Real love isn’t like romantic comedies. In reality, it’s more like: boy meets girl, boy romances girl, boy goes into massive sticker shock over engagement ring prices and decides that marriage is “just a piece of paper.” Or worse, boy gets some generic ring from Zales because it’s all he thinks he can afford.
Having a budget doesn’t mean your future fiancée has to look busted. The average cost of an engagement ring in 2018 was just over $7800. I am going to show you freakishly beautiful engagement rings for less than half of that budget. And what’s greater still, is that most of these rings feature non-diamond center stones, for all my #alternativebrides looking to stand out and show out.
Vampire Squid Ring – Eily O’Connell, $3079
This ring is unusual and I mean that in the best way possible. I love the luster of the 14 carat rose gold and how freeform and natural the design is. Eily cast the shape of this ring using crab claws found along the Irish coast to add texture and visual interest to the band. One of my favorite things about this ring other than the huge dazzling citrine is the fact that vampire squids are real creatures! Perhaps the pretty color of the rose gold is modeled after the red color of wild vampire squids, which makes the ring that much cooler! Your bride is guaranteed to be asked about this one-of-a-kind sparkler all the way from Ireland!
Fault Line Diamond Ring – Jennifer Dawes, $3075
Ever since I wrote my article on brown diamonds, I have been liking colored diamonds more and more. This ring is bohemian, imperfect, and cast in rich 18k yellow gold. The salt and pepper diamond is full of dark inclusions that make it that much more unique and gorgeous to me. I love that the 1 carat center stone is emerald cut because it adds a geometric flair that contrasts with how organic the milgrain detail looks. One thing is for sure, no one else will have a ring that’s identical to the one you purchase. Cheers to not looking the same!
Giselle White Sapphire Ring – Emily Gil, $2500
I love that this piece isn’t your average cookie-cutter solitaire. I have seen scalloped edges before, but I’ve never seen them included quite like this. The hunter green pairs expertly with the 1.22 carat white sapphire center stone creating a lush sense of contrast. With a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, sapphires are a durable stone that can last a lifetime.
This ring is all about the small details from the small round white diamonds as accent stones to the milgrain border for the pear cut sapphire. This would be an ideal ring for a detail-oriented woman who loves sapphires and a sense of originality.
Let me know in the comments below, which one was your favorite? Are citrines the new diamonds or do white sapphires steal the spotlight?
It seems to me that the brown diamond set would be great for the type who likes to tell an interesting story.