Top 5 Engagement Ring Trends to Avoid in 2024

Buying an engagement ring will be one of your first large luxury purchases as a couple. But the industry is rife with scare tactics to rush you into buying a ring. In this article, I will walk you through all the trends you should avoid when buying your engagement ring.

1. Don’t buy your ring from a ring builder site

Buying an engagement ring from a ring builder site is one of the riskiest things you can do. And just because you know about the 4Cs doesn’t mean you will pick a good diamond. Even with lab grown diamonds, some flaws can make your diamond appear dull and lifeless. And then there is the craftsmanship.

When jewellers compete on price, like most online ring builders, they take as many shortcuts as possible. One way they can do this is to use pre-made mounts and buy stones in bulk with varying carat sizes.

Pre-made mounts are bought at scale for fixed diamond carat sizes and ratios (length to width and table to depth). The different stone sizes and proportions are then forced into the pre-made mounts.

Pre-made mounts are bought in bulk under a ‘one size fits most’ approach - they aren't individually made for each unique diamond. Because different diamonds have different proportions (length, width and depth), forcing stones into these mounts can often result in several issues:

1. The stone is not a perfect fit. Your centre stone can become loose, or the mounts are misaligned.

2. Individual settings are not being checked thoroughly for structural or aesthetic defects

3. Poor polish and clean. The casting isn’t specific to the stones, and the ring will look a little cheap and can even look asymmetrical.

Compare this with a ring from Four Words. All our jewellery is specifically set according to the dimensions of the diamond.

Furthermore, our designers provide very specific dimensions for our jewellers to work with so that they can get the best light performance out of every diamond and gemstone — whether its a gemstone, or a melee diamond on the side of a band.

2. Buying a thin engagement ring bands

Often termed the whisper band, these rings are the epitome of a dainty engagement ring but also of poor craftsmanship. Rings less than 1.8mm in width are prone to bend and even snap because they are too thin.

The risk is even higher when your engagement ring contains a large diamond or more than one diamond or gemstone.

At Four Words, our standard band width is 2.2mm, and our smallest width is 1.8mm.

3. Not buying independently certified diamonds

The three large independent diamond certifiers are IGI, GIA and AGS. When you buy a diamond — lab or mined, you want to ensure it comes with a certificate from one of these grading houses.

Some jewellers value their jewellery in-house. This lends itself to biases on the stone quality so they can be sold at higher prices.

Other gemstones typically don’t come with certificates, and the stone's quality needs to be visually inspected.

At Four Words, we collectively have decades of experience picking the diamonds and gemstones that the eye can see—with or without a certificate. We do this by considering optical properties and proportions and by working with only a select few suppliers.

4. Buying an engagement ring off the shelf

Going into a jewellery store shouldn’t be the same as it was twenty years ago. You shouldn’t be pushed into a design because that is what they have in stock. But most importantly, you shouldn’t feel that you need to settle on something that you don’t absolutely love.

At Four Words, we offer two pathways: recreate a design you found online or start from scratch.

Start from scratch

If you have a clear vision or need help getting started, our expert design team will collaborate with you to create a one-of-a-kind piece that is both tasteful & timeless.

We’ll provide practical guidance at every step, ensuring that what we create together will be a cherished treasure for a lifetime.

Recreate a design

Send us your dream design, either as an existing photo or design.

Whether it is from our collection or your inspiration, our designers will recreate it with precision and care, ensuring every detail is perfect.

If you’d like to modify or add your own personal touch, we’ll work with you to ensure it reflects your style and taste perfectly.

Also, at Four Words, we don’t charge more for the design process. While we take a $350 design deposit, it is rebated against the final price of your engagement ring. And 100% refundable.

Interested in getting exactly the engagement ring that you want? You can learn more about our process or reach out for a no-obligation chat about your design.

5. Buying the biggest engagement ring stone you can

Getting the largest diamond was a flex maybe 10-15 years ago. But now, design and story has become a lot more important.

I have found that the engagement rings that get the most compliments are classic but unique designs —those that epitomise the relationship. In practice, this means exploring different colours, gemstones, and multi-stone engagement rings.

For example, this low-set multi-stone engagement ring featuring pears, marquise, and round diamonds is much more interesting than a simple engagement ring with a large diamond.

We are also seeing couples choose custom cut diamonds and gemstones. For example, this 5-stone engagement ring featuring an elongated hexagonal cut emerald with accenting round and portrait diamonds in a yellow gold band speaks volumes about what is possible at Four Words.

Design the Perfect Engagement Ring with Four Words

Whether you are looking for a bespoke engagement ring or want to know what is possible, we would love to hear from you. Our custom bespoke engagement ring process will ensure you can get exactly what you want. Even better, we will work within your budget.