Types of Alternative Diamond Engagement Rings

Couples looking to break from aging traditions of the last century (and millennium) should keep their minds open to working with independent jewelers. Indie jewelers are leading the exploration of new frontiers of design, creating unique engagement rings that portray the promises and bonds of engagement and marriage without following the rigid absolutes of traditional ring design. Some of the most beautiful rings on the market are being exclusively offered by independent jewelry boutiques that not all couples know about when they set out to buy engagement rings.

We created this article to showcase some of the most creative types of Alternative Diamond Engagement Rings that indie designers are making. Keep reading, and you might just find yourself breathless at the inspired designs that indie jewelers have dreamed up.

1. The Bark Ring
Bark rings are one of the most fascinating examples of alternative diamond engagement rings. Most interestingly, bark rings are created by coating a real strip of bark from a chosen tree in precious metal and then setting it with gemstones (if desired). As a result of being made of real bark, no two bark rings are the same, even if they come from the same type of tree. Each ring has its own unique “fingerprint” made by the curves and divots of the tree bark.

What is truly powerful about the bark ring, though, is its ability to convey meaning in different ways than traditional wedding rings. For an example, consider a bark ring made with apple wood, rose gold, and a natural uncut diamond. The result of such a design is a ring that is wild and naturally beautiful. The uncut stone is embraced by the shape of the bark, hearkening to the natural intertwining of plant and stone in the wilderness. The rose gold coating is warm and welcoming, contrasting perfectly with the imagery of the wilds; there is a warm home to be found in the precious love of a relationship. In the core of the ring, the apple wood bark speaks a message of its own. Apple wood has, historically, stood for lasting youth and beauty beyond words.

2. The Twig Ring
The sister ring of the bark ring, the twig ring is another top contender for the best of alternative diamond engagement rings. Twig rings arguably work even better with natural uncut diamonds, their slender shaping wrapping around the edges of a natural diamond with ease and grace. Twig rings, like bark rings, are made from a real piece of a tree; a small twig is plucked and formed into a beautiful ring, then cast in precious metal and set with a stone of your choosing.

Twig rings also work incredibly well with colored gems if diamond is not your desired gemstone. Emeralds, for example, play to the strengths of the twig ring, looking something like a leaf, eternally perched on the end of your twig ring.

3. The Palladium Ring
Palladium rings are ideal for those who are looking for alternative diamond engagement rings that don’t vary quite as much from traditional designs as the bark and twig rings. Palladium rings use a beautiful, rarely seen precious metal to create a ring that has an almost eternal shine. Palladium rings can be set with a diamond and even shaped to traditional designs while still remaining utterly unique by means of their materials.