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Engagement ring trends for 2020

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A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend. This saying still rings true today. Diamonds will never go out of style, but trends do. With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when choosing an engagement ring. We’ve gathered advice from jewellery experts to help you ring in your engagement in style.

Here’s what will trend in 2020.

Coloured stones:

Modern brides have been leaning towards coloured stones and birthstones as of late. “I think today’s bride is more concerned with being unique, and while she still wants a three stone ring, she is looking for something that is one of a kind. Women today want to stand out!” Kendra Pariseault Jewelry told StyleCaster.

Coloured stones are an easy way to make a statement and express your personal style. Niel Lane says that morganite stones, the pink to orange-pink variety of the beryl mineral, have especially grow in popularity this year.

Take this trend further by using a birthstone for a personal touch to an engagement ring. Just be careful to speak to an expert beforehand, as not all birthstones are made equal. Some are not durable enough for every day wear.

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Unique shapes:

Square cut and pear shaped is so played out. For a unique take, brides have been loving star-shaped and floral-shaped engagement rings. We’ve seen Elizabeth Olsen, Katy Perry, and Irina Shayk all step out with floral-shaped rings in the past year.

This ring can be quite busy so the key is to keep the band simple. While typically centered with a coloured stone, you can simplify this style by going with a traditional diamond.

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Throwback designs:

The more traditional bride will be glad to hear that vintage and art-deco inspired rings are also back in style. Inspired by the past, vintage engagement rings are heirlooms in the making.

Art-deco is all about clean lines and geometric angles. We love how this hexagonal-shaped engagement ring still feels feminine with the array of smaller diamonds on the perimeter of the main stone. This halo effect is another big engagement ring trend, as it makes the main stone appear much larger. Two birds with one stone.

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Rose gold:

Rose gold has been in for years and is going nowhere. The popularity of this tone stems from the fact that it is universally flattering. It is a bold statement yet romantic and feminine at the same time.

“Brides will be looking more at alternative metals to white gold and platinum next year. The appeal of rose gold comes from its pale pink colour that not only pairs well with trending yellow gold fashion pieces but also looks great with every skin tone, ” said Alicia Davis, VP of Merchandising at Shane Co.

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Three-stone rings:

We can thank Meghan Markle for this one. The Duchess of Sussex’s three stone engagement ring sparked the trend a few years ago and it is only rising in popularity.

“We’ve seen a lot of couples eyeing three-stone engagement rings lately,” Lauren Addison of Lauren Addison Jewelry told StyleCaster. “The two side stones add extra sparkle to a simpler engagement ring style.”

The three stones are meant to represent the past, the present and the future, giving a beautiful symbolism. The centre diamond is typically hugged by two smaller, equally sized diamonds. For something different, use colourful stones and unique cuts.

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Stacking rings:

Sometimes, more is more. While not a new concept, jewellery stacking has taken the industry by storm. Brides have been loving stackable rings as of late.

Commonly, the engagement ring and wedding band are designed to pair up. Some brides are taking this a step further and adding more rings to the pile. Eternity rings or embellished bands add an extra style element and bling for glitz lovers. Pairing rings of different styles, like a vintage engagement ring with more contemporary cut embellished bands, is a playful way to create a dynamic and unique finish.

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In Engagements

Boks-inspired proposal fail

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The Rugby World Cup fever overtook us all these past few weeks. One South African in particular was feeling the spirit, and made a big promise. A single Facebook post gripped the nation for days to find out how this fairytale would end.

Last week, Brian Royalson Mdunge took to Facebook and posted on the group #ImStaying to announce that he would propose if the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

As we know by now, the Boks won the sports competition, bringing pride to the South African nation. This also meant that Brian had to hold up his end of the bargain.

Following the win, many waited in anticipation to hear the happy news of another engaged couple. However, no news came. For days, we were left with no updates, leading to the trending of #FindBrian.

“BRIAN!!!!!!!!! HALLOOOOO!!!!!! THE NATION IS WAITING IN ANTICIPATION!!!!! You had 24 hours to man up,” one comment read.

Brian has just broken his silence, although unfortunately it was not with good news.

“Hello Mzansi sorry to keep you waiting so long, but the lady rejected my proposal in front of my friends she said she’s not ready. I’m too embarrassed,” Brian wrote in his post.

Group members have rallied to support Brian through this tough time, sending him many words of encouragement.

“I’m so sad to read this news, ” reads one comment. “But she did not altogether say No. So hang in there, should your spirit tell you she’s worth waiting for. Amen. You stay blessed. Mwaj”

“Sorry Brian … She’s not ready now, if her unreadiness has to do with you, work on that… If not, give her time… She rejected the proposal, Not you! All the best bro..” another advised.

 

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In Advice

How love languages work

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Relationships are hard. They require give and take. At the end of the day, being in a relationship means making yourself and your partner feel love and happiness. However, love comes in many forms.

This is where love languages come in. A love language, coined by author and relationship counsellor Gary Chapman, is a way in which someone expresses their love and appreciation towards themselves and others.

In his book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, Chapman explains that each person has a primary love language, but can express love in many of them. It can depend on our personality types, and we can also learn our love languages from experiences.

“My conclusion after thirty years of marriage counselling is that there are basically five emotional love languages—five ways that people speak and understand emotional love,” Chapman explains in this book. “The important thing is to speak the love language of your spouse.”

While Chapman focuses on romantic love, this concept also refers to familial and friendship love.

The five core love languages are:

– Words of affirmation – using words to encourage, appreciate and express love. For example, “You look incredible today”, or “Thank you for cooking dinner tonight, it was great.”

– Gifts – physical gift-giving and tokens of appreciation. Examples include buying someone flowers or leaving love notes for them to read.

– Acts of Service – providing an act of kindness for someone that you know they would appreciate. Examples include making them a cup of coffee or cooking a meal.

– Quality time – spending time with your spouse, even if it’s not doing anything specific. This includes taking them out on dates, or having a heart-to-heart talk.

– Physical touch – hand holding, kissing, hugs and all other forms of physical touch.

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Decades after the book was published, Chapman’s words still ring true. Many relationship experts today argue that the building blocks of a healthy relationship lie in understanding your partner’s love language.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, relationship counsellor Gurpreet Singh said that, “There are two people in the relationship, their expectations are different, their needs are different, their way of communication is different. Everything about them is different. There are similarities of course, but opposites attract quite a lot. When you’re attracted to someone that’s different to you, it is almost necessary you will run into things about the person that grate on you.”

Your partner’s love language signals how they see love and how they would like to receive it. Once you know how you partner wants to be loved, you can start incorporating those actions into your daily life.

To identify your partner’s love language, you should take note of the small things they do. You can also simply ask them what makes them feel loved and cherished.

When you can identify and understand your partner’s love language, you can begin to see the ways they represent their love everyday. Their actions, which might have meant little to you before, now become significant. For example, your partner’s love language may be physical touch and they are therefore incredibly affectionate towards you, something you might have once thought of as a sign of insecurity. When you can identify that their physical affection is their main sign of love, you can begin to appreciate those small moments for what they are. You can also be a bit more physical with your affection to show that you acknowledge how they want to be loved. Of course, your partner should do the same.

Another important thing not to forget is to practice self-love. When you can love yourself and identify the ways in which you show love, you are in a much greater position to love others.

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In Finance

Bride scams wedding guests

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One thrifty bride-to-be took all her would-be wedding guests for a ride.

Apparently, she and her husband opted for a crowd-funded wedding, then cancelled the wedding after receiving over USD 30 000 (over R440 000!) and pocketed the money. Friends and family alike were outraged, and understandably so.

According to Digg, the would-be bride posted a message to a Facebook group to say that the wedding has been canelled for now, but did not provide concrete reasons why. Screenshots from her Facebook message were posted to Reddit. In the meantime, the couple plan to use the money for a “honeymoon”, after which they will supposedly reschedule the wedding. Here’s the best part: They said they will re-open the fund once the wedding had been rescheduled to welcome any further donations.

Credit: Reddit

Some guests, who have already gotten leave for the supposed wedding, were very upset and called the bride “greedy”. She responded by saying she felt attacked, and that since they donated the money as a gift, it doesn’t matter how she spends it.

This after loved ones selflessly donated hard earned money for what they believed was a worthy cause. Beware ladies and gents. No good deed goes unpunished.

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In Bridal Party

Fun alternative bachelorette ideas

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Your bachelorette is seen as the last time you get to party with your girlfriends as a single woman. It’s often associated with wild nights out, drinking way too much and some scantily-clad well-built men. We’ll stop there.

This special event can be so much more. If you want to do things a little different, it can become a treasured memory of best friends coming together to spend some much needed girl-time, allowing you to share your hopes and dreams for the future while getting rid of the wedding stress.

Here are some fun, alternative ideas to the traditional bachelorette party:

Take a hiking-trip

If you like being active, getting outdoors with the gals is a great way to recharge, forget about your phone and get close to nature. Remember to do research beforehand and only hike on established routes. Booking a tour-guide might also be a good idea, so you don’t have to worry about anything! For a full weekend of fun, you can even consider setting up camp and sleeping over.

Take a cooking or cocktail class

If you’re not that adventurous, why not keep it indoors and take a culinary class together? Learning to make something yummy to eat or drink is guaranteed to result in loads of laughter and a satisfied tummy. Plus, adding skills to your repertoire is always a plus!

Guided garden tours

If you like sunshine, beautiful flowers and fresh air, but you’re not keen to do a full on hike, get out there with a botanical garden tour. Many botanical gardens have amazing histories and it’s always interesting to have someone knowledgeable to teach you about the birds and the bees. End it off with a lovely picnic!

Sing your heart out

If you have the talent (and even if you don’t) a sing-off is always a goodie. Karaoke is a great way to let your hair down and forget the world. Take a trip down memory lane and sing to your high school favourites, or strut your stuff with the latest pop song.

Get creative: Clay, soap or candles

Art is known for being therapeutic, and having something to show for it will be a special memory. There are many different options, like pottery, candle making and soap making. Choose something that strikes your fancy and will look lovely in your home.

 

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In Do's And Don'ts

Best and worst engagement photoshoots

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You know how it goes: Photos or it didn’t happen. Recently, it has almost become a competition, with some couples going to extreme lengths to do certain poses and photographers bending over backwards to capture it on film. Some fail hilariously, others make for incredibly beautiful photos. We’ve found the best and worst.

The best

We’ve all seen them, and we’ve all wished we were in them. Some engagement photoshoots out there are simply jaw-dropping, and here are the best ones we found.

Playful:

Include your pet:

Romantic:

Funny:

The worst

From going horribly wrong, to just plain uninspired, here are the worst. Don’t try this at home.

Uhm…

Breaking bad indeed

Careful now!

Why though?

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In Engagements

Man makes wedding ring from own fingernails

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Creativity is always encouraged and being inventive is cool. But this guy might have just taken it too far. A Japanese man collected his fingernail clippings for a year, then ground it to a powder and baked it to create a “stone” for an engagement ring. The end result is a pitch black, rock hard stone. If you didn’t know, you would probably never guess that’s it’s made from human nails.

He created the silver band himself too, baking and filing everything from scratch, and filming the whole painstaking process. The video went viral and has over 5,593,473 views. The internet is not quite sure how to respond, ranging from disgusted to amazed!

We’re not sure if he actually proposed to someone with it yet, but we do think he would be a very hands-on husband.

Picture: Youtube:/ kiwami Japan

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In Celebs

Bindi Irwin’s wedding will honour her dad

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Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin, will marry her longtime boyfriend Chandler Powell this November. They both want this special day to honour Steve, as he was much loved by all and had a very good relationship with his daughter. Steve, a wildlife conservationist, passed away in 2006 after being stung by a sting-ray.

Her younger brother, Robert, will walk her down the aisle. In a touching post on social media, Bindi said: “Dad, You would be so incredibly proud of Robert. He has been such an amazing support during this beautiful new life chapter.” If that hasn’t made you tear up yet, Bindi’s mum Terri will dance with her in Steve’s place for the traditional father-daughter dance.

The Irwin family portray a wholesome picture and seem to be really close to each other. Speaking to the Sunshine Coast Daily, she said: “I do really wish that dad was here to be able to celebrate with us as a family. I think in some ways he is and his spirit lives on in everything that we do, and I always feel closest to dad here at Australia Zoo.”

True to the family’s love for nature and wildlife, the wedding will be held at Australia Zoo, which was set up years ago by Bindi’s grandparents. Steve Irwin grew up working in the zoo. That’s also where she met Chandler and where they got engaged on her 21st birthday. And, not all too surprisingly, Bindi will carry a koala down the aisle (one of her favourite animals) instead of a bouquet.

“I’m not sure how many people have walked down the aisle with a koala, but we may be setting some new trends for weddings from here on out,” she said laughingly on Good Morning America.

The sustainability-focused couple might send out their invitations made from elephant waste, according to hints from the wedding planner, Trudy Croad. “Both Bindi and Chandler are the ultimate in everything being sustainable and recyclable, so from every element of their day, they’re going to really want that to come true. Elephant poo makes the most beautiful recycled wedding invitation paper. So they could use the elephant poo they have on site to make their invitations,” she told The Mirror.

As for what she would wear, Bindi playfully posted a teaser of the dress, showing only the sleeve (and her gorgeous ring):

 

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I said yes to the dress ?

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Chandler commented on the post: “I can’t wait. You’re going to be so beautiful.”

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10 Unique engagement rings we absolutely adore

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All engagement rings are unique in some way, sure. But some are more unique than others! Since it’s something you’ll be wearing for the rest of your life (hopefully), it’s quite a big deal that you love it. Some leave the ring-choosing to their significant other, while some make it very clear that if they are ever being proposed to, they want to choose the ring themselves.

We found some not-so-traditional rings. And you won’t believe your eyes.

1. I will rock you

This unpolished, earthy-looking ring has a very magical charm to it. Enough to melt a heart of stone.

2. What stone is that?

This ring is absolutely brilliant. The stone, called a Chrysoberyl, is a colour somewhere between honey and lime.

 

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WHAT STONE IS THAT? Meet Chrysoberyl! A hue of honey, with a tint of green, this beauty is the 3rd hardest stone after diamonds and sapphires, and comes in a range of colors. For his love’s engagement ring, Taylor wanted a stone that was slightly more green because it “looked like the color of her eyes.” I created this piece with scalloped bezel and clean band, and am so proud of how this stunner turned out. . . . #jewelrydesigner #chicagojewelrydesigner #customengagementring #customweddingrings #alternativebridal #chrysoberyl #vivianalanghoffdesign #vivianalanghoff #uniqueweddingrings #uniqueengagementring #ooakjewelry #ooak #chicagojewelry #chicagojewelrystore #logansquare #logansquarejewelry

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3. Moonlight fever

This ring is truly one of a kind. The multicolour moonstone is mesmerizing. We love it to the moon and back.

4. The darker side of love

This one is eye catching and surely not dainty, but beautiful in a fairy tale-kind of way.

 

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The loveliest diamond inclusions @toddreedjewelry

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5. Diamonds are forever

This brown diamond stole our hearts. Plain and simple.

 

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Light brown diamond @eriebasin

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5. Bouquet of love

This cluster ring looks like crystallized fruit and reminds us of laughter. How exquisite.

7. The galaxy on my finger

Opals are simply inexplicable. This looks like something out of this world.

8. Something from the sea

There’s no law that says engagement rings have to sport stones,. We love these freshwater pearls for soemthing different.

9. Love triangle

This is such a refreshing design and the rose gold just makes it pop. We are sold on these.

10. Open ending

This one is inspiring for many reasons, but mostly because it doesn’t try to outshine everything else. We love the way it catches the eye and the design truly complements the hand.

 

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?? #prettyrings

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