45 Unique Engagement Rings You'll Cherish Forever

I happen to have a saved folder of engagement rings on my Instagram. It’s not that I’m in a rush to get engaged but more so that I love cool rings. The rings I bookmark are rarely the classic diamond, four-prong ring but rather ones that stand out, for which I can go on and on about my love.

I’ve combed through my bookmarked rings and categorized them by style and brand in case you, too, sometimes fantasize about that diamond jewelry sitting on your ring finger. And if you are potentially at that life stage, I hope this gives you or your partner a little inspiration.

Minimalist and Modern

Brent Neale is a female-owned jewelry brand based in New York. I was most familiar with her mushroom charms, but I noticed her unique rings upon following the brand on Instagram. When it comes to her engagement rings, I love this collection because of how sleek, angular and clean they are. However, if you are in the market for a fine ring for another occasion, her other pieces are whimsical and unique.

Seb Brown is an Australia-based jewelry brand that exclusively uses recycled reclaimed silver and gold and conflict-free diamonds, generating minimal waste. I love following their Instagram account, and I’m particularly a fan of the signet rings. However, for an engagement, I could see wearing this beauty on my ring finger with pride.

Ceremony is based in Los Angeles, where each piece is designed, sourced, and created from sustainable materials. They’re also made-to-order to eliminate excess waste. I genuinely love all of their diamond rings, but I’m specifically drawn to the Sienna Emerald-cut as an easy-to-wear (but still definitely a statement) ring.

Jenna Grosfeld of jewelry brand Jenna Blake makes vintage-inspired pieces that reference both architecture and design. I love this three-stone band because it’s sleek and modern but still has a vintage touch. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Wing Yau and visiting her studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, many years ago. WWAKE focuses on recycled and fair trade materials and is crafted in New York. This gold band with a geometric kite-shaped diamond is so unique. 

Lorraine West is a Black-owned, female-owned, made-to-order New York jewelry brand I adore. I was most familiar with her nameplate necklaces but have found this really cool "swirl" band diamond ring that I think would make a gorgeous engagement ring and pair well stacked with a wedding band.

Ashley Zhang is a female-owned New York jewelry brand that only uses recycled and traceable materials to make their diamonds and fine pieces. With a mix of vintage and original designs, the collection ranges in style. I am in love with this thick vintage emerald and carré cut diamond ring. 

Retrouvai's jewelry is handmade in Los Angeles and has a vintage-inspired vibe. This hefty diamond ring’s "minimalist" design feels so timeless to me and would certainly be a statement with its thick textured band and gleaming diamond in the center.

Bezel Set 

Moving on to my favorite style right now (and my single favorite ring in this entire round-up), bezel set rings. I love this emerald-cut diamond ring that is paired with four bezel set baguette-cut diamonds. It has a really classic diamond style, but it feels really modern and unique because of its bezel.

I really love this round trio diamond ring. It’s classic in silhouette but still modern and contemporary in design.

Grace Lee is an Asian-owned female-owned brand based and produced in Los Angeles using conflict-free diamonds. Her non-diamond jewelry is mesmerizing, but I adore this single bezel set diamond ring available in gold, rose gold, and white gold. 

Anueva is a Seattle-based fine jewelry brand that uses recycled gold and gemstones. I am particularly in awe of this gorgeous light grey diamond bezel set ring. The band is hand carved in wax, and no two are alike—all original for you and your finger. 

Erstwhile boasts five generations of vintage jewelry expertise. And more recently, the brand has been crafting unique ethical and sustainable engagement rings set with conflict-free antique cut diamonds. I could list endless Erstwhile rings that I love, but I think this clean diamond ring is perfect in this particular category.

Katherine Kim is the founder of Los Angeles-based KATKIM, a brand with a keen focus on sustainability. Every piece is handmade with diamonds that are conflict-free and recycled gold as often as possible. The Asscher Diamond Cosma Ring catches my eye for its classic silhouette in a clean bezel setting.

African-born Chris Aire moved to the United States, where he established a resume that includes restaurant work, music, and acting. After six years of working as a jeweler's apprentice, Aire developed his namesake jewelry brand. On the note of engagement rings, he offers some of the most gorgeous bezel rings. This five-diamond platinum stunner is one of my favorites.

I’ve been a fan of Copenhagen-based Sophie Bille Brahe’s infamous Croissant de Lune earring and pearl drop earrings for quite some time. But, peep her diamond rings. Their design and silhouettes are so unique and different. Like all her jewelry, this is certainly not your average engagement ring.

Splash of Color

In case you are looking for something remarkably different, might I suggest a splash of color? London-based brand NeverNOT has this bubble ring that is so fun, featuring 18k yellow gold, diamonds, blue topaz, and pink enamel. 

Fry Powers is Alison Fry’s notoriously colorful and joyful NY-based jewelry brand. This particular sky blue pear-cut topaz gemstone and enamel ring is technically a cocktail ring, but why not make it your extremely fun engagement ring?

A blue agate gemstone surrounds this kite rose-cut ethically sourced diamond. I think it makes the perfect engagement ring for those who want something extraordinary.

As previously mentioned, Erstwhile makes this vintage-style diamond ring that boasts a halo of ruby. I love how classic it is, but the ruby makes it a stand-out.

Buddha Mama is a handmade jewelry brand founded by Nancy Badia. After making bracelets for a Buddhist center, Badia realized how passionate she was about jewelry design, and thus the brand was born. This yellow gold diamond zircon pear-shaped ring is not your average ring, and I think it would make a pretty stunning engagement ring.

This handmade one-of-a-kind ring is anything but minimalist. Made of pear green tourmaline and guava quartz, this colorful ring would make an exceptional engagement piece. There are plenty of other candy-like colors to choose from, too.

A sixth-generation, family-owned business, Pragnell is one of the UK’s last family-owned, full-service jewelers. This topaz and diamond ring is in a classic and timeless cut but, with a punch of pink, it’s extraordinary and, in my opinion, very fun.

Touch of Black

From colorful, we now turn to engagement rings featuring black diamond accents, something I find incredibly chic and modern. This three-stone ring by Anna Sheffield—a sustainably conscious, female-owned NY-based jewelry brand known for one-of-a-kind and custom—features a black diamond in the center, which to me is bold and luxurious. 

This Anna Sheffield ring has a stunning black-rutilated quartz center, which I have personally never seen before. It's so unique and special.

Anueva appears yet again on this list, this time for its black diamond ring in a pear cut. I imagine this paired with a diamond eternity band as the perfect duo.

This art deco vintage-inspired ring is from Erstwhile’s vintage engagement ring archive. The brand offers made-to-order recreations of this gorgeous vintage beauty.

Here's another made-to-order vintage-inspired ring from Erstwhile’s vintage engagement ring archive. This one has more of a modern, sleek feel to it. It kind of looks like a tiger’s pupil, which to me is quite astonishing.

I love the black onyx of this vintage art deco diamond and platinum ring. Because it’s vintage, it has a timeless and classic feel to it. And again, that pupil-like center makes it stand out. 

Selim Mouzzannar comes from a family of jewelers and suppliers of the Ottoman Empire since the 19th century. Inspired by the architecture of Beirut, he references ancient symbols and the colorful shades of the Mediterranean in his jewelry. I particularly love the color combinations of this ring, featuring 18kt rose gold, diamond, and black enamel.

Though she is well-known for her homeware inspired by female silhouettes, Anissa Kermiche is first and foremost a jewelry designer. She launched her brand in 2016 out of her London-based studio. This Black Heart ring is made out of grey diamonds and black onyx. I love how the yellow gold makes the black onyx pop.

Pavé Signet

Pavé signet rings are such a unique engagement ring choice, but absolutely stunning and oh so sparkly. Created by Ladan and Tania Shayan, SHAY jewelry is a mother-daughter-owned brand based out of Los Angeles. The jewelry focuses on geometrical shapes with a touch of victorian and art deco design. I love this particular signet ring for those exact characteristics. That center diamond packs a punch.

Jacquie Aiche is a female-owned brand made in Los Angeles that uses hand-selected minerals. This particular ring catches my eye because of its large marquise diamond center. It’s available in yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold to fit your taste.

Green

Another ring from SHAY, this USA-made emerald ring fits my next category: green engagement rings. I love emeralds and think a green stone is the perfect not-your-average engagement ring. I certainly would not mind having this on my finger.

This green ring is actually a forest green, Madagascar origin sapphire rather than emerald. The brand says that the stone has color-changing properties to grey-red-brown when it is indoors in low light. So basically, this unique ring is magic.

Materiel Good is a New York City jewelry boutique that carries a curation of fine jewelry brands and vintage pieces. But, they also have their own customized Material Good line of diamond jewelry. That line includes this unique emerald cut emerald solitaire set in a handmade rose gold mounting and diamond pavé band. I love that the stone is horizontal rather than the typical vertical cut.

Valerie Madison is a Seattle-based Black-owned jewelry brand. All designs are handcrafted using high-quality precious metals from recycled sources. The brand cites trust and transparency as the studio's foundation and says that each piece is an individual work of art specially tailored to the wearer. I love this unique light-hued natural and untreated green emerald from Russia. It’s so romantic and delicate.

Harwell Godfrey is a Black-owned, female-owned brand founded by Lauren Harwell Godfrey based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her designs reference the four elements and implement block printing and weaving techniques from various cultures from long ago. Her modern-day heirlooms are gorgeous, and I’m particularly fond of this piece inspired by Godfrey's grandmother's diamond ring. It's made in the USA with a geometric pattern composed of malachite, enamel and rock crystal, and pavé white diamonds. This ring is technically a pinky ring, but why not wear this statement jewelry on your ring finger?

This art deco-style 1920's vintage ring features an emerald-cut Colombian emerald and old mine-cut diamonds. I love the mixed metal element and think this is one of the most unique rings in this entire round-up. It will pair fantastically with your other jewelry, no matter the metal. I’d personally pair it with a yellow-gold solid or eternity diamond band. You know, if it were mine.

Citrine

Another color that feels really modern, unique, and incredibly cool to me is citrine. It’s not quite as bold as a green stone, but it feels very fresh to me. This Tiffany & Co. number is not your average engagement ring. 

Ashley Zhang has an iconic rolling ring collection, essentially a multi-band ring that rolls easily onto the finger. The Sunshine Citrine Rolling Ring features 12 diamonds in a hand-carved star with a golden yellow citrine.  Each ring is custom and hand-made, making each one as memorable as its unique citrine coloring.

Pomellato is synonymous with fine jewelry, boasting the title of "the first global luxury Italian fashion fine jeweler. The brand’s most iconic design, the "Nudo,'' features a diamond-dusted ring band and nude stone. The lemon quartz stone makes it quite the striking ring. It’s one of my top contenders in my engagement ring dreams.

New York jewelry brand Mateo is one of my personal favorites. The Black-owned brand was founded by Matthew Harris, who was born and raised in Jamaica, the son of a seamstress. After studying in the US, he perfected the art of jewelry making in NY. Originally a men’s jewelry brand, Mateo expanded into women’s jewelry in 2014. He focuses on simplicity and minimalism, drawing inspiration from modern art. This particular ring, a citrine emerald cut ring in a horizontal style, is hand-cut. Notice the unique setting with the two diamonds on either side of that glorious citrine, in pedestal-like settings. 

 Another favorite from Valerie Madison is this bright yellow rose cut diamond. It was hand-selected for its "marigold hue and satisfying size." It has Valerie Madison’s signature double prongs, which makes the setting a bit edgier, but with an exquisite and classic Canadian-origin white diamond band. I’ve saved this ring multiple times, so I clearly very much love it.

Pearl

If you want something timeless but out of the ordinary, I suggest considering something with a pearl. Pearls always have a vintage and classic feel to me, and this ring by Fernando Jorge is a great example. The brand’s Brazilian-born designer Fernando Jorge takes inspiration from his home country's laidback attitude and effortless sensuality. The brand uses locally sourced and hand-carved gemstones to craft its elegant and modern designs. All jewelry is crafted in Brazil and Italy. That includes this incredible mother of pearl, diamond, and yellow gold design. It is so classic yet unique.

This ring looks like an heirloom. It boasts a pearl and old mine cut diamond cluster ring in a classic Edwardian era ring, centering a single natural pearl. That was taken directly from the product description because I don’t know the proper verbiage for such a classic piece of jewelry. Its antique charm with a modern, clean band would make for an exceptional engagement ring.

Yoko London—a three-generation run family business founded in 1973—is famous for its pearl jewelry. According to their website, the brand is the world’s leading luxury pearl jewelry. Regardless of title, the pearls used for the rings are hand-selected and set in the London workshop. This yellow gold Aurelia South Sea pearl and diamond ring is not the average pearl ring and would undoubtedly pack a punch on your ring finger.

This beauty from Mateo is yellow gold, cultured pearl, diamonds, and enamel. It’s an elegant and timeless pearl ring made modern. Imagine this unique ring paired with a band of diamonds? Divine.