UK and other non-US PSers. What e-rings and wedding bands do you see locally?

[MillieLou]

Just curious!

I'm in the North in the UK and things seem to be changing over here and I am seeing more pave, halos etc rather than classic solitaires. A wider range of stone sizes, possibly moissanite though I wouldn't know by looking. Diamond wedding rings rather than plain bands.

US-based PSers, please feel free to join in with what you have observed on your travels!

 

[maryjane04]

Haha I can answer from Australia!
I see a lot of solitaires - ovals are in, rose gold is in and the under the prong/hidden halo is also in. Want pictures? And of course the normal halos are in as well as double halos.

Oh wedding bands seem to be pave/diamonds.

 

[Jsand]

Most of my friends are based in London and south of UK. Their engagement rings are typically a bit smaller than half a carat, and almost all either a princess cut solitaire, or a pear with a halo. There’s one oval in the group that looks to be about 1 carat but I would not ask her to confirm this! All their wedding bands are pave.

Now that you mention it - mine is the only round solitaire out of my British friends, but I live in south Florida now and at .70 it’s teeny tiny compared to the rings I see out and about around here.

 

[MillieLou]

Haha I can answer from Australia!
I see a lot of solitaires - ovals are in, rose gold is in and the under the prong/hidden halo is also in. Want pictures? And of course the normal halos are in as well as double halos.

Oh wedding bands seem to be pave/diamonds.

Ooh that's interesting. And YES to pictures, of course! I love both ovals and rose gold. The hidden halo sounds a bit of a nightmare for daily wear / cleaning though - perhaps I'm being too practical.

Most of my friends are based in London and south of UK. Their engagement rings are typically a bit smaller than half a carat, and almost all either a princess cut solitaire, or a pear with a halo. There’s one oval in the group that looks to be about 1 carat but I would not ask her to confirm this! All their wedding bands are pave.

Now that you mention it - mine is the only round solitaire out of my British friends, but I live in south Florida now and at .70 it’s teeny tiny compared to the rings I see out and about around here.

That's interesting. There are a lot of princess cuts around here (North West) too - seems to have been the thing particularly for those who married 2000-2010 or so.

Chuckling at 0.70ct being teeny tiny where you are now. That's one of the reasons I started this thread. This site is still largely US-centric and so I when I read about people having "modest" upgrades to beautiful 2+ carat rings, my face is like this -->

 

[MrsDiamondHeart]

I like this thread, thanks for starting it. I’m in London and I see a lot of recently engaged couples wearing princess cut solitaires with pave bands, and some halos. Very few simple solitaires. But for my friends, who mostly got married early/mid 2000s, plain band solitaires in round or emerald and also 3 stones with baguette side stones are most common.

Average size I see is .40 to .60 I’d guess. I remember working with a lovely colleague who’d moved over from the US and she had the most enormous Cartier engagement ring, she got so much attention. Over a carat here is still not the norm - I also think that most people in the UK just default to chain store jewellers. I was completely clueless until I found this forum.

 

[MillieLou]

That's really interesting to read @MrsDiamondHeart . It does seem that the plain solitaire is less common now for newly engaged couples in the UK. A shame, as I really love them!

Cultural norms are a strange thing. I spent some time in the US about 15 years ago on a placement, and was just amazed to see the giant rocks (by which I mean around 1 carat). My eyes have adjusted after being on PS! Now my 1.3ct EC 10 year anniversary upgrade looks quite normal and possibly could be a bit bigger...

Upgrades are another thing that don't really happen around here. Well, except for me I'd probably get a lot of surprise / judgement if anyone noticed, but they probably won't.

 

[meely]

Gosh I don’t notice that many engagement rings so I think they are fairly small or people wear just a band. But here are the ones I have noticed
One social circle one girl wears a vintage round solitaire maybe 0.3/0.4 carat, the other just a pave wedding band her set was lost and her husband is not interested in replacing, she replaced the band herself.
Various friends 0.5-0.75 on plain bands, I think maybe one princess or radiant, the others round brilliants. Quite a lot of doing things with the band so it is at a jaunty angle not sure what the name of that style is.
Another group one has a 3 stone with plain band, another I couldn’t tell you and the other 2 both round brilliant solitaires about 1ct, one with a pave wedding band the other plain that look like nice stones.
One blingy friend has a pave band and pave on her engagement ring and about 1 carat, she is an exception!
Another wears a very small 3 or 5 stone, it wasn’t her choice (although she is not unhappy about it) but she stacks a lot of extra bands with it.
One friend has a peridot halo, very unusual to see that and I alway notice and admire it.
Of more random people I have seen maybe two Mums in toddler groups with big stones 2/3 carats, both moved from London! I also have noticed someone wearing a huge sapphire halo.
My engagement ring is too large I can conclude from writing this I have a solitaire coming my way but it’s still going to be on the large side!
All of these people would have been engaged and married within the last 12 years. Age is mid thirties to late forties. I live in an affluent semi rural area but by no means is everyone wealthy.

 

[meely]

Haha I can answer from Australia!
I see a lot of solitaires - ovals are in, rose gold is in and the under the prong/hidden halo is also in. Want pictures? And of course the normal halos are in as well as double halos.

Oh wedding bands seem to be pave/diamonds.

That’s interesting one I forgot is a daughter of a friend who is my age has a beautiful oval in a rose gold halo. She is British but now based in Oz. They are not wealthy but apparently it was done by a ‘in’ jeweller! It’s a lovely ring. I have not seen a single halo other than that one in the UK!

 

[meely]

Most of my friends are based in London and south of UK. Their engagement rings are typically a bit smaller than half a carat, and almost all either a princess cut solitaire, or a pear with a halo. There’s one oval in the group that looks to be about 1 carat but I would not ask her to confirm this! All their wedding bands are pave.

Now that you mention it - mine is the only round solitaire out of my British friends, but I live in south Florida now and at .70 it’s teeny tiny compared to the rings I see out and about around here.

I am really surprised that pears are so popular!

 

[meely]

That's really interesting to read @MrsDiamondHeart . It does seem that the plain solitaire is less common now for newly engaged couples in the UK. A shame, as I really love them!

Cultural norms are a strange thing. I spent some time in the US about 15 years ago on a placement, and was just amazed to see the giant rocks (by which I mean around 1 carat). My eyes have adjusted after being on PS! Now my 1.3ct EC 10 year anniversary upgrade looks quite normal and possibly could be a bit bigger...

Upgrades are another thing that don't really happen around here. Well, except for me I'd probably get a lot of surprise / judgement if anyone noticed, but they probably won't.

I’ve definitely got judgement on my ring. My Mum asked me if it was from accessorise and wouldn’t believe me when I told her it was real I don’t wear it too much now because it feels so blingy. Hopefully a solitaire will help, I’m almost tempted to pass it off as a fake but I’m not sure I feel comfortable with that either!

 

[meely]

@MillieLou great thread btw sorry I’ve got a bit carried away I think I had far more to say on this topic than I realised!

 

[Jsand]

I am really surprised that pears are so popular!

Me too, although I do prefer them to princesses!

 

[munchee]

This is an interesting topic, I haven’t been to Europe. But what I noticed so far is 1ct+ ering is more of Australian and US thing? I wore 0.8ct ering in South Korea and got a lot of look while in the States it’s nothing?

for the styles and shapes shift I think maybe social media play a big role for that. Not just in UK but other countries too. I noticed lately heart shape also the next “in”.

 

[meely]

Me too, although I do prefer them to princesses!

Oh I like pears I am just surprised about seeing so many I would have thought round brilliants would still be more popular than anything else.

 

[Natylad]

I'm located in Greece and the big majority of engagement rings that I see here are around .20 - .50 ct in weight, round brilliant in cut (and a few princess cut stones) and set in a solitaire setting, either in white or yellow gold. Nevertheless, all diamonds that i see are very high in color and clarity. People here buy mostly stones in colors G and up and clarity in the VVS range.

 

[MillieLou]

@MillieLou great thread btw sorry I’ve got a bit carried away I think I had far more to say on this topic than I realised!

Haha no need to apologise! I am thrilled to get everyone's replies!

I find it really interesting when I read posts from US-based PSers who seem to have a really clear idea of what is normal within their circles, eg 1ct minimum, 1.5ct is OK but 2ct would be too much. I don't really have that sense. It's more anything goes around here and there is a subtler - and sometimes perverse - relationship between wealth and material possessions. Some of the wealthiest people I know wear plain bands / nothing at all (too busy mucking out the horses in an old Barbour jacket sort of thing), while Big Bling is seen as a bit <whispers> new money. Unless it was left to you by a great-aunt, then it's fine.

From friends with a similar background to me (middle class professionals in 30s/40s) who wear e-rings:

- 3 stone princess cut set in platinum, probably 1ctw, with plain platinum band
- very small (.10-.20ct) bezel set in white metal, with matching plain band
- RB about 1 carat set NSEW in rose gold, with plain matching band
- about 0.50ct princess cut in yellow gold, with plain matching band
- 0.3ct ish solitaire in YG with plain band, with plain matching band
- 0.75ct RB half-bezel solitaire in white metal and matching plain band
- EC 1-1.5ct solitaire in white metal with matching plain band (2 former work acquaintances - inspired my own upgrade as I coveted their rings for years!)
- Ruby centre 3 stone with diamond sides in yellow gold - maybe 1ct ruby and 0.3ct sides
- Large dark sapphire centre, maybe 2cts, with small diamond sides in yellow gold

So, all over the place really.

Among the newly engaged younger women I work with, many of whom are from more working-class backgrounds, there is a trend towards more glitzy settings - halos, pave, diamond wedding bands etc. That's what got me thinking about whether US influence is filtering through as it's much more similar to what I see on PS.

 

[737liz]

I am in Geneva, which is a very international city. So it runs from plain gold band and no rock for a lot of scandi and eastern european friends, to 5ct+ EC cuts. Every shape, style and size is represented. A few have CS. There is no way to generalise. Some married 15 years ago, but all of us are between 30 and 50 years old now, and for the most part, married in our mid-30s. My 0.3ct that I received nearly a decade ago from my Brit partner was met with everything from 'wow that thing is huge' to 'so is this a promise ring?'. No one would have taken out a loan or bought on credit. That seems to be a uniquely US thing.

 

[MrsDiamondHeart]

i think that the upgrade culture is not prevalent in the UK, probably because we don’t have a serious diamond mindset here. Massive assumptions on my part but I think people buy their engagement ring and that’s that. My interest only comes from the fact that my husband wanted to upgrade my ring as our circumstances were very different when we got engaged. I think if I had a ‘traditional’ engagement ring, I’d have never given it another thought. But now I’m obsessed!
@meely I’m now very curious about your ring! Care to share?

 

[munchee]

I am in Geneva, which is a very international city. So it runs from plain gold band and no rock for a lot of scandi and eastern european friends, to 5ct+ EC cuts. Every shape, style and size is represented. A few have CS. There is no way to generalise. Some married 15 years ago, but all of us are between 30 and 50 years old now, and for the most part, married in our mid-30s. My 0.3ct that I received nearly a decade ago from my Brit partner was met with everything from 'wow that thing is huge' to 'so is this a promise ring?'. No one would have taken out a loan or bought on credit. That seems to be a uniquely US thing.

I noticed taking out loan/credit for ering is Australian and American thing. Back in 2009-2010 a friend of mine (Australian) bought a ering for AUD$20k or 40k I can’t clearly remember the exact amount but I remember it was a lot of money. He proposed, got married and divorced in a year or so. Ex-wife took the ering and he had to pay for the loan he took because he exit that marriage cooly.

 

[lissyflo]

Another Brit here. My experiences seem similar to others: most rings are probably around 0.5-1ct, but a couple of friends have larger rings - one a 3 stone with a 1.5ct centre and one is an oval of probably 2 carats. Absolutely no-one else I know has upgraded but a couple of friends have added sizeable eternity bands to their wedding stack. No halos in my circle of friends and I don’t really ever see any in passing.

 

[HGar]

50yr old Australian here. My sister is the only one that has upgraded her ER - she had a .5ct brilliant cut round 25yrs ago that she has upgraded 3 times. Haven’t asked her but I’m thinking her current one is around 2ct - but she is a person who others would think is “trying too hard”. People In my circle (middle class, all quite comfortable income wise) have all styles of rings but I can’t think of anyone who has over a 1ct And only two who don’t have a round (emerald cut for one friend and a marquise for me)
Not one of our friends would have borrowed money to buy a ring - it was Just not the thing to do.

We do have younger couples in our family starting to get engaged and married. Every ring I’ve seen them have in the last 2-3yrs is a halo set around either a round or cushion diamond. Then at their wedding a thin diamond band is added.

Out of all my closest friends I’m the only one who is obsessed with jewellery - in fact if I do ever get my dream 2ct marquise, I can guarantee not one of them will even notice LOL.

 

[Ally T]

I am really surprised that pears are so popular!

I have a pear solitaire! And it's years old & i am the only person I literally know who has one.

 

[Ally T]

I am in Cheshire, North West England. I see a whole range of engagement rings here, from the smaller .50ct to the 2ct. The bigger rings are friends who have been divorced & are engaged for a second time - those are the ones with the bigger diamonds & pave bands. Mostly I see plain wedding rings, plain solitaires & full eternity rings, similar to my own set. The size of the solitaires varies hugely. Mine is a 1.02ct pear & faces up large & chubby. In my close circle, it is the biggest ring I see.

 

[RockFox]

Living in London it really varies. I would say most rings are 1ct or under. I see many rounds and a few princess cuts. Ovals have exploded in popularity via social media influence. Many people choose blingy wedding bands. And then there are of course a few huge diamonds - which probably get noticed a lot more so on public transport than they would otherwise. I don’t know a single person who has upgraded, it’s not a popular thing to do amongst my 30+ age group. And no one took out credit to get their rings - at least not that they speak of.

 

[MillieLou]

Your pear is so gorgeous @Alex T ! You have impeccable taste in jewellery

 

[MillieLou]

Living in London it really varies. I would say most rings are 1ct or under. I see many rounds and a few princess cuts. Ovals have exploded in popularity via social media influence. Many people choose blingy wedding bands. And then there are of course a few huge diamonds - which probably get noticed a lot more so on public transport than they would otherwise. I don’t know a single person who has upgraded, it’s not a popular thing to do amongst my 30+ age group. And no one took out credit to get their rings - at least not that they speak of.

Yes, I have only ever met one person who "upgraded" in the sense of getting a 1 carat solitaire for her 40th. She still wears the original e-ring (approx 0.10-0.20ct) on her right hand. I think there is more judgement for the concept of upgrading than for any size of diamond or ring in the UK.

I am hoping I'll get away with it by calling mine an anniversary ring rather than using the incendiary word "upgrade"

 

[RockFox]

Yes, I have only ever met one person who "upgraded" in the sense of getting a 1 carat solitaire for her 40th. She still wears the original e-ring (approx 0.10-0.20ct) on her right hand. I think there is more judgement for the concept of upgrading than for any size of diamond or ring in the UK.

I am hoping I'll get away with it by calling mine an anniversary ring rather than using the incendiary word "upgrade"

I am with you. Waiting for my bigger bling to arrive . The great thing is that few people in real life actually take notice unless they themselves are really into jewellery. Looking forward to seeing your ‘anniversary’ ring .

 

[Ally T]

Your pear is so gorgeous @Alex T ! You have impeccable taste in jewellery

Get out! I am a mere pauper of jewellery compared to some on this site

But thank you for the lovely compliment. I dream of bigger & better, but i do really love what I have

 

[meely]

I have a pear solitaire! And it's years old & i am the only person I literally know who has one.

I know! It would be very cool if the UK became a pear hotspot

 

[meely]

i think that the upgrade culture is not prevalent in the UK, probably because we don’t have a serious diamond mindset here. Massive assumptions on my part but I think people buy their engagement ring and that’s that. My interest only comes from the fact that my husband wanted to upgrade my ring as our circumstances were very different when we got engaged. I think if I had a ‘traditional’ engagement ring, I’d have never given it another thought. But now I’m obsessed!
@meely I’m now very curious about your ring! Care to share?

Here is the thread

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...st-vintage-oval-in-a-david-klass-halo.240220/