Engagement rings are timeless. There’s still no greater gesture of love and devotion—at least none that looks as striking on your hand. While today’s rings aren’t as traditional as they once were, an engagement ring is still a symbol of a significant promise. Whether it’s a solitaire, princess, emerald, or other style, it’s a significant piece of jewelry that someone will wear for decades to come. That means there’s also a lot of pressure to choose the right ring. Remember when Aiden (and Miranda) tried to surprise Carrie with a traditional pear-shaped solitaire on a gold band on Sex and the City? A beautiful ring, but completely wrong for the wearer.
While you should ask your partner about other important factors like size and style, this article will serve as your guide for other aspects of ring shopping and introduce you to the top 10 engagement ring brands.
While it’s unclear when the custom of giving engagement rings began, according to the American Gem Society, anthropologists believe the tradition “dates back to a Roman custom in which wives wore rings on small keys to ensure ownership of their wedding rings. ‘To show my husband.'”
Thankfully, our ideas about marriage (and accessories) have left the Roman era behind, and the engagement ring has finally become a romantic gesture that symbolized a promise to one’s partner. In fact, it was the Victorians who popularized the ornate and glamorous engagement ring styles that blended diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals that buyers still seek out today.
Engagement rings as we know them really came into their own in 1947, when international diamond company De Beers introduced its iconic slogan: “A diamond is forever.” The American Gem Society writes that since then, “the purity and brilliance of a diamond have become symbols of the depth of mutual devotion between two people in virtually every part of the world.”
Diamonds may be the gold standard, but how many of us know how to shop for one? How do you know if a ring is high quality? What’s a reasonable price range? How do you know if diamonds and stones are ethically sourced? Worry no more. This list of the best engagement rings will help you achieve just that.
Topping our list of the best engagement ring brands is the one that grows all of its diamonds in a lab. Clean Origin is an ethical brand that specializes in flawless luxury diamonds. It was founded by Alex Weindling, a third-generation diamond dealer, Tetty Birman, former CEO of Signet, Sterling, and Zales, and Ryan Bonificino, former CMO of Alex and Ani. Basically, it’s safe to say that there’s a powerful team behind Clean Origin.
In Clean Origin’s sparkling collection, you’ll find engagement, wedding, and occasion jewelry with the option to create your own ring by choosing the size, carat, color, and clarity of the stone. The brand’s engagement collection is breathtakingly beautiful, with sparkling stones set in a variety of precious metals, including 14k or 18k white, yellow, or rose gold, and platinum.
When shopping for diamonds, other gemstones, and precious metals, it’s important to know that what you’re buying is ethically sourced. “Blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds,” or gemstones that are sold based on unethical and brutal sourcing and trading practices of any kind, are unfortunately still being used and readily available on the market.
At Brilliant Earth Engagement Rings, you can rest assured that the jewelry on your future fiancée’s hand is ethically sourced, which means they’re some of the best engagement rings on the market.
Founded in 2005, the company exclusively uses Beyond Conflict Free diamonds. These diamonds are properly sourced, marketed, and come from environmentally responsible sources. They go beyond the usual parameters of “conflict free” diamonds and even offer lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold.
This company offers a variety of choices and styles—you can even design and create your own engagement ring from scratch. Brilliant Earth offers a variety of ring styles, gemstones, and settings, as well as non-gemstone options, so you never feel limited in your options.
For the more indecisive, the site even has a list of the most popular engagement ring styles, which currently includes several vine-style twisted rings and various diamond sizes. The rings on this list range in price from $490 to $2,890 (setting only).
Vrai is a sleek, modern, and trendy engagement ring jeweler. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, a staunch advocate for ethical diamond production, has endorsed the company’s operations, saying, “I am proud to invest in Diamond Foundry Inc. – sustainable diamond production in America without the human and environmental burden of mining.”
All Vrai gemstones are made in a carbon-neutral diamond lab in San Francisco and are not mined. Of course, that means all Vrai stones are ethically sourced. Incredibly cool, conscientious, and beautiful, Vrai is arguably one of the best engagement ring brands on the market.
The company creates lab-created diamond engagement rings and other fine jewelry that “inspire beauty, optimism, and possibility through the human lens of innovation, the power of continuous forward motion and the embrace of change, and the beauty of evolution,” she says. website.
All Vrai models are guaranteed to be timeless and above all highlight the diamond in each piece.
Ross-Simons is one of the most popular engagement ring jewelers on the market today, and for good reason. Since 1952, the company has been a top engagement ring brand due to its commitment to beautiful, high-quality jewelry.
With a curated selection of handcrafted designs from around the world, the company’s mission, according to its website, is to “find fantastic choices and bring you life’s luxuries at great prices.”
Blue Nile is a jeweler who runs his own business. Founded in 1999, the company has revolutionized the jewelry industry with its online-only business model and extreme commitment to customer service through commission-free diamond and jewelry experts.
As a company, Blue Nile offers only ethically sourced, handcrafted diamonds and engagement rings. The ever-dedicated customer service team is friendly, welcoming, and happy to educate potential buyers about the brand’s practices, mission, and product selection.
Led by brother duo Jack and Dominick Gabriel, Gabriel and Co. is a fine jewelry company focused on the intersection of “impeccable craftsmanship and technology,” according to the company’s website.
The brothers founded the company in 1989 and followed the leadership and wisdom of their father, a master jeweler, to create the company to deliver exceptional, high-quality jewelry for every special occasion.
The company is committed to using only ethically mined diamonds and gemstones for its pieces. All materials used in its rings, whether stones or precious metals, are fairly sourced and conflict-free. This is an important factor in deciding where to buy your engagement ring, and another reason to include Gabriel and Co. on this list of the best engagement ring brands.
The price of actual diamonds available for purchase varies based on size, style, and carat. Each engagement ring setting can thus be highly personalized, choosing the exact diamond that matches your needs and your partner’s style.
It’s especially important to be a confident and informed consumer before purchasing an engagement ring – especially if it’s a piece of jewelry that your partner will hopefully wear for the rest of their life. All of the factors mentioned above should be carefully considered when considering a purchase. Most jewelers have excellent customer service teams who will support and inform you throughout the buying process, but be sure to do your own research as well. An informed purchase is always the best purchase.
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