12 Timeless Engagement Rings That Never Go Out of Style
Your engagement ring is a special investment and (hopefully) something you want to wear for years to come. Whether you create a ring stack, wear one on each ring finger or only bring it out for special occasions, you want something that’s always going to look good.
Here’s the issue: What styles will stand the test of time? Do you have to be psychic to know what’s going to be cool in the year 2040? While it sure helps, the answer, luckily, is a resounding no! All sorts of fashion and design genres have principles that help you make style choices that pass the test of time. You don’t need to be a fashion guru or interior design professional to understand timeless style. You just have to keep a few basics in mind.
What Are the Principles of Timeless Style?
Avoid Quick Trends
Yes, following new trends can be a quick way to make your ring look dated in three years. While some trends tend to stick around longer than others, you don’t want your ring to be the dress-over jeans of the engagement ring world. Seriously, who decided that was a good idea? You can play around with modern takes on classic styles with a higher likelihood of long-term success, but there’s always a risk.
This applies especially to colors. You could get a really unique and trendy engagement ring, but there’s no guarantee it will always look good. Stick with the basics of silver, gold or rose gold. White and yellow golds will always look good. You could also make a case for rose gold being a timeless look, but it’s a bit more of a stretch than white and yellow golds.
Go Simple
For the same reason that well-fitted suits and evening gowns looked good 50 years ago and will still look good in 50 years, go simple on your ring. Classic three-piece suit? Timeless. Zoot suit? A bold choice, to put it politely. Getting the idea? Simple designs, when done well, will always look good. You want that stone to be at center stage and let everything else be a tasteful background.
That being said, there’s a fine line between simple and ultra-minimalist. That all-white kitchen we thought looked good a few years ago? Guaranteed not to last the style test. Solid use of neutral tones and small pops of well-placed color? Timeless. Make sure that when you’re searching for minimalist engagement rings, you find something that still has enough character to last.
Shop Minimalist Engagement Ring with Classic StyleBuy Quality
This applies to fashion as well as it does to furniture or cars. You don’t have to go broke for this, of course. There are plenty of budget-friendly choices that still use materials that can stand the test of time. Buy the best that you can afford, but don’t overextend yourself to do it.
Durability is also a hallmark of a quality ring. No matter how timeless the style, if it can’t hold up to the wear and tear of everyday life, it won’t matter how well you chose the look. Beyond that, make sure you love the shape of the stone above all else. If you want to switch up the setting, that’s no big deal and won’t break the bank. Wanting to remix the rock you’re rockin’, however, will not be as simple nor as cheap.
Ask for Help
This is just a good style rule in general, but it can’t hurt to reiterate. Whether this comes in the form of a jeweler or stylish friend, don’t be afraid to recruit some backup. If you aren’t sure what’s going to stay timeless, find a friend who always looks good and get some help.
Don’t have stylish friends? No worries; just start with the basics. A simple yet elegant solitaire engagement ring will look good forever. You don’t have to commit to buying that style but browsing through single stone engagement rings will give you a good timeless style baseline.
How to Choose a Timeless Engagement Ring
Featured: The Evermore and The Bella
Just because it’s a timeless style doesn’t mean it will look good on you. Now, the good thing about timeless style in general is, no matter the genre, it looks good on most people. Note the word most there. There’s a good chance it will look good on you, but it’s not a guarantee.
Decide on Your Style
If you already have a style that you know and love that works for you, great! That’s going to make this process easier. If you’re still working on your style or you’re currently re-imagining your look, all is not lost. You’ll have to shop around a little more, but, honestly, that sounds like a lot of fun to us! Make sure you’re also considering the you of the future. You want your ring to look good on the current you, but you also want it to age well with future you and any style changes you may make along the way.
Look for Proportionality
Just like all fashion, it’s about proportion. If you have shorter fingers, you want to elongate them visually. Look for simple styles that compliment your fingers like pear cuts and oval cuts. If you have longer fingers, you have more leeway for classic styles, and you want to worry more about your finger width.
If you have larger hands, you want a larger style of ring. Halo rings, for example, work really well. If you have smaller hands, larger styles won’t look good on you, no matter how timeless. You still have plenty of options, though! Start out by looking at round and princess cut rings that will complement your hand shape and size.
5 Beautiful Engagement Rings for Small HandsGet Your Ring Size
Ugh, yes, we’re mentioning the obvious again. Seriously, get your finger sized. We don’t care if you know your ring size and you’re sure of it. It takes no time and can save you tons of hassle on the off chance you’re actually incorrect. Sure, many rings can be resized (though not all materials take kindly to it), but why go through the trouble? The good news is we even created our own ring size chart, so you can easily figure out what size is best for you!
Timeless Engagement Ring Options
Yes, we’re finally at the moment you’ve been waiting for. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some options to inspire you in your search for timeless engagement rings.
Solitaire
Featured: The One and Only in Gold
Arguably the most timeless option of all engagement rings out there, the single stone engagement ring is simple and elegant and can have a variety of cuts to match your style. Featuring a simple band and a singular rock front and center, this is the most iconic of all engagement ring styles out there.
- The One and Only: This beautiful simple ring is characterized by a round center stone that glints from every angle. Made with durability in mind, this ring looks dainty but can take whatever the world throws at it. Of all the solitaire rings out there, this is easily one of the most classic looks you can get.
- The Ava: You want flash, but not too much. You want timeless, but not boring. In the same vein as The Daisy, The Ava features an oval center stone and a classic silver band. This style is also available in rose gold if you want more of a modern twist!
Princess Cut
The princess cut features strong lines to go with a strong style. First popularized in the 1960s, this cut looks as great today as it did 60 years ago.
- The Olivia: The Olivia pays homage to the original version of the princess cut. A simple thin band featuring a minimalistic square cut center stone. Nothing fancy; just classic style that will hold up as trends come and go.
- The Amore: The Olivia just doesn’t have enough flair for you? No worries! Let us present to you The Amore. This set features a second band to add some visual character and delicately placed gems. Whether you wear both bands or just the one, The Amore is always a visually pleasing choice.
Halo
A quick way to add intrigue and style to your engagement ring is with a halo. As the name suggests, the halo is a ring that surrounds the center stone with smaller gems to add visual depth, character and glimmer.
- The Rose: Here’s a classic halo-style ring, if there ever was one. With a timeless round center stone, the halo style is its most true self. With a second band in this set, you can wear both at once or opt just to bring out the band for special occasions and all the fancy events you’ll get invited to once you start wearing The Rose!
- The Halo - Emerald: You have to walk a fine line when selecting colored stones if you want a timeless ring. While not every stone may stand up to the test of time, emerald is probably the best color to do so. As you might expect from the name, there is a halo of small stones around an emerald-colored center stone. It might not be for everyone, but, for the right person, this is a timeless look.
- The Evermore: Just the name alone hints at the idea that this ring is timeless. There’s no mistake there! This is one of the best choices for those looking at a ring with a round cut center stone. With added depth from the halo, you’ll be getting compliments for years to come.
Round
What’s more timeless than a round center stone? Go ahead, we’ll wait. Seriously, this is something you could pass down to your grandchildren, and it would still turn heads. With the durability to match their good looks, these rings offer that possibility!
- The Star Light: Star light, star bright, first engagement ring I see I buy. Not how the nursery rhyme goes? Oh well, we just got excited. This ring is absolutely star bright. With a matching band, you can add depth to the set when needed or just let the beautiful prong setting elevate the stone by itself.
- The Enchanted: Ella would be jealous! Ella Enchanted, anyone? No? Well, we liked it. The point is, both royalty and non-royals alike will be in awe when you walk through the streets with the Enchanted. Featuring a lovely prong setting and delicate gems to complement the stone, you’ll feel like the main character of a fairy tale when you wear it.
- The Chelsea: This is likely the most classic of the round engagement ring options. With a simple non-nonsense band and a delicate stone in a prong setting, you’ll appreciate the simplicity of this when it still looks good in 50 years. It also has a hidden halo setting for a sophisticated shine.
There are roughly 350,000,000 different ring choices out there (don’t quote us, we just made that number up). The point is, there are tons of different types of engagement rings to choose from, and it can feel overwhelming. If you stick with classic stylings and care for your ring — well, your ring will always look dazzling, and you’ll be forever stylish.
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