The recent buzz around pop star Dua Lipa’s Instagram selfie showing her wearing what many assume is an engagement ring from her actor beau, Callum Turner, wasn’t solely about the announcement; it was also about the ring itself. Her chunky 18-karat-gold design with a 2-carat diamond marks a break from tradition, reflecting a blossoming trend of bolder gold settings in engagement rings and other jewelry.
Looking for substance
Not everyone falls for a big diamond on a skinny band; some would rather have a thick band to make the stone look less showy. Among those noticing this new mood is London-based designer Cece Fein-Hughes. Known for her Cece Jewellery brand’s symbol-laden, hand-enameled rings, she recently launched her bezel-set Extraordinary Lovers engagement rings.
“The era of ultra-delicate jewelry seems to have had its moment, and now we’re seeing a demand for bolder, gold-heavy designs with more presence,” she relates. Her trio of chubby rings features heart, oval and emerald-cut diamonds with allegorical enamel imagery, and each one has a matching locket. “These pieces aren’t just statements,” she says of the collection. “They stand out as truly unique.”
New York-based jeweler Shahla Karimi shares Fein-Hughes’s view. “Engagement rings are evolving to look more like right-hand or cocktail rings, emphasizing unique design over traditional center stones,” she says. This, she explains, allows for greater individuality and more opportunities to display artistic flair and craftsmanship — as is evident in her Scarpa collection, with its voluminous bombé-style gold engagement rings bearing an array of angular-cut diamonds.
Worthy workarounds
Of course, clients can achieve the bolder look by stacking several thinner pieces, acknowledges Los Angeles-based jeweler Grace Lee, but “we have seen an increase in larger, more substantial pieces” among requests for her custom engagement rings and wedding bands.
With gold prices escalating, she has noticed some customers opting for 14-karat pieces. This category has its own benefits, she points out, as “14-karat yellow [gold] is typically more neutral and pairs well with many skin tones, and also stacks nicely next to white and even rose metals. In addition, 14-karat is slightly harder than higher gold karat weights.”
There are other ways of offsetting the rising prices. While Fein-Hughes works exclusively with natural diamonds, other brands are exploring lab-grown options to keep prices accessible.
This shifts the emphasis to the metal, making solid gold even more of “a luxury symbol — something people want to showcase in their jewelry,” says Fein-Hughes. The price increase, she believes, is actually enhancing the appeal of weightier rings in solid 18-karat gold, as this “only adds to its status as a statement piece.”
Brands going big
While the conversation is largely about gold engagement rings, other jewelry is growing puffier in shape, too, picking up on the ’80s vibe from the catwalks of Saint Laurent and Schiaparelli.
The bolder style embraces cocktail rings, pendants, convex cuffs, and earrings, like Shahla Karimi’s gold Doshi Puff ear studs, Grace Lee’s Cora heart pendant and earrings, Jenna Blake’s Stardust Dome ring, Anita Ko’s and Jemma Wynne’s chubby bombé rings, and Yvonne Leon’s heart-shaped, diamond-studded malachite earrings.
Bea Bongiasca’s colorful new Tarallo rings, which take their name from the popular Italian crunchy biscuit bites, come in brightly enameled silver, and she is adding a playful group of animal-patterned designs later in March. Meanwhile, Tabayer is notable for its use of bold gold styles in bracelets and chokers, as is Pomellato’s Iconica range — designs that feel full, solid and weighty.
“Jewelry is deeply cyclical, and while delicate layering has certainly had its moment, there’s an undeniable appetite for bolder, more sculptural designs,” affirms New York designer Briony Raymond.
Her Sloan collection “speaks to that shift: bold, sculptural, and with just the right amount of weight to feel substantial yet wearable,” she adds. The line of chunky rings and earrings — some with a scattering of diamonds and colored gemstones, and several earning the label of “jumbo” — are “definitely a nod to the 1980s in the design, an era known for big, glamorous looks.” However, what makes it work today and get such a positive reception from clients, she says, is “its balance of boldness and refinement.”
Main image: Cece Jewellery rings in 18-karat gold, set with diamonds. (Cece Jewellery)
