Let your ring tell your love story with a touch of vintage charm and modern chic. After all, why choose between old and new when you can have the best of both worlds?

While an engagement ring is always symbolic of a specific love story of two lovers, you can combine traditional and modern elements in design to come up with a piece that feels timeless yet current. Our guide will help you understand just how to go about seamlessly combining these styles so that your modern engagement rings turn out outstanding.

Understanding Classic Elements

Classic, iconic designs for engagement rings boast the essence of timeless appeal and elegance in their simplicity. Other key elements include solitaire settings in which one diamond or gemstone is set alone, symbolizing the purity and singularity of your love. Pavé bands are small diamonds set closely under each other, creating a continuous sparkle around the band.

Three-stone modern engagement rings represent the past, the present, and the future. They are mostly characterized by a bigger center stone flanked by two small ones. It has some intricate engravings, milgrain edges, and filigree work that evoke an essence of bygone times.

Exploring Modern Design Trends

Modern engagement rings boast new design elements and aesthetics that belong to the contemporary. The prevailing trends include halo settings, where a circle of smaller diamonds around the center stone creates a halo-like effect. Geometric shapes like emerald, pear, and marquise cuts in stones are a bit of modernity added to traditional stones.

Mixed metals combine different metals, such as rose gold, white gold, and platinum, to come up with a different two-tone look. Minimalist designs bring to the front sleek, simple bands with no additional decoration other than the beauty of the center stone itself.

Blending Styles: Tips and Techniques

There is no reason traditional and modern elements can't blend together to create a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind engagement ring. Here are some tips to help you hit that perfect balance:

● Contrast with Harmony: Balance a classic solitaire setting with a modern mixed-metal band.
● Vintage Modern: Add vintage elements, such as milgrain or filigree, to a modern setting like a halo or geometric shape.
● Dual Tone: Two-tone metals blend old and new seamlessly.
● Custom Designs: Work with our jewelers at Rogers & Hollands to create a custom piece that brings together your favorite traditional and modern elements.

Choosing the Right Metal and Gemstone

The style of an engagement ring will largely depend on the chosen metal and gemstone. While platinum and white gold are clean and modern in appearance, yellow gold has that classic feel with a hint of warmth. Rose gold will give a modern romance. Although diamonds are the traditional choice, colored gemstones like sapphires, emeralds, and rubies add variety.
Lab-grown diamonds are conflict-free, modern alternatives to natural stones. Be certain that the choice of metal and gemstone one chooses will be suitable and sturdy enough to hold up to daily wear. It's this that makes platinum and diamonds one of the best choices of all since they show strength and longevity.

Maintaining Your Ring’s Timeless Appeal

Here are some of the maintenance tips to help you make your engagement ring glitter for years:

● Regular cleaning: Clean the ring often to keep it sparkling. Either use a soft-bristled brush with mild soapy water or take it to a professional jeweler for cleaning.
● Avoid strong chemicals by taking your ring off when you need to use household cleansers or if you are going to be working with anything toxic.
● Routine Inspections: Have the ring inspected at least annually by a jeweler to ensure the setting is good and that the stones are inspected.
● Proper Storage: Keep your ring in a soft pouch or a compartmentalized jewelry box to prevent scratching and other damage.

Our Best Selling Designs

Brilliant-Cut Lab Grown 1 1/2ctw. Diamond Classic Shank Engagement Ring in 14k White Gold