3 Engagement Ring Trends to Avoid: The Metals & Gemstones You Shouldn't Buy

Today I wanted to talk about the top engagement ring trends that I have seen out there and why you should avoid them.You have probably seen a lot of beautiful and unique jewelry when shopping for your engagement ring. But did you know just because a designer calls a ring an "engagement ring" doesn't mean that it would actually make a good engagement ring? In this blog I talk about the trending stones, metals, and designs and why some of them you should avoid. With my helpful tips you'll be sure that your engagement ring you invest in is built to last a lifetime.

1. Gemstone Trends to Avoid

The first engagement ring trend that really makes me cringe is when people use really brittle and soft stones in their rings. I've seen stones like opal and labradorite and moonstone and turquoise being used as engagement rings. All of these stones are just way too soft for everyday wear and will most likely crack, scratch or shatter within a few years. People end up replacing the stones in their rings many times over. It can be stressful and expensive in the long run to own an engagement ring that is too delicate. In jewelry, there's a thing called the Mohs hardness scale and it's the density of the stone. The higher the number, the stronger the stone. So for opals on the Mohs hardness scale, they're about a 5, whereas diamonds (the hardest material) are a 9. I wouldn't go for anything softer than a seven for an engagement ring to ensure it lasts.

 2. Metal Trends to Avoid

A very trendy metal right now is Sterling silver. It might seem really appealing because it's got a big price difference over platinum, but honestly it's just way too soft. It's not going to be durable enough to last or be suitable to wear everyday. You should also consider the fact that Sterling silver tarnishes really easily, and it's really hard to keep clean and shiny. Because sterling silver is softer it also means that it doesn't hold your stones really securely, so you're going to get stones falling out your settings and sending your ring in to be repaired.

 3. Fashion Jewelry Trends To Avoid

Another trend I see right now is fashion jewelry being marketed as engagement rings or wedding jewelry. Fashion Jewelry is jewelry that is just designed to be trendy. It's not designed to last for, many years orbe suitable for everday wear. Another way to spot fashion jewelry is that the designs are really, really delicate and petite and they're just going to break and warp over time. On sites like Etsy,designers ust claim it's an engagement ring to get SEO visibility But really if you look at the designs, they're just not practical. For example, I see it's really trendy right now to have Pavé style and really teeny tiny settings  and those are going to just break off and wear down really easily.

I think that opals and moonstones and delicate designs definitely have their place in fine jewelry. It's just that when you're going to be wearing it every day for the next 50 years, (hopefully!) It really has to be a super practical design. So when you're out there shopping for your engagement ring or wedding band, just be cautious of these trends our there. And just because a designer says it's an engagement ring doesn't actually mean it should be worn as an engagement ring. So those are the engagement ring trends to avoid. Send an email if you have any questions: my email is  info@valleyrosestudio.com. Or leave a comment below and let me know what you think!