We wish all our customers a terrific and twinkling twenty-twenty-two! So, what’s on trend this year, apart from moving on from a tricky time? We thought we would take a look at the top trends in engagement rings in 2022.
At DX, we spend most of our time assisting our customers in finding, choosing or designing superb rings to represent their love, devotion and commitment to one another. And additionally, rings which express their unique individual style. So, we keep right up alongside all new currents and trends around diamond engagement rings and wedding rings. As well as developments in fashion and style with regard to jewellery, and even the bridal industry. We like to think we’re ahead of the game from time to time, and definitely don’t mind making a prediction or two occasionally. Looking at sales flows and talking with colleagues in the industry and with our own specialists, we compiled the following.
STANDOUT ACCENTS
If you have been keeping an eye on fine jewellery in favour recently, particularly with brides, you’ll have noticed that distinctive diamond accents on engagement rings have become more and more popular. For instance, contemporary versions of the traditional three stone diamond ring are definitely in. Celebrities such as Amal Clooney and Paris Hilton are sporting these styles. Brilliant rounds and baguette shaped diamonds continue to command their customary sales clout, but increasingly ring designs are featuring our friends the fancies. Accents including geometric kite, marquise, oval, pear and trapezoid shaped cuts are prominent on many engagement and wedding rings already, and we think this will continue to be a major ‘22 trend.
Also think diamond details like: dainty dazzlers decorating a ring’s basket and hidden halos. Picture precious pavé diamonds along the prongs. These sorts of delicate delights bring a modern take to traditional styles. They engage intimately with people, causing them to take a closer, more personal look at your clever ring.
STACKS ON!
We’ve seen a significant surge in demand for serious stacking and anticipate the pile-on will only grow larger this year. In fact, it’s a trend which kind of likes the notion that bigger is better. With engagement and wedding rings more typically being designed to stack and layer together, we’ve seen a lot of focus on perfect matches – not just with the couples tying the knot but with your bridal sets of rings. Wedding rings are often designed with more curves and contours in order to sit snugly alongside bigger and longer engagement rings. Look out for diamond eternity bands of substantial size or nesting rows of elegant bands performing brilliantly in harmony. Stacking produces plentiful sparkle, and it’s loud & proud this year.
COLOURED DIAMONDS AND GEMSTONES
Pink-, yellow- and champagne-coloured diamonds. Emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Vibrant, vivid and in vogue. Coloured diamonds and gemstones can be a great way for individuals and couples to make a more unique statement – the tones and hues suggesting less classic, more singular styling. Many buyers have been shooting for stones with more stand-out, chromatic characteristics and this trend will rock on in 2022.
GENDER INCLUSIVITY
Gender neutral styles have been stepping into the limelight lately. Traditional feminine and masculine lines have blurred and there’s a plethora of diamond engagement rings around which are designed to be worn by either men or women. Rings with wider bands are popular, which can be worn together in a group or stack. Eternity bands are a big player in this area. Androgynous jewellery is a fairly recent movement which is gathering momentum at a swift and sexy pace.
MEN’S ENGAGEMENT RINGS
More and more men are voting for this – they want to wear engagement rings too. The custom is not new in some parts of the world, but in Australia there hasn’t been lots of interest – until now that is. Many styles make use of alternative materials, like stone and wood and titanium. A lot of the designs will present with a handsome, bold look, but there’s quite a few which comprise diamonds and other precious stones too. We predict extensive expansion in the men’s engagement ring trade this year and beyond. Probably more than a trend, rather an evolution.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Remember this classic film from the 1980’s? Some of our younger customers probably don’t know it so well, but will recognise current styles which flaunt fabulous 80’s retro flair. That’s right, they’ve gone back to 1984 in the time machine and returned with a look for the future. We are talking chunky yellow gold, twists and twirls, split shank bands encasing giant gems and cocktail rings (a nod to another massive movie from that decade?). The 1980’s is vintage now; that makes some of us feel old, but young customers are lapping up the 2020’s designs which throwback to the era of flashy glamour.
NEW AGE
It’s a new year - and in a way - a new age. We reckon folks are sick of living with regulations, which has been our lives over the last couple of years. What better way to break the rules than with non-traditional rings and jewellery? This year new age designs and unique, unconventional styles are all the rage. From signet rings to bands with no centre stone; from toi et moi (you and me) rings to classics with a curl, our present predilection is for zany creations. The fun is back!
This year is sure to surprise. In the best ways. New ideas tend to take on traction more rapidly every year, especially with the incredible amount of information around us every minute these days. It is a more fluid world and marketplace. Fashions can be fickle, but diamonds are – of course – forever.