Ladies, get ready to pin this to your wedding Pinterest (I know you have one, even if you aren’t planning on getting married any time soon). Gentlemen, drop these ideas into either your Moleskine notebook or your iPhone 5s Notes app. Diamond engagement rings are so 2006 — that’s the year Blood Diamond came out — so it’s time to try one of these awesome engagement ring ideas instead.
The One Ring
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Yes, giving your intended the One Ring to Rule Them All is kind of awesome. It’s also just a shade overdone, so make sure you and yours are both true Tolkien fans before making this kind of fan-based commitment. On the other hand, Bilbo’s famous riddle “What have I got in my pocket?” makes an incredible start to a proposal.
Lego Engagement Ring
Whether you mold a bunch of tiny Legos into a circle or mount a single Lego on top of a sterling silver band, the Lego engagement ring is the perfect way to say “I love you. I also really, really love Legos.” Try mounting a clear one-piece Lego in a tiny jewel setting — from a distance, it looks like a gemstone, and when people get closer, it becomes a true conversation piece.
Pink Sapphire Ring
If you want a true gemstone, try a pink sapphire instead of a diamond. Pink sapphires are the rarest type of sapphire, and pink sapphire rings make truly unique, beautiful engagement settings. Show your love with the colour of romance, and give your beloved a ring that she’ll be able to show off with pride.
Ring Tattoos
Ben Folds’ “You To Thank” aside, getting ring tattoos are one of the most awesome ways to symbolise your love and commitment. Start with this list to get some ideas. Of course, a ring tattoo requires a trip to a tattoo parlour and a significant investment of time. Rather than springing this trip on your special someone immediately after the proposal, reveal your intentions with a temporary tattoo ring. Then, as the wedding gets closer, go get the real ones.
Twist-tie Ring
A lot of couples don’t want to start off their lives together with an expensive, two-months’ salary ring. After all, you and your fiancée are probably already dealing with student loan debt or other economic constraints. However, although many people will say “don’t buy me an expensive ring!” few people truly want to give up the magical moment that is the wedding proposal. Solve this problem by using something small and inexpensive to mark your love — a twist-tie is a popular choice, as is a piece of embroidery floss or string.
Ambigram Ring
What’s an ambigram? It’s a type of calligraphic lettering that spells out one word when it is read right-side-up and another word when it is flipped upside-down. Get your name in one direction and your partner’s name in the other.
Hand-designed ring
If you have design skills, try your hand at designing your own engagement ring. Metal can be molded into nearly any shape, from sinuous curves to geometric angles. Then take your design to a ring maker — or, if you’re truly handy, cut, bend, and solder it together yourself.
The Ring She (or He) Secretly Wants
A lot of women (and many men — we won’t be too gender-stereotypical about this) have been dreaming about their wedding proposal since they were small children. They probably have a specific picture in their heads of what they want their wedding ring to look like, and if you can do some sleuthing and give that exact ring — without, of course, asking directly “what kind of ring do you want?” — you will be the most awesome future spouse ever.
What about you? What’s the most awesome engagement ring you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments.