2013 Engagement Ring Trends Revealed

As summer is the time for weddings, winter is the time for engagements. Pictures of friends' engagement rings are rolling in like letters to Santa - cellphones are vibrating, email boxes are filling, and Facebook news feeds are...feeding. All combined, what the world is seeing is the 2013 'trend-wave' of engagement rings. Breaking at the shores of men's wallets; different shapes, colors, and styles are tumbling to the tide line.

Susu Htay, who among many other roles works in the Fashion & Style Research Division of The Natural Sapphire Company in New York reveals that some of the more popular styles being seen are rings with a more vintage feel - harking back to the cusp between the Edwardian and Art Deco periods of jewelry. Woven in to this overall classic look are intricately designed raised settings, single & double halos surrounding the center stone, and unique twisted bands. With all of these classic antique looks, classic gem shapes are also popular for 2013 including emerald-cuts, cushions, ovals, and pear cuts.

As for color, it comes from the past and from the present. "Princess Diana chose Royal blue, and the Duchess of Cambridge likes it too, however today's brides are opting for every other shade of blue and green as well as neutral colors like brown diamonds and cognac sapphires," says Ms. Htay.

With the Pantone Institute's release of their 2013 Color of the Year and Color of Spring being Emerald Green and Monaco Blue respectively; it can be presumed that the most fashionable ladies into the coming year will be wearing these colors as well as a slurry of lighter shades like chartreuse, sage, violet and lavender.

The biggest question, other than The Question, is whether or not to follow the route of the growing popularity for colored engagement stones. Engagement rings of 2013 are including everything from sapphires and rubies, to garnet and aquamarine. Paul Vermylen, a gemologist at The Natural Sapphire Company said as unbiased as he could, "Though garnet and aquamarine are beautiful in jewelry, and are two of my favorite gemstones, they are not very suitable for an engagement ring as they will not hold up over time. Other than diamond, nothing can beat a natural sapphire for hardness and life lasting polish and beauty...not to mention sapphires come in virtually every hue, tone, and level of saturation one can dream of."

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