THE TOP FIVE ENGAGEMENT RING STYLES

OUR GUIDE TO THE KEY RINGS

Here are, in my professional opinion, the top five engagement ring styles I see my clients request. Each of these engagement ring designs offers its own unique beauty, and choosing one depends on the style and hand of the person who is going to be wearing it. But before you start going through your partner’s jewellery box to find clues, here is a breakdown of what each style has to offer, and how I reinvent them to offer you something different and unique to what is already present on the engagement ring scene.

The top five engagement ring styles that we see most requested here at Hattie Rickards are the Solitaire, Trilogy, Halo, Cluster and the HRJ Signature Style. The first four are relatively famous classic settings, and there is a reason for that. Timeless elegance is something most people strive to achieve with their engagement ring designs, as they usually want to wear it every day in all situations, from the gym to the office and the dance floor. Bringing this desire for diversity and continuity into the engagement ring design is something at the forefront of every HRJ design. My goal is to create a piece that will accompany you all day, every day and throughout your life. Here is my unique approach to modernising classic engagement ring styles, as well as my unique setting.

THE SOLITAIRE

The Solitaire engagement ring design is one of the most interesting and popular design concepts in jewellery to date. It often consists of a large single stone set atop a thin gold or platinum band. Simple, discrete and timelessly chic, this is the perfect ring for someone who wants the attention to fall on the large single stone, perhaps a brilliant-cut gem, to achieve the greatest amount of sparkle or a large step-cut for a clean and elegant look. This is a ring for a minimalist, someone who likes clean lines and simplicity. What I love about creating solitaire rings is that on the surface, it looks quite simple to create, however my solitaire rings are full of secret hidden gems and messages. I like to hide stones beneath the girdle or even in front or behind the central stone, to add a secret sparkle that only the wearer can see. I also often create an unusual shape that sets it apart from other simple solitaire rings, playing with proportion and depth.

My Daania ring is a perfect example of a classic HRJ solitaire. On the surface, it looks quite classic but when you look with more detail, you can see the additions of modernity into each element of the design. The bold modern sculptural step band and double claw setting gives this classic a distinct modernity. The considered, clean lines and perfectly proportioned band, pair perfectly with the stunning 2-carat cushion cut diamond, surrounded by small pink diamonds hidden around the bridge. Classic and sweet with a secret sprinkling of colour, this design epitomises the Hattie Rickards Solitaire engagement ring.

THE TRILOGY

The Trilogy engagement ring design is for someone looking to cover the width and breadth of their finger with stones. These are usually people who like eye-catching rings and want to make a larger statement than a Solitaire ring. The original form of this design is a larger central stone flanked by two smaller stones on either side. When it comes to the HRJ Trilogy rings, I always enjoy creating modern designs that take on this very classic shape. Firstly, I enjoy playing with the size, shape and scale of the three focal point gems, whether that’s different cuts or colours all depends on the client. I also chose to work with a bezel setting rather than the more obvious claw setting. This elevates the ring, bringing a fresh injection of modernity into the design. Using a bezel setting also means that you can see through the front and back of the stones, which brings more light and shine to the piece. I also sometimes hide a few secret stones around the bridge like in my Solitaire ring creations, for an added dose of sparkle or colour.

My Rachel ring perfectly illustrates the modernised and elevated look I set out to achieve when creating a Trilogy engagement ring. This particular client was a lover of the Art Deco era, and so this became the brief I created the design around. Something not too traditional with a soft edge, I chose to set emerald and baguette cut diamonds into a yellow gold setting, punctuated with two round pink sapphires on either side.

THE HRJ HALO

When you think of a classic Halo engagement ring, you think of a round diamond set at the centre of a smaller round diamond pavé frame. The woman who wears this ring is quite feminine and wants a soft design detail to elevate that classic Solitaire style. What I have done here is reinvent the wheel on the classic Halo setting. With so many beautiful classic Halo rings on the market, I wanted to add my unique take on this beautiful style. The HRJ Halo engagement ring consists of a central stone surrounded by two alternating diamond cuts, creating a gem mosaic around the centre stone. I often work with contrasting gem cuts to create this look, such as the sparkling princess cut juxtaposed with the clean sharp edges of the square cut. Creating this custom-cut frame of gems around your central stone of choice allows your hand to shimmer with every move it makes. It will make your fingers want to dance!

A great example of this is my ELLIE ring, which combines white gold with an old-cut diamond centre stone, surrounded by a princess and square-cut diamond frame. These three cuts work together within this one piece to release a maximum impact of shine and light, bringing a statement creation to the wearer’s everyday wardrobe.

THE CLUSTER

The cluster ring is the perfect design for those of you who want a sparkling bobble ring with a lower cost point than a solitaire or trilogy. Composed of grouping smaller round brilliant gems set together, the beauty of this design is that it provides the desired sparkling effect at a much lower cost point than settings with larger gemstones. My take on the Cluster is rather specific – whilst designers often use the same sized gems throughout the entire cluster pattern, I use a range of sizes, varying from 1.2mm to 2.5 mm, to better envelope the metal surface in a blanket of diamonds, therefore creating a greater sparkle effect. Also, using different-sized diamonds allows for a varying and uneven distribution, which I find more interesting and engaging to any onlooker. It also creates a more tailor-made, modern effect, which elevates the design giving it a more complex and luxurious feel.

THE HRJ SIGNATURE

Last but most certainly not least, comes my favourite engagement ring style to create. The HRJ Signature engagement ring style is a design I have honed and crafted over my 15 years of experience, and it perfectly represents who I am as a jewellery designer whilst also fitting seemingly into the lives of many clients with different styles and physical features. The HRJ Signature setting is composed of a central stone, flanked by custom-cut graduating baguettes, with arched channels holding custom-cut square stones, on the front and backside of the ring. With this Art Deco-inspired pattern, I can create endless colourways with any gemstones your heart desires.

One of my favourite examples of an HRJ Signature style engagement ring is the Callie ring. Bold and feminine, this ring features central brilliant cut diamonds, graduating diamond baguettes and custom cut diamonds set into a warm yellow gold band, to give a paired back, everyday chicness to the piece. This all-diamond ring is beautifully understated yet modern, thanks to the presence of varied diamond cuts and the nonchalance of yellow gold.

Introducing coloured gemstones into an engagement ring is also a great way to bring the wearer’s personality and style into the piece. Colours are emotive, and so including your partner’s favourite colours into the engagement ring or a colour they have a strong emotional attachment to, allows them to express their inner self in a piece, which sets them apart from all-white diamond designs. The Colleen ring perfectly illustrates this point, with its brilliant cut central diamond, flanked by diamond baguettes with custom-cut mint green sapphires, giving an unusual freshness and intrigue to the ring. I highly recommend you introduce colour into the engagement ring design if your partner wants something strong and impactful that feels more tailored to them.

As you can see, whether it’s a modern sparkling solitaire or an extravagant HRJ Signature style, when you put your trust in me to create this important piece of jewellery, you can rest assured that anything is possible. Please reach out if you are interested in any of the engagement ring styles mentioned above.

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