Oval Cut Diamonds

Many buyers are beginning to move away from the halo-style rings that have dominated engagement rings in recent years toward hefty and brilliant oval cut diamonds, according to many of the jewelers we surveyed. "Oval diamonds are the hottest cut on the market -- which makes them incredibly difficult to source,” says Vance Schiffman, owner of San Francisco-based Shreve & Co. “Since we hand-select all of our oval diamonds, we typically go through 25 before we find one without a bowtie or butterfly shadow in the center (which helps the diamond show up bigger and brighter than all others).”

Pictured: 4.04 Oval Diamond set in Platinum from Harry Kotlar/Shreve & Co.

Baguettes as Accent Stones

While trends differ from region to region and jeweler to jeweler, one style has been on its way to becoming the “it” engagement ring design from coast-to-coast: baguettes. Many betrothed have been gravitating away from the delicate accent stones that have long been the norm toward bold side stones like baguettes, says Lester Lampert president David Lampert: “There’s going to be a trend back away from tiny diamonds on the side to larger stones.”

Pictured: Amelia Engagement Ring/photo courtesy Ashley Zhang Jewelry

Vintage Engagement Rings

They -- whoever they may be -- say, “Fashion comes and goes, style goes on forever.” Today, it many fashionable couples are expressing their unique style by looking to yesteryear with rings that evoke the timeless designs of eras past. “Vintage engagement rings are picking up in trend because people are looking for unique and classic designs that are difficult to find,” says New York-based engagement ring designer Ashley Zhang of Ashley Zhang Jewelry. “These rings have details and diamond cuts that are impossible to reproduce, so they are truly one of a kind.”

Pictured: Versailles Ring/Photo courtesy Ashley Zhang Jewelry

Five Stone Diamond Rings

The traditional trilogy ring -- like the one owned by Meghan Markle -- have been considered a classic for decades. But for 2019, many brides-to-be are punching it up with extra stones. Award-winning London-based designer Rachel Boston has been getting a lot of requests from bespoke clients for five stone diamond ring, especially with a central emerald cut stone. “The silhouette created is very Art Deco but by incorporating modern cut side stones like trillion cuts it’s instantly updated,” says Boston. “It’s more unique than the traditional trilogy ring but still has a timeless look.

Pictured: Five-stone diamond ring; photo courtesy Rachel Boston

Unique Halo Settings

Halo settings have been one of the dominant engagement ring trends for the past several years, most likely because they tend to make the center stone look larger. Alicia Davis, VP of merchandise for Colorado-based Shane Co., the largest privately owned jeweler in the United States, expects to see that continue and evolve in 2019 with more unique, statement-worthy halo designs. “Rather than a traditional white gold pavé halo around a round diamond, we’ll see vintage halos around fancy shapes with rose and yellow gold metals,” says Joseph.

Pictured: Vintage Halo Diamond Engagement Ring with Emerald Center Stone/Shane Co.

Thinner Bands

The thick bands that have been a mainstay in the engagement ring world for years have been thinning out, says Richard Eiseman. Jr., president and CEO of Eiseman Jewels NorthPark Center in Dallas, “There is a trend in thinner bands with and without diamonds.” While he also thinks classics, like solitaires and three stone engagement rings, are starting to come back, Eiseman is seeing brides-to-be “mixing things up” with mix and match engagement rings with thinner stackable bands rather than matching sets.

Pictured: Emerald Cut; photo courtesy Eiseman Jewels

A Wider Variety of Metals

For a long time, platinum and white gold were the best-sellers for Sohn & McClure Jewelers in Charleston, South Carolina, says owner and designer Rex McClure, but that has become less and less the case recently. For 2019, McClure expects to see a wider variety of metals being used on classic solitaires and three stone rings. He believes the resurgence of yellow and rose gold will continue and that more couples are going to seek unique, custom designs. “Some people want rose gold accents on white gold rings, which looks pretty good,” he says.

Pictured: Yellow Solitaire; photo courtesy Sohn & McClure Jewelers

Rose Cut Diamonds

One of the oldest cuts of diamonds, dating back to the 16th century, rose cut diamonds have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years for couples seeking rings with an alternative aesthetic and lower profile. Since they have a flat bottom and domed top, they can closely contour to finger, which is attractive to many brides. “We love how they seem to have a candlelit, vintage quality about them,” says jeweler Jennie Kwon of LA-based Jennie Kwon Designs, whose best-sellers tend to be rose cut. “Rose cut diamonds are beautiful, unique (they really don't come calibrated like full cut diamonds so they're all one of a kind) and have a more subdued glow than their brilliant counterparts (which we love also).”

Pictured: Rose Cut Diamond Cluster Equilibrium Ring/Jennie Kwon Designs