These Are the Most Popular Engagement Ring Styles

Did you know that we're heading into Mercury retrograde and the most popular time of year to get engaged? According to data collected by The Knot, November to February is officially engagement season, meaning engagement rings are on the mind when it's not being throttled by the planets. It's not surprising to learn that a solitaire-style engagement ring is the most popular style, but the Knot found that other kinds of rings are gaining popularity, especially now that couples are looking for ways to make their rings more unique. 

The Knot's Real Weddings Study also found that more than 85% of proposers purchase a brand-new ring for the occasion and 45% opt for something custom designed. The majority — 81% — of proposees use social media for ring inspiration, so all those Pinterest boards really are doing something. 

Engagement Rings

"Today's couples are more diverse than ever before, and what makes each proposal, wedding, and even registry unique is the celebrating of two individuals and their love story," says The Knot Editor-in-Chief Kristen Maxwell Cooper. "Couples are tossing and twisting engagement traditions like never before, whether choosing to propose on top of a mountain in private or at the location of their first date in front of family and friends, ultimately prioritizing their personal preferences for the start of their wedding planning journey and soon-to-be newlywed lives."

In terms of styles, the rock itself is getting a remix, too. Couples are looking for non-round cuts more and more now. Princess or square cuts raked in 14% of the vote, tying with the oval cut in popularity. Even though brides-to-be may hear about them being super-popular, cushion cut diamonds only earned 9% of the vote and probably thanks to Carrie Bradshaw's nausea, pear- or teardrop-cut stones only pulled in 5% of responses.

Diamonds aren't going anywhere, with 90% of responders saying that they opted for one. But other stones are gaining momentum, The Knot reports. The most popular diamond alternatives are moissanite (which got 19% of the response, up from 10% in 2017), sapphire (18%), morganite (12%), and aquamarine (6%).

For couples looking for something really different, not having a ring at all is getting more popular, too. While 96% of couples do opt for a ring, The Knot notes that "watches, bracelets, gifting a vacation, or even a down payment on a house" are options that the other 4% choose instead. 15% of ring-givers offer up a lab-grown stone, citing ethical sourcing as the main reason for eschewing a traditional stone. Another way to get around that quandary is to go vintage or use a stone that's passed down in the family. 11% of couples are going that route, making the "something old" and "something new" the exact same thing.

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