Engagement Ring Trends for 2022

A proposal is all about staring boldly into the future, in spite of the uncertainty that it holds. So, even though we are a couple of years into “unprecedented times,” we’re still up for the challenge of giving you an early lead on the rising stars of the jewelry-verse. Designers and buyers have had a few seasons to digest the weird world we’ve been living in, so don’t be surprised by the contradictory patterns that are popping up all over the place. 

Alternative options will be a theme this year, along with elongated shapes and the usual “unique twists on recognizable classics.” Let’s peer into our brilliant cut crystal ball and give you our predictions for the engagement ring trends of 2022. 

Fancy Shapes: Accessible Glamour

A murky future isn’t the only reason that making style predictions is nerve-racking. We know that you can check up on the status of our picks right away. Maybe back in 2018, you needed Page Six to keep you updated on fancy shape celebrity ring trends. Pear cut engagement rings are trending this year, too, but you don’t need us to tell you that. 

Discover Unique Pear Cut Engagement Rings from Modern Gents

You’ve got the instantaneous access previously reserved for anonymous insider sources. You already follow the personal accounts of every fashion icon you respect. You already saw that celebrity proposal live. You already read a thousand comments on an influencer’s engagement selfie in between writing off sweatpants and hand sanitizer as business expenses. 

You mainly need to quiet the noise and find an engagement ring that doesn’t require an extravagant sponsorship. You know you aren’t stuck seeing how far “two months salary” can go at the jewelry store at the closest mall. That’s definitely outdated. But you do want to grab a bit of industry insight to help you process all the information flooding your feeds. Modern Gents is here to help!

How Much Should You Spend on an Engagement Ring? Here’s Our Take

Newstalgia: Modern Vintage

No matter what the year is, unique twists on recognizable classics will be trending. But now we have a fresh term for new things that harken back to old ones: newstalgia. It’s a buzzword among interior decorators right now, but newstalgia’s brand of custom-fit cozy isn’t just limited to home design. For example, Pizza Hut and Pac-Man are partnering up in a marketing campaign to prove that augmented deja vu is delicious. 

We’ve experienced this trend firsthand; our customers love the familiarity of vintage rings, but they worry that the jewelry they brought down from the attic will irritate a nickel allergy or turn their finger green. If only modern technology offered some kind of rhodium-plated solution to this conundrum. Hmm … in totally unrelated newstalgia, here’s the Alexandria in rose gold.

Ovals: Elongation Shortcuts

To elongate or not? That’s the question a lot of people are asking before they pop the question this year. Elongated shapes are in especially high demand. That’s no surprise since our society is pretty quick on the draw when it comes to ring-selfies. 

Featured: The Queen

If you’ve ever photographed an object that isn’t the serial sticker of a Wi-Fi router, you’ll know that phone cameras can have a hard time with scale. But the elongated stones of unique oval engagement rings flip the script a bit. The way they are cut (maximum surface area) and oriented (vertically), mean that stones look bigger and fingers slimmer. 

Shop All Our Oval Engagement Rings

Again, that’s not a new discovery — the oval cut dates back centuries. It’s not a relic of the distant past, either. Kate Middleton wears an oval ring that belonged to Princess Diana. But based on the number of orders being put in for oval engagement rings, it seems like ring buyers of 2002 are committing to an elliptical orbit.

Here’s another bit of juicy jewelry gossip. Pears and ovals aren’t the only fancy shapes that are in. Emerald and marquise cuts are also waltzing down the aisle. They have a similar elongating effect but give you even more options to diversify a top-heavy style that is easy on the eyes.

Countertrends: Chunky Elegance

You should know in 2022, trends and countertrends form simultaneously. And the internet is delighted to direct you from one to the other. Pizza Hut’s new pal Pac-Man isn’t the only element of ‘80s chunky chic that is back on the scene. Unlike movie franchise reboots that keep getting delayed, solid styles have already rematerialized in engagement jewelry. Saddle up for split shanks and signet rings. 

Even if the bands of the engagement ring aren’t thick, expect additional reinforcement of the central stone. The lofty arches of cathedral settings are going to be on full display, and hidden halos are poised for a big year. Like the oval, they can make the centerstone look larger. 

A modern take on a classic halo (which checks that 2022 box as well), they guarantee that sparkle isn’t just an aerial perspective. Those Zoom calls have taught us all how to work angles. And they make use of an often-unappreciated part of the ring infrastructure, which gives them that unconventional cachet. 

We love hidden halos at Modern Gents for all these reasons, but we will also say this — if you do pick something in this stunning style, make sure you are definitely following our instructions for regular cleaning, to make sure you keep that dazzling basket clean. Of course, you should be doing that anyway, right?! Right? In 2022 there isn’t any excuse to slack on hand hygiene.

Thinking in Pairs: Solitaires and Sets

Ready for us to act like a psychic? OK, here goes: Some of you are reading this as a couple. Jewelers everywhere have noticed that every year more couples make engagement ring shopping a joint activity. That means that engagement rings are increasingly thought of as part of a set, which means complementary wedding bands are a must. If we had to guess, one of you is asking the other one whether “wedding bands” describes the wedding band worn alongside the engagement ring or the one worn by a partner. Both!

Featured: The Camille and The Sadie

Stacked wedding rings continue to pile up accolades for adding a dimension of versatility to the constancy of wedding jewelry. When you are engagement ring shopping for someone else, there can be a bit of guesswork when it comes to size and style. When you shop with the intended wearer, you can feel empowered to lock down an entire bridal set in a way that might come across as presumptuous if you did it alone. And you can make sure the engagement ring that is anchoring that bridal set also sidles up nicely against your own wedding band without seeming like you are making this about yourself. 

Browse Beautiful Bridal Sets Here

And here’s the counterintuitive element to shopping together. Not only does it give you the confidence to pick out a matching set, but it also gives you the peace of mind to lean in the opposite direction if you want the engagement to be a truly singular element. If you know what the wedding bands are going to look like, you don’t have to play it as safe with the engagement ring. 

That kind of operational freedom is a good thing, because 2022 is going to be a year of assertive solitaires. What’s the point of all those fancy shapes and cathedral settings if not to hold aloft some splendid standalone stones?

Featured: The Scarlett and The Zoey

Ethical Alternatives: Working with Nature

No uncle or a podcast guest can resist complaining about “supply chain issues,” right now. But the fact of the matter is that we have unprecedented access to alternative materials and rising pressure to be transparent about the origin story and footprint of the things that we buy. Since Modern Gents was built on a commitment to ethical jewelry, this is definitely a trend we can get behind. 

Shoppers are more eco-conscious as well. Brides are even favoring renting or purchasing pre-owned wedding dresses — since they are often outfits worn for only a day. Rings are worn for a lifetime, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t look for renewable or recycled resources. Consider putting a bit of the money you save on the bourbon toward replanting the tree that provided the original whiskey barrel staves.

Maybe keeping some reminders of the natural world on hand will help us do a bit more to save it. Perhaps that’s why 2022’s spring wedding fashion is a trelliswork of floral veils. Engagement rings are no different. The bridal stacks we mentioned above are going to be full of pavé settings that are going to be twisted into the garland of eternity bands. 

And we aren’t just talking about stealing shapes from nature. 2022 is going to be borrowing a floral color palette as well. Get ready for “little pops of color.” Yellow gemstones are going to stand out against white dresses like daffodils peeking through the melting snow. The rose gold that has been putting down roots for the last decade is going to run wild. 

Browse Colorful Gemstone Engagement Rings

A lot of these trends have been brewing for quite a while and promise to hold steady for years to come. That’s a good thing, because you want a symbol of your love to outlast decades of shifting fashion. That’s why most couples aren’t actively experimenting with rings made from circuit boards and seaweed. 

On the other hand, even though rings are timeless tokens that look forward to your future, they can become a cherished memento of a special time in your past. No matter how you propose to do it, let us know how Modern Gents can help you make 2022 a year worth remembering.

Learn More About All The Different Types of Engagement Rings

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