Trend Alert: Engagement Rings for Men

If you happened to put Leap Day to good use this year and proposed to the man in your life, you’ll be glad of this recent trend.

Engagement rings for men are now more popular than ever. This is no doubt partially due to the recent legalisation of gay marriage in the US, but even without that we’re still noticing a rise in popularity of the male engagement ring. It seems that both halves of couple, regardless of their sexual orientation, now want to mark their commitment to one another. And we think that’s pretty damn great.

But what does a man’s engagement ring look like? Well, since it’s all pretty new, there’s no set tradition yet like with women’s rings (i.e a big sparkling diamond). It’s a completely individual choice that depends on the person’s style and budget. Nonetheless, there are a few general trends emerging.

Indestructible metals: It may be somewhat stereotypical, but virtually indestructible metals are popular in men’s engagement rings; think titanium or tungsten carbide and you’re on the right track. Do keep in mind that while these rings are everlasting, they’re very difficult to resize or cut off should the need arise.

Channel settings: Diamonds and precious gems are creeping their way into men’s engagement rings. After all, you need something to distinguish it from a plain wedding band. Small diamonds seem to be the emerging trend, in chic and contemporary channel settings. You’ll see plenty of designs with a central row of three or four tiny diamonds.

Brushed finishes: There’s a lot of variation with metal finishes when it comes to ‘mangagement’ rings. It seems men aren’t too taken with simple polished metal. Brushed or hammered finishes are all the rage, as are embossed elements, engravings and even cut-out metalwork. It brings a new and exciting element of design into play.

More settings: While women typically favour the prong setting, men are a making entirely different choices. As well as the channel setting above, flush settings – especially with square cut diamonds – are up and coming, and some unique tension settings have been seen floating around online too.

Mixed/Coloured Metals: Some trends are the same no matter what the gender, and mixed metals or coloured metals is one of those. Often seen in men’s engagement rings is a thick band of one metal (silver colours seem to be the most popular), with one or more thin bands of a contrasting metal incorporated into the design. Coloured metals seem to be the male equivalent of coloured gemstones in ladies’ rings, and are becoming increasingly popular.

As the trend continues to grow, who knows what cool new styles we’ll see in the world of men’s engagement rings.