Jared Brown Designs

A New Era of Creative Engagement Rings Is Here

Unexpected cuts, settings, metal choices and colourful gemstones guarantee a beautiful bespoke piece

Engagement season is about to hit fever pitch. The top engagement ring consideration in 2023? A creative engagement ring, meaning a sparkler that’s hyper-personal, a true reflection of the spirit of the ring wearer.

For a beautiful example of this, look no further than Zooey Deschanel’s extremely unique, whimsical and very on-brand engagement ring. She announced her engagement to Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott last month and gave a glimpse of her beautiful floral-blossom-motif, three-stone ring, which includes both diamonds and precious purple gemstones.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Zooey Deschanel (@zooeydeschanel)

Toronto jeweller Jared Brown, owner of Jared Brown Designs, says he is seeing more and more of the trend toward mixing diamonds and gemstones with his clients who are looking to create a truly bespoke creative engagement ring. “We have had a lot of recent requests to incorporate sentimental stones as part of the engagement ring design,” says Brown. “Another thing we are doing a lot of is hiding a unique stone within the shank or sleeve of the engagement ring. We love that these thoughtful touches make a custom piece even more personal. Most times these little gems are visible only to the person wearing the ring, which makes this detail even more special.”

Triple stone rings, yellow gold and bezel setting are also things Brown is seeing a lot of for 2023 engagement rings. Read on for his thoughts on what’s trending.

What’s new and noteworthy when it comes to engagement ring settings?

“We’re actually in the midst of a very throwback moment as bezel settings are back and big for the first time since the ’90s,” says Brown. “We love the resurgence of this engagement ring setting style. We are also having a lot more requests for yellow gold, and in a fun twist we have a lot of new and existing clients who are even re-setting their existing engagement rings in yellow gold. Multi-stone settings are also something we have had increased requests for. We recently had multiple clients choose a tri-stone ring that featured a different-shaped centre diamond flanked by matching trapezoid diamonds. Another point to note is that we are moving away from incorporating details or diamonds on the band of engagement rings and seeing more delicate and dainty settings, which really allows a centre stone to shine.”

creative engagment rings
A simple band lets a solitaire diamond truly shine. Jared Brown Designs ring, price upon request, jaredbrowndesigns.com. Photo: Jared Brown Designs

Do you have a favourite unique celebrity engagement ring of the moment to look to for inspiration?

“We love engagement rings that are unique and have a certain character, but there is also an allure to the classics like the timeless design of Real Housewives of New York alum Kelly Bensimon’s emerald cut diamond engagement ring,” says Brown. “That one is a recent personal fave!”

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Bravo Snark Side (@bravosnarkside)

In addition to unique gemstones, how are engagement rings being hyper-personalized?

“Yellow diamonds and emeralds are very popular because they’re different, and customers love that,” says Brown. “I proposed to my husband, James, with a custom-cut, asscher-shape yellow diamond bezel set eternity band. Another new personal detail is there are some new thoughts happening when it comes to engravings. We have always engraved wedding bands, but more recently we are seeing our clients’ requesting engravings in their engagement ring. This can include anything from a sentimental message or a meaningful date.”

creative engagement rings
Emeralds are currently a popular and stunning alternative to a diamond engagement ring. Jared Brown Designs ring, price upon request, jaredbrowndesigns.com. Photo: Jared Brown Designs

Custom engagement pieces take a little extra time to create. What is your recommended timeline?

“Our bespoke engagement rings take four weeks from diamond selection to finished product and delivery,” says Brown. “We have a simple three-step ‘Bespoke Bridal’ process where we get to know our clients and they get to know diamonds. We walk our clients through the basics on diamond knowledge to help them navigate the diamond or gemstone selection process before the design of the engagement ring is finalized and rendered and the manufacturing process begins. Our engagement rings are hand-crafted locally in downtown Toronto, and I personally deliver our engagement rings to our local clients for that extra special touch. We try to make creating a custom piece as simple as possible for our clients. We want to be certain the process is seamless and smooth, so the client receives the jewel of their dreams.”

Creative engagement rings to shop now

Which one is your perfect match?

The east west engagement ring

creative engagement rings
VRAI ring, $2,99s, vrai.com. Photo: VRAI

 

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The oval solitaire is a beloved classic, but a new way to wear it is in an east-west setting like this dazzler from VRAI.

 

The colourful three-stone engagement ring

creative engagement rings
Paris Jewellers ring, $700, parisjewellers.com. Photo: Paris Jewellers
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This rose gold ring from Paris Jewellers’ new Bespoke collection puts us totally in mind of Zooey Deschanel’s engagement ring, thanks to a beautiful trio of colourful stones: an emerald cut pink amethyst accented with an amethyst and white topaz.

 

The bezel set engagement ring

creative engagement rings
Stephanie Gottlieb ring, price upon request, stephaniegottlieb.com. Photo: Stephanie Gottlieb
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This button setting from Stephanie Gottlieb is a very chic way to set a round radiant cut. The bezel set centre stone is surrounded by a halo of diamonds to create a throughly modern engagement ring vibe.

 

The unconventional Toi et Moi engagement ring

creative engagement rings
Mejuri Toi et Moi ring, $2,800, mejuri.com. Photo: Mejuri
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Mejuri’s very original take on the Toi et Moi ring is perfect if you want a statement band that you can stack beautifully with an eternity band or a simple and elegant gold wedding ring.

 

The vintage vibes emerald cut engagement ring

creative engagement rings
Ecksand ring, $2,705, ecksand.com. Photo: Ecksand
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Recent bride Sofia Richie has made the emerald cut diamond one of the most popular rings of the moment. This one from Montreal-based brand Ecksand brings the dazzle via a statement geometric setting.

 

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