations which can make for a really unusual, exciting, stand-out engagement ring. Ask us about the possibilities with stacking.

OVAL

Possibly the fancy shape which has had the biggest boom in terms of popularity in 2022 is the oval cut diamond. The shape is a fairly classic one, and it tends to draw attention to the wearer’s hand and make the fingers look extra long, elegant and graceful. It’s a softer sort of look, we think very feminine and with a timeless quality.

BLING BABY!

Big is back in 2022. Bling is good this year. It could be a massive centre stone, or a really outrageous design or bold shape. Maybe it’s a huge, black diamond? It could involve lots of accent diamonds around the band of the engagement ring, it might just be a seriously grand looking diamond engagement ring that makes people say ‘wow’!

At Diamond Exchange, we look forward to assisting customers to select
a perfect diamond engagement ring in the second half of 2022. As mentioned
above, we have noticed that the wedding industry is flat chat now, after being
almost dormant for nearly two years. So don’t hesitate, because you may find
you have to wait. Now’s the time. Seize the Day, we say!

FAQs

What are the three most important things to keep in mind when choosing a diamond?

We advise our clients that the three key aspects when selecting a diamond are your budget, choosing a quality stone and one that suits the wearer’s personality and lifestyle.

What’s a classic, timeless diamond to choose?

Probably a centre stone – solitaire – in round brilliant shape. You can’t go wrong.

What’s a diamond engagement ring which is right on trend in 2022?

An elaborate stacked style diamond ring is a big hit this year.