Colourful gems to wear in an alternative engagement ring: skip traditional white diamonds for unique wedding jewellery, from Piaget’s royal blue cocktail rings to Ronald Abram’s pink sapphires
- From Ronald Abram’s yellow diamonds and Gübelin’s padparadscha sapphires, to Chopard’s two-tone toi et moi design, high jewellers offer a range of styles beyond the traditional diamond sparkler
- Engagement rings have usually been reserved for brides, but men are jumping on the bandwagon too, opting for platinum, gold and titanium bands
You’ll find high jewellery brands are now more creative than ever, with a smorgasbord of choices outside the conventional engagement ring category that could be just the thing to grace your loved ones finger.
“We see coloured gems becoming more popular for engagement rings. Couples want to express their love and choose gems that are connected to them personally,” said Raphael Gübelin, president of the House of Gübelin.
Jonathan J Abram, director at Ronald Abram, has noticed an increase in the number of couples opting for yellow diamonds.
“Yellow diamonds have become a popular engagement ring alternative to the traditional white diamond,” he said. “There are two main reasons for this – yellow is a stand-out colour and many couples see this as an opportunity to be different, plus the price point is often more appealing. You are able to purchase a larger yellow diamond than a white diamond at the same price point.”
One option Ronald Abram offers is an 8.88-carat fancy intense yellow diamond in a radiant cut, with a band of calibre step-cut trapeze diamonds.
Another up-and-coming stone that is a different option for an engagement ring, and is also a little kinder on the budget, is the pink sapphire. Ronald Abram has created a ring featuring a 7.53-carat pink sapphire in an emerald cut, ideal for a bride that wants something pink, but in a deeper, bolder hue.
Couples want to express their love and choose gems that are connected to them personally
“There’s a lot of potential in pink sapphires,” Abram said. “Particularly in the richer and more vibrant saturations of pink. They are a wonderful alternative to pink diamonds that are much higher in value and for many, unattainable.”
Gübelin’s Splendid Feather line uses padparadscha sapphire, an intriguing stone where the pink is intermixed with orange tones.
