Will a Diamond Engagement Ring Still ‘Cut The Mustard’?

• Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, said an old song, and for decades that maxim did seem to be true. Until very recently, presenting a woman with a diamond engagement ring was the fastest and most foolproof way to that ever-coveted ‘yes’, and with a little help from the media and entertainment industry, this quickly became the norm when popping the question.

The past couple of decades, however, have seen the paradigm change to a significant extent. Suddenly, it was not enough for a bride or a groom to enter a high street jeweller and spend several months’ savings on the shiniest diamond engagement ring available; significant others started looking for qualities such as visual uniqueness and personality over simple sparkle, and long-neglected stones and materials suddenly became common on many a soon-to-be-married finger.

With these changes becoming more and more noticeable, then, there are grounds to wonder whether the traditional sparkler may be going the way of the dodo. Is a diamond ring still enough to impress a future life partner? Or should brides and grooms begin to invest in something less conventional in order to ensure success?

Shine On, You Crazy Diamond

Despite the more than evident changes in mentality for Western brides, it would be erroneous to say that a huge, sparkly diamond entirely fails to impress a contemporary woman. Much to the contrary – a large enough percentage of modern-day brides are still influenced sufficiently by romantic films and glossy magazines so that a standard, store-bought diamond engagement ring is capable of working its magic. Something deep within the human consciousness craves shiny things, and sometimes that innate attraction is enough to overrule all other considerations one may have with regards to uniqueness or style.

Furthermore, the diamond continues to be associated with riches and luxury, an ideal most humans strive to achieve; as such, presenting your significant other with an expensive stone can still ensure you a degree of success, just perhaps not as much as before.

To Be Yourself Is All That You Can Do

On the other hand, offering a big, store-bought diamond engagement ring has, in the past two decades or so, come to be seen as rote and slightly tacky by some. Modern brides much prefer their significant others to pick a unique-looking ring that matches or reflects their personality, regardless of whether it happens to have a sparkly jewel on top. Alternatively, they enjoy being able to help their partner select the perfect ring, once again with considerations of style, personality and visual flair. These options convey that extra measure of caring that most significant others are looking for in a potential life partner.

As such, it is not surprising that the standard-looking high street ring is falling out of favour among the modern-day crowd. In a society which claims to value individuality and uniqueness, this type of ring has come to symbolise stolid tradition, harking back to the very period the present generation is seeking to break free from.

In the end, the success or downfall of the traditional engagement ring will depend on how many people continue to be influenced by traditions enforced by their parents and the media. If the paradigm shifts for good, this type of ring may fall from grace, but as long as romantic comedies and celebrities make a show out of proposing with a diamond, it will last.

Laura L Bolick is the founder of the F&L Designer Guides, compiled and written to help consumers choose a unique engagement ring design. From a diamond engagement ring to princess cuts and engraved bands, we have ideas and opinions covering all the options. Offering advice, tips and suggestions on how to choose that perfect ring, F&L will accompany you on every stage of your search to find the right designer.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.