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THE FUTURE OF ENGAGEMENT RINGS
You’ve seen the history of engagement rings but what have we seen in 2020 so far and what does the next year have in store for us when it comes to the most popular styles? We ran a study and surveyed 500 people who had either got engaged in 2020 or are in the market to get engaged by the end of 2021. We carried this survey out to understand the current and future engagement ring styles so we can see what’s trending.
WHAT HAS 2020 SEEN SO FAR?
We ran a study with people who got engaged in 2020 or are in the market to get engaged by the end of 2021, to understand the current and future engagement ring trends.
Solitaire diamond engagement rings proved to be the most popular choice overall, with oval-shaped diamonds being the preferred cut for those engaged in 2020. This year there has still been interest in gemstones engagement rings, with ruby and morganite stones chosen the most.
SO, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR 2021?
When looking at just those who are planning to propose or hoping to be proposed to by the end of 2021, we found some differences between them in terms of both their shopping inspirations but also ring styles!
DIAMOND-ONLY RINGS STILL REIGN, BUT WITH A FEW DIFFERENCES
As we head into 2021, our survey found that diamond-only, solitaire engagement rings reign as the most popular choice. And while cushion, oval and princess shapes have been the most prevalent before, we discovered that a simple brilliant round diamond is what most people are looking for moving forward. Cooler tones for metal types were most often chosen for pairing with diamond only rings. 60% of people who would choose a diamond-only ring in the future stated that white gold was their preferred metal choice, followed by silver (29%) and then platinum (26%). This relates back to the emerging 90s styles, with cooler-toned metal types and minimalistic rings becoming popular.
GEMSTONES COULD BE VERY POPULAR MOVING INTO 2021
But in the near future, it seems there’s plenty of interest in engagement rings with coloured stones. Red gemstones such as ruby and garnet were the most popular choice for those looking for a gemstone-only engagement ring. When looking at those who would likely choose a gemstone and diamond mix ring, sapphire was the most popular gemstone, with a three-stone style ring and princess cut being the most popular pairings.
Following on from the trends that we’ve already seen this year, white gold is the most popular metal choice with 43% of people surveyed who would choose a gemstone ring by the end of 2021 (whether alone or along with diamonds) saying they prefer white gold.
However, when looking at those who would likely choose a gemstone-only ring, yellow gold is the second most cited metal type of choice (27%) compared to rose gold (44%) at a close second for those who would choose a gemstone and diamond engagement ring.
ENGAGEMENT RING INFLUENCES
It also seems that people looking to propose or hoping to be proposed to by the end of 2021 are very conscious about sustainability and ethically sourced diamonds, with around 80% of people saying one of these factors was important to them when choosing a ring.
We’ve always known that celebrities are a big influence within the engagement ring world, especially when we look back through the previous decades. But while some people in the near future still consider celebrities to be a source of inspiration, it’s clear that they’ll take a backseat here and instead social media will be a much more popular source of inspiration when it comes to future engagement ring purchases.
EMMY LONDON
We also spoke to the gorgeous bridal brand Emmy London to find out all about their insights on the most popular trends we saw in 2020. Emmy London found that round stones were the most popular shape of choice, with colour slowly starting to become more sought after too. They also detailed that botanical references had been part of some of the leading looks for 2020. Moving into 2021, Emmy London believes that future trends will include coloured stones, mixed stone shapes and intricate ways to create a modern twist on a timeless classic.
We’ve looked at the past, and now we’ve looked at the present and the future to understand the engagement ring styles and trends that will dominate over the next year. We have seen a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences in people’s shopping inspirations and the specific styles that take the spotlight. 2020 has been a different year for us all, but with a new year upon us we want to lift people’s spirits and make your engagements that little bit more special.
Shop engagement rings with H.Samuel today, or head over to our History of Engagement Rings infographic to find out about engagement rings through the decades.