In 2020 alone, nearly 1 million households were comprised of same-sex couples, 58% of whom were married. If you’re part of the remaining 42% looking to tie the knot with your beloved partner, you’re probably already on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring.
Look online or at your local jewelry store, and you’ll find many unique collections and LGBT-themed engagement rings perfectly curated for same-sex couples. However, trends come and go, so picking the perfect ring can be a challenge.
If you’re ready to pick the perfect band, this guide will take you through today’s top LGBT engagement ring trends and how to shop for the perfect one.
How To Pick an Engagement Ring That Suits You & Your Partner
When it comes to shopping for a gay or lesbian engagement ring, timelessness is everything. After all, this commitment is going to last forever!
While the idea for LGBT engagement rings is relatively new, you can’t go wrong with an engagement band that withstands a lifetime of trends. We’ll take you through some need-to-know tips.
Define Their Personality
- Traditional: Does your significant other define themselves as classic and simplistic? If so, a no-fuss traditional engagement ring might be for them. This type of classic jewelry is plain yet stunning, adorned with a sparkling center diamond. You’ll likely find it among many ready-to-wear collections.
- Fashionable: Fashionable personalities love something with a little bit of glamor. Go beyond a classic solitaire by encircling your diamond in a halo setting – perfect for your outgoing partner!
- Modern: If your future spouse likes to keep up with the changing times, consider modern options. These unique cuts are typically made with sculptural or geometric diamonds – think sleek and sharp gemstones.
- Romantic: Are you soon-to-be engaged to a hopeless romantic? Then they might love a vintage ring designed with ornately cut diamonds. This type of ring is popular for its exquisite detail and impressive quality. Alternatively, you can go for multiple rows and clusters of gemstones that truly speak to a tradition-inspired personality.
Don’t Forget the Hands
We all know size isn’t everything, except when it comes to picking out your lesbian engagement bands. Keep in mind that engagement rings for men come with a more comprehensive range of widths and sizes, while lesbian engagement rings have a bit of a narrower selection.
You’ll also need to consider other factors for measuring your rings, such as:
- Nail length and shape
- Finger length and width
- Knuckle size
Narrow Down Your Choices
Now that you know your partner’s ring size and preferences, it’s time to narrow your selection of jewelry. What you’ll want to prioritize is your gemstone shape and choice of metal.
Remember, every cut comes at a different price. Round cuts are typically the priciest, whereas princess cuts are on the lower-end of the spectrum. The carat weight you get will also affect the total cost.
When it comes to bands, your choices are no longer limited to white gold, yellow gold, silver, and platinum. Many modern same-sex couples are on board with the latest rose gold band trend – you might be too!
Check Out Same-Sex Celebrity Couple Engagement Rings
At a loss for ideas? Why not take inspiration from your favorite same-sex celebrity couples? If you’re a fan of black diamonds, you’ll love what you see on former NSYNC singer Lance Bass’ finger. Alternatively, you can mimic Orange Is the New Black actress Samira Wiley’s simpler band and giant diamond.
Other same-sex celebrities you can turn to for ring-spiration are Elton John, Portia de Rossi, Neil Patrick Harris, and Olympic favorite Tom Daley.
Popular LGBT Engagement Ring Trends
Now that marriage equality is on the rise all over the globe, you’ll be hard-pressed to come across a jewelry company that doesn’t stock rings for the queer community. If you’re in the market for one, here are a few engagement ring trends you’ll want to know about.
Rainbows
No matter how many generations pass, rainbow rings for same-sex couples will never go out of style. After all, what better way to consummate your legal love than with this iconic mark of acceptance and pride? Strong and confident couples will love this symbolic reference to the LGBT community.
If you’ve been eyeing a rainbow ring, this channel-set rainbow band is undoubtedly going to steal your heart – and it’s also great for celebrating anniversaries! On the other hand, you can play around with different cuts, metal bands, and widths to give your ring a personal twist.
Matching Bands
Nowadays, same-sex couples hardly conform to old norms. While men are more likely to shop for an engagement ring for women, same-sex couples often shop for each other. That makes shopping for matching rings easier and more exciting!
Matching bands have long been a fan favorite within the LGBT jewelry industry, not to be dethroned anytime soon. Not to mention, there is endless variety in this particular jewelry style. Your matching rings don’t have to be identical. Instead, they can be complementary in terms of color, shape, or cut.
Colorful Center Stones
Just because you’re a part of the LGBT community, it doesn’t mean that your ring must have every color of the rainbow. Instead, you can put the focus on a single, brightly colored center stone. Swap out a traditional diamond for a colorful gemstone of your choice.
Most people choose their birthstone, but you can also go for something more symbolic such as:
- Red: This confident and courageous color perfectly complements strong and passionate personalities. Red gemstones you can incorporate into your engagement ring include garnets and rubies.
- Orange: Healers love this powerfully charged color, and you can get them in citrines, moonstones, or zircons.
- Yellow: Topaz is most renowned for its yellow-gold color, which symbolizes a lifetime of happiness and unity. You can find your true happiness in the form of yellow diamonds, quartzes, and sapphires.
- Green: Many consider green gemstones good luck charms as they often symbolize wealth and prosperity. They also make an excellent choice for nature lovers, who can find this color in gemstones like emerald and peridot.
- Blue: This positively charged color represents clarity, spirituality, beauty, peace, and truth. Your jeweler might recommend this stunning color in the form of “blue diamonds” or sapphires.
- Violet/Purple: There is nothing more fitting than a purple piece for two kings or two queens. This color symbolizes royalty and prosperity. You can find it in amethysts, sapphires, and tourmalines.
If you prefer a little of everything on your ring, we love this dainty rainbow band.
Unique Shapes
Your relationship is perfectly unique, and your rings can be too. If you’re not a fan of keeping your jewelry simple, you can incorporate curves and twists into a more intricate design. You can even vary your cuts or use multiple gemstones.
Instead of a simple metal band, why not try an interlocking chain link ring? Or perhaps you prefer multiple colors that represent different aspects of your love story. With a custom jeweler, anything is possible.
Engraved
A uniquely shaped diamond and different colored gemstones aren’t the only ways to personalize your engagement rings. The most effective way to create a customized piece is to engrave it.
- A significant date
- You and your partner’s initials
- The coordinates to a place
- A pet name
- A pride mantra
Most people who go for engraved engagement rings opt for simple and wide bands. However, nothing is stopping you from throwing in a gemstone or two!
Alternative Metals
For fans of color, alternative engagement bands are all the rage. You don’t have to stick to traditional gold or silver rings. Instead, you can go for cobalt with a patterned or hammered finish.
This stunning and strong metal also perfectly complements more conventional metals. For instance, you can combine cobalt (also available in a white metal) and gold to create a unique contrast – just like your relationship!
Where To Shop for The Best Gay Engagement Rings
Now that you’re well-versed with the various engagement rings trends amongst the queer community, it’s time to search for the right piece of jewelry. We recommend Diamonds Direct in St. Petersburg, Florida, where customers can conveniently build their dream rings and jewelry with a handy customization tool.
With it, customers can filter through different jewelry, bands, colors, carats, diamonds, and ready-made rings – it’s the easiest way to build engagement rings that stay true to your love story! You can even shop their specially curated equality collection for rings that’ll truly win your heart.
This small, family-owned business also has a physical shop for customers who prefer to browse their ring collections in store.
Additional Tips for Ring Shopping
Before you begin your journey towards the perfect LGBT engagement ring, here are a few more tips that can help make your decision easier.
When To Start Shopping
When shopping for the ideal gay or lesbian engagement ring, the earlier, the better. It will also depend on whether you purchase engagement rings from an existing collection or have one custom-made by a jeweler. If you opt for the latter, it can take anywhere from two to six weeks to complete your rings, depending on the design.
People shopping for surprise rings may take even longer. If you’re unsure what your significant other wants, you may have to allow more time to determine their preferences and ring size.
Who Pops the Question?
There is no one universal formula to the perfect proposal. Who proposes is entirely up to you and your future spouse. Ultimately, the core value of a proposal is in the commitment you promise to one another – not about who gets down on that knee!
Engagement Rings vs. Wedding Bands
Again, whether you and your significant other want both an engagement ring and wedding band is up to you. If your partner enjoys the grandeur and drama of a proposal, an engagement ring is always something to consider. Alternatively, more practical couples working within a tight budget can instead opt for a simple wedding band.
Setting Your Budget
Choosing a ring from an existing collection doesn’t necessarily mean it will be cheaper. Several factors will influence how much you spend on your engagement rings.
Different types of rings come at drastically different prices. If you already know the kind of gemstone your significant other wants, you can craft your budget around it.
Whether you shop for a gold, silver, or platinum engagement band will also dictate how much you spend. In most cases, platinum engagement rings will cost the most.
The total carat weight of your diamonds will also change this number. Naturally, the higher the carat weight, the more expensive your ring will be. Some sellers will offer a discount on their collection for customers who pay in cash.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not you are planning to throw a big gay or lesbian wedding, choosing the right rings is part of the process. While shopping for the perfect ring can be daunting, we can only hope that our jewelry tips have provided you and the love of your life some insight.
If you want to get started on picking out rings, Diamonds Direct is the best company for you! They are LGBT friendly, offer many options, and always go above and beyond for their customers.
Don’t forget to check out our other same-sex wedding tips for your Florida ceremony.
***Disclaimer: There is a good chance that this post contains affiliate or sponsor links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you (for which we are extremely grateful).
Also, while we do our best to highlight LGBTQ-friendly destinations and businesses, info provided is based solely on personal experience and recommendations by community partners. We hope that nobody experiences discrimination or homophobia while visiting Florida, but we make no guarantees. Please inform us if you experience discrimination or homophobia while visiting any destination so we can make updates to our recommendations.
