Engagement rings - "classic" or not?

[Cheeseandolivesplease]

I was talking to my husband tonight about engagement rings. He said that "most" women prefer the classic style of a solitare, or at least a solitare-like setting synonymous with a traditional engagement.
He said I was a (in a kindly teasing way) a "nightmare" as I insisted nothing would displease me more than a classic ring "similar to that of most other women" - hence why I chose my ring myself (tbh he was correct!!)
But it got me thinking - do "most" women really opt for this classic style?
Subsequent to that, I also pleasantly surprised him with retaining my Ms MyName and having a home birth, but I do like to do "me"! 😀

Prediction. In 7-10 years time the OP will be posting about not wanting to socialise with the mundanes at the school gates….

Do you also have a fringe, OP?

🤣

I like my solitaire engagement ring because it’s a big bastard. I had no input into choosing it

I don’t think a solitaire is any more classic than anything else. They’re just fashionable right now. I don’t know anyone with a solitaire. It’s more three stones, not necessarily diamonds.

Let’s see it then.

How odd. Do you have a ring, did you help choose it? Not sure what your ring has to do with a home birth tbh.

🤣🤣🤣

I think some of you are being mean. Sounded to me like Op disagrees with her husband ,lumping together women’s taste in ring s
But it got me thinking - do "most" women really opt for this classic style?

My DH got me a flat diamond eternity ring as he knew a big rock would be impractical for work. I would have liked a more blingy ring as I don’t wear jewellery - the ring could do all the heavy lifting but he’s got my style right.

Show us your ring.

Has your DH done a survey on women and engagement rings? Neither my Dd or DIL have a solitaire, though I do as it was my Mums.

Just wondering, is your real name Amanda?

Maybe my husband's weird but I doubt he would even know the term solitaire outside the card game. I have only heard it on MN, I've never discussed engagement rings with anyone.
Jewelry is pretty to look at but seems like an exceptionally boring topic of conversation barring conflict diamonds or the Koh-i-Noor.

I picked a solitaire as it it will match with any outfit.

I also had a bit of a fear that my preferences would change so e.g if I had chosen a sapphire, would I still like that colour later in life? That was a good call as I've changed so much since I was 22!

I have a solitaire, the setting (twist) is no longer in fashion but that doesn't bother me. It's not huge, 1/5 carat. My fingers have shrunk with age so I can only wear it now on the larger of my middle fingers. At the time, I simply chose a ring that I liked.

I generally feel that the modern cluster-style rings, though pretty, don't represent lasting value as you're getting mainly diamond chips.

I have a couple of vintage 'toi et moi' rings that I bought for myself and love. If I were getting engaged again (hopefully not as I've been married more than 20 years) I would choose an antique toi et moi ring, I'd love one with larger stones than those I have but I can't justify spending that kind of money on something that's just a random present for myself.

I think it's the settings that change . A big solitaire set high would be totally impractical for most women's lives now . A diamond engagement ring was the brilliant marketing idea of DeBeers diamond company. Think solitaire was the most people could afford or be willing to pay which is why now there may be more stones set in the band .

BTW I had a home birth too but would still love a big fuck off diamond ring .

And a cockapoo named Teddy?

3 entirely unconnected things. I went for an antique non-solitaire ring, kept my name and had 2 c-sections. Live your life as best you can and let others live theirs.

😂😂😂😂😂

Most women I know have a diamond solitaire, it’s popular for a reason. They’re all lovely.

Mine isn’t a solitaire or a diamond. I still can’t imagine someone I care about showing me their diamond solitaire engagement ring and thinking ‘how dull’. Thank God I don’t have that mindset, how miserable life would be,

You post is very strange OP. You are not edgy or different. We are all unique none of us are the same.

as for rings I thought the fiancé chooses it and it’s a surprise? Mine is completely non standard.

The main reason diamonds are popular for engagement rings is that they last - they can be worn every day and they don't get scratched or dull over the years. You might need the band re-plating or polishing but the stone itself is almost impossible to damage.

They also go with anything, whether that be what you're wearing or other rings you might want to put on - a diamond isn't going to clash with any coloured gemstone.

However, my advice to anyone is to go for a ring you love, whether it's a diamond or not, a cluster or a solitaire. Fashions come and go, your ring might go in and out of style over the years, but if you love it, it doesn't matter.

I didn’t care what ring my husband picked out, I am not a big jewelry person and I knew I would only wear it for best so an expensive one would be wasted, spending most of its time in a box. I have a pink sapphire which I think is lovely and I bought him a nice watch as an engagement gift for him as he collects watches. I like looking at other people’s rings and would never judge them for it (unless it was excessively big then I wonder if it’s what they wanted or if their fiance wanted to show off).

Is not having a diamond ring quirky?

I kept my own name in both marriages and I prefer the solitaire I have now in my second marriage because it’s bombproof and I want to wear my engagement ring every day. It only comes off if I’m doing something like moving paving slabs or mixing raw meat by hand when cooking. It has an annual free service where the platinum is polished and the prongs checked and this year, 12 years in, was the first time the prongs needed work due to wear. You have to be much more careful with pavê diamonds or with coloured gemstones. I love coloured gemstones and I have a three stone ring with a sapphire but I am more careful with that and the sapphire does get scratches. I still wear it on my right hand most days as it is sentimental to me as it was my mother’s engagement ring and before that my paternal grandmother’s.

I like being able to see the facets of my solitaire and it really throws colour certain lights, in others it just scintillates a brilliant icy white. When I was younger I thought solitaires were boring but my tastes changed. I also really like 3 stone rings and they are at least as classic.

Engagement ring styles are subject to fashion but change more slowly. My mum’s generation in the UK almost always had a yellow gold engagement ring that incorporated a coloured gemstones along with diamonds; - I wondered why my mum had a “silver” [platinum] one unlike other mums. The setting was either a halo or more commonly, a three stone ring with a coloured centre stone flanked by two smaller diamonds. The eighties saw a lot more asymmetrical designs, clusters and twists added to the repertoire and the mid to late nineties heralded the long lasting era of the all diamond rings in white metals. Marquise cut diamonds and princess cut diamonds all had their time in the sun and all diamond halos were the favourite 15 to 10 years ago. A decade ago there was a lot of rose gold.

I do think the all diamond thing came from the US; coloured gemstones were the norm in the UK until the 90s.

I just love rings! I only have two because I want to wear both every day and my hands are too ugly for rings on other fingers but I love admiring other people’s rings out and about.

Forget classic or modern. Surely most women choose an engagement ring that speaks to their heart?

I’ve got a classic solitaire. Not for those reasons , I just like it. The setting is slightly different.
We all like different things 😊