What are the engagement ring trends for 2024?

Most engagement ring trend lists for 2024 are guessing. I've been at the bench for 22 years, and the engagement ring trends for 2024 that actually matter are the ones walking into my studio on a Tuesday morning, not the ones in a press release. Here's what I'm seeing and what I'd tell a client to buy.

Engagement ring trends for 2024, from the bench

Oval cuts are everywhere, and I'm tired of them. Oval diamond sales have been climbing for four years. The problem is that most ovals on the market have a bowtie, a dark area across the middle that the 4Cs don't capture. A client named Sarah came in last month with a 2.1 carat oval she'd bought online. The bowtie was so pronounced it looked like the stone had a shadow permanently parked in the center. She ended up returning it and we sourced a replacement with a much weaker bowtie. It cost about $1,400 more, but she stopped noticing the stone. That's the whole point.

Old cuts are the real comeback. About 40% of the engagement rings I made last year used stones cut before 1940. Old European cuts, old mine cuts, antique cushions. Last March a woman named Rachel walked in with her grandmother's ring in a velvet pouch. The old European cut had a small chip on the girdle. Her budget didn't allow for recutting, so we built a bezel with a slight lip to cover the damage. It saved the stone and hid the chip. You can't get that from a catalog.

Lab-grown diamonds aren't a trend; they're a price event

A 1.5 carat CVD round that cost $2,400 two years ago now sits around $700. IGI is the standard for lab-grown, and the stones are real diamonds. My opinion: the price floor is still collapsing. Buy lab-grown because you want the look and the size, not because you think you're making an investment that will hold any of its value when you try to sell it later. The resale value on lab-grown is near zero. That doesn't bother some clients. It should bother the ones financing the ring.

Bezels are winning with people who use their hands

Half of the engagement rings I've quoted this quarter are bezel set. Full bezels, partial bezels, low-rise settings that don't catch on surgical gloves or gym equipment. A bezel uses a rim of metal around the stone, which means fewer prongs to bend and nothing to snag. I've been saying for years that a 6-prong peg head on a 1.5mm band is a repair waiting to happen. Clients are finally listening.

Yellow gold is back, and 18k specifically

14k yellow used to be the default. Now clients walk in asking for 18k. The color is warmer, the patina richer. For a daily-wear ring meant to last fifty years, I'll push every client toward 18k. The upcharge is real, usually $150 to $400 depending on the design. The hardness gap between 14k and 18k is smaller than the internet thinks. Both scratch, both polish out.

Bands are getting wider and mixed metals are normal now

2mm bands used to be the default for women's engagement rings. Now I'm quoting 3mm, 3.5mm, sometimes 4mm half-round bands with slightly rounded edges so they don't catch on a sweater. Mixed metals are also normal now. A client named Daniel paired an 18k yellow band with a platinum head. That's a look I can get behind if the metal weights are balanced and the prongs are 18k white gold or platinum, not 14k.

The trend I'd skip: halos

I'll still build a halo if a client asks. But the halo trend has run its course. Most halos make a 1 carat center look like a 0.75 carat stone with a ring of melee. For the same budget, I'd rather put the money into a better center stone and a simple solitaire with a hand-finished band. The ring will look better in five years.

In 2044, nobody will ask whether your ring was trendy in 2024. Buy the one you'll still want to look at in twenty years. That's the whole job.