Wedding / Engagement rings

This past year, some of the biggest celebrities in the world got engaged, including Jennifer Lopez and Scarlett Johansson, and with any proposal comes the hotly-anticipated reveal of their engagement ring. 

And with 2020 marking the start of a new decade, while also being a leap year - traditionally giving couples the chance to pop the question on 29th February - metals specialist metals4u has teamed up with jewellery experts to predict the biggest ring trends expected to emerge during the next 12 months and beyond.

Coloured stones 
Celebrity inspiration: Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett

Planning a wedding is hard and you probably have a million other things to do in preparation for your big day. However, your wedding rings are a symbol of your love for each other and will last forever, so choosing the right set is quite an important task. That's why we asked Emily Tebbutt, Jewellery Commercial Manager at Ramsdens Jewellery, to share her tips on choosing the perfect wedding rings for you and your partner.

Before you buy

Before shopping for the perfect wedding rings, it's important to have two things organised: ring size and budget.

Recent years have seen a rise in the social media engagement ring selfie, with over 3.5 million #engagementring hashtags used on Instagram.

National jewellers Beaverbrooks has revealed the top four most Instagrammed engagement ring styles – Lorna Haddon, head of diamond rings and jewellery comments on the findings:

Top four rings used in an engagement ring selfie

1 #Solitairering (77,875)

A national antique silverware and jewellery outlet has revealed the cities of the UK that spend the most and least on engagement rings. Its research shows that unsurprisingly those in London spend the most, with an average spend of £8,000, and Burnley spends the least, with an average spend of just £347 per engagement ring.

A national antique silverware and jewellery outlet has revealed which cities of the UK spend the most and least on engagement rings.

It may come as a surprise to find that one of the most romantic jewellery purchases in your life loses its monetary value instantly. Yes, in the vast majority of cases engagement rings don’t hold their value. If you were to purchase an engagement ring in a shopping centre from a household named jewellers at around the £1000 mark, it is likely to be worth next to nothing after you’ve swiped your credit card - well, perhaps around £30. Buying your wedding jewellery well is important if you don’t want it to depreciate in value faster than you can say ‘I do’.  

Getting engaged and getting married are often the most romantic moments in our lives. However, people don't know if they are wearing ethical rings as they are not aware that the creation of beautiful rings can be synonymous with human rights abuses and environmental damage.

Here, ethical jeweller Tim Ingle reveals the truth behind the diamond trade, and the five questions we should all ask before purchasing a wedding or engagement ring to make sure it’s ethical.

All I want for Christmas…is a DIAMOND RING. Four in ten British women are secretly expecting a Christmas proposal …but don’t hide it in the turkey!

A survey of 2,000 Brits by jewellers, Beaverbrooks, revealed that almost half of the nation’s women are DESPERATE for their other half to pop the question on December 25, with one in five admitting they would be ‘very upset’ if they didn’t receive a marriage proposal on the day.  

One in ten went as far as to say they would need to have a serious discussion about their future if they didn’t receive the diamond ring they were hoping for, and a dramatic 5 per cent would even consider ending their relationship.

In 2016 the average value of celebrity engagement rings in reached almost £1 million but have since dropped to £100,000, the results of a new report have shown.

The 2018 Celebrity Engagement Ring Audit, undertaken by diamond specialists 77 Diamonds, examined 170 celebrity engagements from 2016 to the present day to see what trends could be uncovered.

Key areas under consideration were the ring’s carat, colour, clarity, cut, metal, and style. The research also factored the net worths of the proposer and proposee, their professions and whether this was their first engagement or not.

Workplace Matchmaking

With the Royal Wedding just around the corner, Ripe Insurance have taken a look back at the gorgeous collection of Royal Engagement rings past and present.

Did you know?

The average Carat of a royal engagement ring is 9.8 carat compared to the UK average of just 0.5 carat.

With an estimated value of £150,000 to £400,000, Meghan’s ring is now the most expensive royal engagement ring in history, in comparison to the UK average cost of £1,040.

One third of royal engagements happen abroad, most recently with Princess Eugenie getting engaged in Nicaragua.

July is the most popular month for royal weddings with famous royal couples such as Charles and Diana opting for a summer wedding.

WITH excitement building and wedding plans well and truly underway following the proposal, it’s now time to start thinking about the all-important wedding rings. 

Your wedding bands are a significant symbol of your love and commitment towards each other and choosing the right ones should be a special moment that you can both treasure forever.

For those in search of the perfect wedding rings, luxury high street jeweller Goldsmiths shares its couples’ guide to choosing ‘the one’…

Narrow down your choices 

Goldsmiths believe an engagement ring is a symbol of eternal commitment; however choosing the dream ring can be a daunting process. It’s essential that it is not only the perfect fit in size but also the right style for you or the person you intend on asking to share your life with. For those searching for inspiration, luxury high street jeweller Goldsmiths has shared an insider insight into what the ring says about its wearer and takes a closer look at a selection of its most iconic styles…

Goldsmiths tells us what the ring says about the wearer

The Brilliant Cut – The Timeless Bride

WEDDING planning season is well and truly upon us with new brides-to-be on the lookout for unique and stylish ideas to ensure their big day is as special as it can be this year. The experts at Goldsmiths share their thoughts on what the latest bridal trends are in all things weddings, highlighting the luxury high street jeweller’s three key bridal styles for 2018 including Timeless, Vintage and Modern…

Goldsmiths Bridal Trends of 2018

The dress accessory

With another royal wedding on the horizon, jewellers across the country expect to see a surge in sales as women rush to recreate Meghan Markle’s engagement ring style. Adelle Thompson, head of buying at Beaverbrooks, explains how to get the look, as well as iconic engagement ring styles from Pippa Middleton and Kate Middleton.

Get the perfect Royal engagement ring look

Meghan Markle