Unusual Engagement Rings

Unusual engagement rings are for free thinking girls who like things for what they are and not because someone tells them they should. They shy away from convention and like the idea of having a unique engagement ring.

Ring courtesy of JamesAllen

Although the design and look of an unusual engagement ring might be different, the materials can still be classic—diamonds are still a girl’s best friend. If you are the type of bride who doesn’t want to "meet" your exact ring at a party, an unusual ring is definitely for you!

There are a few things that are important to consider if you are "stepping outside of the jewelry box" that you may not have thought of. Remember, this isn't your average piece of jewelry or something that you'll replace in a few years. Trends and styles come and go and as they do, your taste will change. So, avoid anything trendy when looking for an engagement ring, because over time you will get sick of it.

Our best advice here is not to rush. If you are buying the ring for your fiancée as a surprise and you aren’t quite sure of the style, take her best friend or her sister along with you. Most girls have dreamed of this ring their entire lives, and have shared that dream over many a slumber party.

If you are choosing the ring together as a couple, visit several sites and stores until you are very, very sure that this is the ring you want to look at every day, several times a day!

You have 3 solid options when looking for unusual engagement rings:

1. Conventional Materials with an Unusual Design
   Traditionally, we all think of gold and platinum with diamonds as the elements of an engagement ring so your first option is to select a ring with these traditional materials but choose an unusual or unique design like the ones below. With this approach you'll always dazzle your friends and family without straying beyond recognition. Notice that these unusual engagement rings have really cool settings, and really terrifically placed cut stones!

Just click on any of the rings to check'em out!

2. Unconventional Materials with Traditional Design
   Metal is metal and you still want all the quality and durability of the precious metals but coupling the metal with untraditional stones is a great way of choosing an unusual engagement ring. Some people are allergic to gold, and some people are concerned with the environment and want to limit mining the earth’s resources. In these cases, there are options for hypoallergenic and man-made metals.
   
   We love the idea of using gemstones as the primary stone in an engagement ring and have dedicated a whole section of this site to them. Gemstone rings make beautiful and unusual engagement rings and come in a rainbow of colors.
   
   Thankfully, whoever came up with the birthstone chart made sure to choose vivid, rich colors, so if you want to wear a ring that represents your birth month—you might prefer that color already. And if you happen to be born in July but love amethysts over rubies, there is nothing wrong with the color purple. In fact, the famous $4 million diamond ring Kobe Bryant gave wife Vanessa was purple!
   
   If her birthstone isn't something that appeals to either of you, like we said, don't worry, many couples choose another color from a significant month in their relationship to commemorate their union...(your first date, the month of the engagement, the month of the wedding etc...) while others choose the stone based on the symbolism and legends that surround it. And who’s to find fault in loving April Fool’s Day? April’s birthstone happens to be the diamond :-).
   
   Below are our top picks for unusual birthstone engagement rings. The sapphire ring on the left is inspired by Lady Diana's (and now Kate Middleton's) We loved that Prince William honored his late mother by giving Kate this ring, and we think it might be one of the reasons the world fell in love with this couple—this is a perfect example of an unusual engagement ring becoming traditional!
   
   And check out the garnet center stone and chocolate diamond ring set in 14K rose gold. It's a quintessential example of using a traditional setting with unconventional materials.

Just click on any of the rings to check'em out!

3. Unconventional Materials with Unusual Design
   You have to be careful with this category because you may end up straying a little too far. There's a fine line between something that is unusual and unrecognizable so make sure that if you're going to go this route that there are some traces of tradition apparent in either the material or design like in our picks below. You don't want people to have a stunned look on their face when you show them your hand and tell them that they're looking at your engagement ring.
   
   And more important than them, you want to look at your ring proudly and have confidence that you made the right decision (this is after all a reflection of your choice of mate, too!), so choose wisely grasshopper. The ancient Latin adage, caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) isn’t still around for nothing, you know.
   
   We love these last two rings below!
   
   The Mikimoto pearl and diamond is very unusual but at the same time elegant and classic.  "Pearls of wisdom" is a phrase that applies to unusual engagement rings too—every pearl is unique, and they will always be timeless. Our favorite Aunt had a pearl engagement ring her husband had picked up on a trip to Japan! It's important to remember however that pearls are not a hard stone so pearl engagement rings require extra special care.
   
   The light blue topaz coupled with yellow gold is a striking and modern alternative. And, although both rings have unusual materials and designs they still somehow remind us of nuptials but in an unusual, which is exactly the point.
   

Just click on any of the rings to check'em out!

Are we speaking to you? If you paused on this page, there is a good chance we are, so check out some of the unique engagement rings that were recently bought for some very lucky ladies.

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