Quick, think about symbols of marriage! If rings come to mind, they should. Nearly 1.7 million couples got married in 2020, and nearly every married person left the altar with a ring on their finger. This makes it hard to find truly unique engagement rings. Yet you shouldn’t panic. You have many different options for rings, some of which may not be obvious to you.

What can you put on your rings besides diamonds? How can you create interesting clashes of color, texture, and shape? How can you personalize your rings?

Get the facts and you can choose an engagement ring that speaks to you and your love. Here is your comprehensive guide.

Look at Diamond Alternatives

Many non-traditional rings forgo diamonds for a different kind of gem. You can put nearly any type of gem in your rings, but a few stand out as good choices.

Moissanite is a rare mineral with a metallic luster and a greenish gray color. If you want a ring that looks modern and classy, you should consider putting moissanite in your ring. You can cut the gem any way you want, allowing it to resemble a diamond.

You can find many different colors of cubic zirconia, including gems that resemble cut glass. The gems are very hard, so they will remain durable in your rings for years to come.

You can always go for a classic gem like rubies or sapphires. You can find rare versions of these gemstones to put in your rings. Star sapphires have star-like patterns on them, making them extremely eye-catching.

Change the Color of Your Diamonds

Engagement rings are traditionally gold, so an easy way to make your rings non-traditional is to change the colors. Rose red is a classic color for love, and you can make the diamonds and bands rose red. Pink is another traditional symbol of love, so pink diamond engagement rings are very popular.

You don’t have to select just one color. You can select multi-colored diamonds or diamonds that act like prisms, refracting the light to create rainbows.

If you want to call attention to the color of your diamond, you can select a different-colored band or setting. A blue diamond can pop out against a red or orange band.

Look at Opal Stones

Opal stones are famous for their play of colors. You can find an opal gem with bright yellows and oranges next to dark blues and browns. Opal’s luster is milky, and it can reflect a little light, creating a ghostly appearance.

Opal has many different symbolic meanings. In some cultures, opal gems bring out a person’s true self and protect the wearer in dangerous situations.

Other cultures associate opal with bad luck. Before you buy a ring with an opal stone, think about how your family and friends would perceive them.

Consider Dark Stones

Dark stones are bold choices for your rings. They can be too stark for some people’s tastes, so take a look at a few dark stones before you make your selection.

Black sapphire is one of the most popular choices for dark stones on engagement rings, in part because it is very cheap. The stone is almost opaque, so it absorbs nearly all light that enters it. You can find stones that look dark blue, which can be a little less imposing.

Onyx is similar in color and texture to black sapphire. It is a softer stone, so it is easier to cut into different shapes.

Select Birthstones

You can personalize your rings by putting your birthstones on your rings. Take a look at a birthstone chart and see what your choices are.

You can select the birthstone from your month, or you can make selections based on zodiac signs. Each day of the week also has its own birthstone, and these stones include unusual choices like cat’s eye and carnelian.

You can put your birthstone and your spouse’s birthstone on the same rings. This is a subtle way to suggest the bond with your partner, and it can create an unusual aesthetic. You can even cut your birthstones into the shapes of hearts and have them face each other.

Try a Fancy Shape

Round or square center stones can be effective, but other shapes can add style and interesting clashes in textures. A hexagon stone has six sides, which can make your stone seem larger.

A kite-shaped stone has four sides, two of which are longer than the other two. Very few people have stones like these, so they can be eye-catching, but some people may find them too unusual. If you want a similar and less jarring shape, you can get a stone with four sides of equal length.

A marquise-shaped stone is similar to an oval stone. But its tips are pointed and the stone is more elongated than an oval stone.

Add a Hidden Meaning to Your Rings

You can personalize your rings in other ways as well. You can slip a hidden gemstone into the band, including birthstones.

You can engrave a message inside the band. Most people engrave their names in their bands, but you can customize the message however you want. “I am beside you” and “My One and Only” are two great messages.

You can buy three-stone engagement rings. One stone can represent the past, one can represent the present, and the third can represent the future. You can select a classic gem like an opal stone for the past, your favorite gem for the present, and a diamond or piece of glass to represent the future.

Orient Your Stone to the East and West

Stones on standard rings run north and south, parallel to your fingers and perpendicular to the band. You can change how your stone is facing so it runs east and west.

This is a good idea if you want an oval gem on your ring. The east-west orientation gives your gem more room and allows it to stand out against your fingers.

You can select a rectangular gem as well for an east-west orientation. Make sure the gem is not too big so you can move your finger in all directions.

Get a Creative Ring Setting

Your ring setting determines the style of your ring as a whole. You can use your setting to call attention to your stone or enhance a particular component of your stone.

A channel setting relies on small diamonds inside a cut channel that runs through your band. These small diamonds can create an interesting clash with your largest diamond if you get diamonds of different colors or textures. Each diamond can fit inside of a small lip, protecting it from damage.

Pavé settings use several small gems or diamonds to accentuate the main gem. These small gems catch the light and create sparkles. Put some space in between each gem so each one is visible, as they can be hard to tell apart from a distance.

If you want to create a halo effect for your gem, you can select a halo setting. Several accent gems encircle your center gem and shine in the light.

If you want to have a few large gems or diamonds on your ring, you can get a side stone setting. One medium-size gem goes on each side of your largest gem. You can select three of the same gem or three different gems.

You can also go for the opposite approach. You can have a few small gems on your ring, calling attention to your band instead. This creates a low-profile ring you can wear with many outfits.

Select an Interesting Band

You are not required to have a circular or oval ring band. Your band can be square, rectangular, or any other shape you want, as long as you can fit your finger inside it.

You can also add design features like twists, which encircle your gem and symbolize you and your partner coming together in marriage. Swirls can have a similar effect, and putting gems or diamonds on the swirls allows them to create halos around your finger.

Traditional bands are gold, but you can select platinum or another material. The material you select should be durable and sturdy enough to hold your gem. Yet you can experiment with wood, palladium, and tungsten.

Purchase Unique Engagement Rings

Unique engagement rings can be very special. You should stay away from diamonds and opt for a bolder choice like birthstones or opal gems.

Cut your gemstones into different shapes, including hearts and kites. Select a setting that creates sparkles and draws attention to your ring as a whole.

You can even experiment with the shape of your ring and the material of your band. You can put your gem in an east-west orientation instead of a north-south one.

Talk to experts in the best rings. Finer Custom Jewelry serves Arizona and Texas residents. Browse our collections today.