The Guide To Engagement Rings-Design
Nothing is more personal than the ring itself. It’s a lot of pressure finding the perfect style of ring, which is why our no-nonsense guide is just what you need to get you on track to the perfect piece!
Fashions come and go, but whether you’re after simple, classic, clean lines, a modernist showstopper or a vintage inspired original creation, let us help you understand the essentials of ring shopping.
Metal:
First thing to consider is the colour of the metal. What does the person naturally wear more, yellow or white metal? What suits the skin tone, the centre gemstone, and, importantly, the personality?
Traditionally, most people opt for white gold or platinum and there’s two good reasons for this:
Firstly, we want to think about the stone in the ring. When light enters a white diamond, it reflects it internally then re-emits it to our eyes, giving the sparkle, fire and reflection of light diamond is so prized for. If the light entering the stone is reflecting from a yellow surface, it can make the stone look more yellow to our eye.
Secondly, platinum and white gold are harder wearing than yellow gold. This is an important consideration, especially if the ring will be worn constantly and exposed to an active lifestyle.
It is also worth noting that, natural white gold always has a very slight yellow tone, creating a warm white colour. To achieve the icy cool white colour you often seen, white gold is plated with Rhodium. Overtime with a lot of wear, this layer of rhodium will be worn off but can be re-plated.
Another thing that affect the use of metal colour is the centre gemstone. Coloured diamonds and gemstones such as Yellow Diamonds, Emerald and Ruby are complimented by yellow gold because the warm yellow colour of the metal can add more depth to the colour of the gemstones, which in turn can make it look much more vibrant.
Style:
There are 3 most popular style:
- Single solitaire
- A centre stone with side stones (or shoulder stones)
- Cluster design
When it comes to the design's style, most people opt for the eternally chic Brilliant cut diamond. Usually round or it’s shaped variations like the Pear shape, Oval and Princess cut. These can be worn as ‘standalone’ stones in a ring, designed to accentuate the beauty of a single diamond and creating a beautiful and simple ring in their own right but can also be complimented by ‘shoulder’ or ‘accent’ stones:
for example, using taper baguette diamonds or smaller round diamonds to sit alongside the main diamond, or smaller stones set in the shoulders just to bring a little more sparkle to the ring. Diamonds set in the shoulder of the ring are also a consideration if the wedding band will have diamonds in too, and we can advise how to design the perfect ‘set’ for the finger.
We understand traditional rings aren’t for everyone. Kimjoux prides itself on cutting edge bespoke design, and we work closely with you to ensure the ring created is something that will bring a lifetime of pleasure, and will walk you through every step of the design process.
Lastly, we move towards more intricate designs, such as the main stone of the ring being completely surrounded by small diamonds to create a more eye catching display. ‘Cluster’ rings can come in many permeations from clean, modern lines to vintage style. The proportions and the setting style (more on this below) are really important considerations with a cluster ring.
When designing a cluster with you, we’ll explain the different setting styles for the small stones, because these will heavily influence the overall look of the ring and can be used to create a vintage style or a modern, bright look.
Settings:
Setting style in general is extremely important. The way the stones are held in to the ring influence light, durability and visual style.
In creating an heirloom jewel that will last your lifetime and beyond, function is just as importantly as the design. If a ring is going to be worn every day, it has to be secure and durable. As we touched on before, Brilliant cut diamonds are a very popular diamond choice because they display the optimum return of white light ‘brilliance’ and split light ‘fire’. A ring containing a diamond ideally needs to allow plenty of light to enter and leave the stone which is why claw settings are such a popular option. With coloured gemstones, there is slightly less need for so much light to enter the stone, but can have greater considerations when it comes to consider durability of wear.
Claw set rings can be very traditional or more modern in style, but primarily need to consider the security of the stone with four or six claws usually holding it in place. We can also explore other settings such as rub-over or channel setting with you.
You:
All the above are the key points you need to consider when starting to design your ring. At Kimjoux, the most important rule is that the ring needs to fit in with your style, personality and aspiration. For us, the fun part is bringing in the "you" to your ring, and that’s exactly where we excel. With a clever design, or even a small tweak in details, we will create a ring that perfectly suit you. Explore our Bespoke Creations, and Contact us here to begin your bespoke journey.
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