As 2020 affected how couples all over the world plan to say "I do", many of us are reconsidering the way we look at weddings - and whether we want to partake in the same traditions and styles.
Some are choosing to elope or downscale their ceremonies out of necessity, while we've seen a rise in non-conventional wedding looks (hello, two-piece gowns) - and that goes for engagement rings, too.
We sat down with Sarah Gittoes, creative director and co-founder of Australian jewellery label Sarah & Sebastian, to hear what the forecasted trends are for 2021 when it comes to wearing a rock on *that* finger.
Before we get into it, here are engagement ring trends through the decades. Post continues after video.
The good news is, if you've had your eye on one style forever, it's not going to rapidly go out of fashion just because a celebrity is rocking something different.
"Trends are slow moving and influence subtle considerations like stone shapes, colours and settings," Sarah explained.
As for the 2020 styles that look set to continue into this year, "Fancy cut diamonds such as emerald and marquise have been popular."
With celebrities opting for non-traditional engagement ring styles recently (such as Emily Ratajkowski's now-famous two-stone ring), clients have been inspired to do the same.
"We’ve also seen a rise in two and three-stone rings, with client’s referencing high profile rings as inspiration," Sarah added. "Unique stone combinations in classic silhouettes [offer a] twist on tradition."
When it comes to those traditional shapes favoured in the past, over the past two years there has been one popular diamond cut making a comeback: the oval.
In November 2020, Australian actress Pia Loyola (formerly known as Pia Miller) announced her engagement to Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell - and he proposed with a larger-than-life oval diamond.
Since then, the style seems to be gaining speed.
In 2021, there has also been a trend towards people opting for coloured stones over the typical white diamond.
Many are leaning towards coloured diamonds (like yellow and pink) as well as other precious stones including emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Plus, many on-trend engagement rings are expected to include more than one stone, instead opting for the eye-catching look of 'clusters' of gems.
"We’re currently designing a series of organic cluster rings, using a unique mix of white and Australian champagne diamonds," Sarah said.
Sign us up.
Which engagement ring style is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.