Unique Engagement Rings

This article is part of our What's Your Inspiration series, where we explore the personal touches and sources of inspiration our customers bring to their engagement rings.

Unique Engagement Rings to Inspire You

It’s only natural to want your engagement ring to stand out. It’s the piece of jewelry that your significant other is supposed to wear and cherish for the rest of their life: of course it should be special! But, what if you want to make something truly one-of-a-kind? Something no one has ever seen before? Crafting unique engagement rings for clients is what we do, and we’ve collected some of our favorite pieces that are brimming with personality, color, and offbeat style to get your creative juices flowing.

Splashes of color

Diamond center stones have become so ubiquitous, you can bring personality and uniqueness to your engagement ring design simply by using a colorful gemstone or two. Colored gemstones come in every shade and hue, and they can represent a favorite color, birthstone, or something significant to your relationship.

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With a cool, bright blue ocean tone, aquamarine can bring just a hint of color to any ring. This couple opted for a unique, trillion cut aquamarine in a solitaire setting with a sunny yellow gold band to bring out the stone’s light blue hue. The diamonds in the band are lab-created: a wonderful substitute for natural diamonds if you’re concerned about unethical mining practices and environmental damage! We love the way a classic solitaire design takes on a whole new style just by choosing the less common trillion cut for the center stone.

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For a unique spin on sapphire, how about the yellow variety of this classic center stone? The sunny sapphire we selected for this customer's engagement ring appears to float inside a halo of yellow gold — an eye-catching play on a familiar halo shape — and there’s a petite white diamond on each side of its sleek setting to amplify the gem’s brightness.

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The intricate metalwork and Celtic design of this tiara-inspired ring is enough to make any woman feel like a princess. And that minty green sapphire? Swoon. This client was actually inspired by his future wife’s bright green eyes, and the white moonstone accents really accentuate the hazel and yellow flashes in the sapphire as well as the deep blues and greens found near the tip of the stone.

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Some stones have unique characteristics that—much like one-of-a-kind snowflakes or fingerprints—make each one an irreplaceable work of art. This hexagonal, salt and pepper diamond is striking in its platinum setting, and the onyx accent stones bring out the delicate black flecks peppered throughout its core. It’s the perfect ring for those who believe black is a perfectly acceptable color for any occasion (by the way, we agree!).

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Some gemstones can even sparkle with more than one color! Alexandrite is beloved for its distinctive color changing properties, and the gem in this ring boasts green, red, and purple hues, changing with the lighting. We love the teardrop design on the rose gold band and the choice to accent some of them with pear cut diamonds, adding brilliant white flashes that deepen the colors of the lab-created alexandrite stone.

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While we’re on the topic, take a look at this gorgeous alexandrite ring set in a kite orientation in a rose gold band. The modern, semi bezel setting accentuates the princess cut center stone's angles, adding both structure and lightness to the setting for a unique visual effect.

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Mystic topaz is another eye-catching option for a unique center stone — a gem with a kaleidoscope of hues from every angle. This type of coated topaz is more delicate, as the colorful coating can wear away, but it's the perfect choice for some. The marquise-shaped green mystic topaz is nestled among a cluster of luscious Mozambique red garnets that brings out the stone’s deep red and purple flashes. And we designed a wedding band to hug the curves of the engagement ring, adding a delicate band of sparkling white diamonds above the colored stones to deepen their saturation.

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There’s no rule that says you can’t combine gemstone colors for a more vibrant wedding set. That’s certainly the case with this bold, vibrant combo, which pairs a kite cut, lab-created emerald with three marquise-shaped citrines. The beauty is in the details with this design, with three glowing opals on either side of the emerald and small white diamonds between the citrine to create contrast. Like sea salt and caramel, these colors create an unlikely pair.

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Rich jewel tones often pair perfectly, and their colors combine to produce a deep, romantic glow. The saturated hues of red ruby and blue aquamarine work remarkably well together in this ring. It can be tricky to get the desired color from small accent gems, since aquamarine can be too light to show much color when it's cut into a very small gem — so our gem team had to make sure we chose a set of accent gems with deeper color saturation. The ring's silhouette is wonderfully unexpected and perfectly natural, with the four aquamarine petals delicately spiraling halfway around the rich ruby center for a unique take on an engagement ring.

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Amethyst is a beloved stone, most often found in this rich, royal purple hue. For this design, here's the guidance Chantelle gave our design team: amethyst, opal, rose or white gold, asymmetrical, understated center stone, and perhaps one of her favorite flowers in the delicate design. We love the way the look came out, with the rich pop of purple anchoring the look, and opal accents hanging on the vine of a Forget-Me-Not band.

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There are so many beautiful blue gemstones to add to your engagement ring, and each one tells a different story. This ring was designed for a bride who is poised and elegant like the sea as well as a certified rescue diver. Her now-fiance chose soothing lapis lazuli and aquamarine side stones that undulate around the center stone, like water delicately flowing around the diamond, to emulate her calm demeanor in stressful situations.

Telling your love story

Behind every custom engagement ring is a beautiful love story just begging to be told. We love when clients incorporate little pieces of their story into their ring. It’s a fun way to get people to ask about the ring, so you can tell your story again and again. Here are a few clever custom rings that use special symbols, gemstones, and silhouettes to weave the couple’s love story into their ring.

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An engagement ring really doesn’t need to follow any blueprint, and it should take the form of whatever inspires you. This bold, modern design started from a photo Mathew shared of a beautiful, meaningful ring his partner already wore. We started from that photo to create this look, with its open, sweeping lines, and paired it with a cuff-style wedding ring. Accent diamonds on both bands add sparkle, and the two pieces—like a married couple—become one when worn together. There's so much to catch the eye in this design that no one's going to notice that they chose to skip the traditional center stone entirely!

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We often hear of couples who are so much in love that they've told their partners they'd gladly accept a gumball machine prize as an engagement ring. Well, that’s pretty much the story of Jon's ring design. He told us: "My girlfriend always jokes with me, 'I would take a twist-tie from a bag of Wonder Bread for a ring.' I was thinking to design a real metal ring resembling a twist tie, with diamonds incorporated somehow." The engagement ring is a classic, with its round diamond center stone, but the matching wedding band is all about that personal touch! It's shaped exactly like a twist tie that sits elegantly atop that double banded engagement ring. Looks like she got her wish!

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Dena chose an absolute stunner of a parti-colored green and yellow sapphire as a center stone! Surrounded by a sunburst half halo of diamonds, it's a knockout! But the story here is a little hidden: the weave of the rose gold basket references a DNA double helix, a sweet memento that calls back to the couple’s first years together as biology grad students. How lovely!

Stylized sets and silhouettes

Not to brag, but there honestly isn’t a design idea that our experienced team can’t turn into an instant heirloom. Given the freedom to design eye-catching, off-the-beaten-path silhouettes gets the creative juices flowing for our designers. And these uniquely shaped engagement rings often call for custom wedding bands to ensure the two pieces produce the perfect silhouette. Here are a few distinctive pairings, some that balance the unorthodox engagement ring with a classic wedding band, and others that accentuate the uniqueness with the band design.

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A bold ring requires an equally bold wedding band, such as this work of modern art. With an elegant marquise-shaped sapphire and two flush-set diamond side stones, this stately engagement ring has a wide band with asymmetrical, curving edges. To suit this unusual shape, our team designed a gold wedding band with lined and hammered textures, creating a mountain design by perfectly mirroring the corners and edges of the engagement ring.

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She is beauty. She is grace. And, she is SHAPELY. This ballerina setting has a silhouette that can turn heads, with a blushing morganite at its core surrounded by a luxe halo of baguette diamonds and white pearls. Add in a wedding band of graduated pearls and diamonds, and this engagement ring emulates a graceful ballerina twirling a white silk scarf above her head.

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Tricia wanted her cluster ring to mimic a “muted green floral bouquet”, and the sage green Montana sapphire our gem team found for her is the perfect anchor for a scattering of diamonds, morganite, and alexandrite stones that surround it to produce this effect. The varied shapes and sizes of the gems make for an unusual silhouette, so our design team paired it with a twisting wedding band to tuck cleanly under the cluster, symbolizing the intertwining of two lives.

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Salt and pepper diamonds pair perfectly with white stones and metals, and this kite-shaped salt and pepper center stone is no exception. It sports sparkly moissanite accent stones that drop downward toward the front of the ring and contrast beautifully with the deep hues of the center stone. To keep this black and white theme going, our team created a matching platinum wedding band that drops below the bezel, accentuating the points of the kite's eye-catching geometry.

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We rarely get to work with cadillac-shaped diamonds, and we love it when someone chooses a truly rare center stone cut for their ring! The unique shape of a cadillac stone can be difficult to work with when it comes to matching a wedding band, so we figured we'd play into the two very distinct sides of the silhouette with not one but two matching bands. The lower band is beautifully beaded white gold and complements the curves of the engagement ring's scalloped band, and the upper band sits atop the peak of the diamond like a diamond-studded crown.

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While all rings are works of art, engagement rings and wedding bands can often be combined to create an entirely new image. Take this darling cushion-cut diamond ring as an example: the engagement ring’s band includes a few marquise-shaped emeralds and tiny diamonds as accents for a delicate floral theme. But once we added the two wedding bands, the curves of vines and leaves take on the much richer appearance of a lush garden rich with emerald green leaves and white diamond roses.

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Michael wanted this sapphire and diamond ring to evoke images of the sea — shells, waves, and other nautical references. We absolutely love that he was hooked — pun intended! — by this daring, sculptural design. The shape is curvy and echoes the shape of a sea shell with its unusual baguette diamond halo. And of course there's a perfect blue sapphire at the heart of the design. With such a bold, sweeping arrangement of curves and diamonds, we wanted to pair the look with a more understated wedding band, carrying on the milgrain curves and diamond shapes, but simplifying the silhouette. You definitely wouldn't find this wonderfully personal design on any store shelves!

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Looking for a unique engagement ring but prefer a traditional wedding band that sits flush? No worries, here’s a white pearl ring with a baguette diamond halo that's designed to allow the sleek delicate wedding band to slide perfectly under the basket and sit flush with the band of the engagement ring. It's a ring set that looks like a classic until you focus in on the wonderfully unusual pearl and halo design details. Unique and elegant. One-of-a-kind and timeless.

Accent stones: clusters, crowns, collars, and more

One of the simplest ways to give your engagement ring design a bit of unique flair is by including some eye-catching accent stones. These small gems come in all shapes and sizes, and including them in interesting arrangements can make a huge style difference.

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Glowing green gems and white accent stones are a match made in heaven, and this octagonal green emerald is no exception. Stephan asked us to take the design in an asymmetrical direction, and this look our designers came up with plays with geometry in such a beautiful way. Two baguette-shaped gems—another emerald and a diamond—create a graduated symmetry with the emerald cut center stone. But on the other side, an elegant semi-halo of sparkling diamonds contrasts with all those angular gems, giving the ring a wonderfully modern feel.

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When our client came to us with this airy bubble design idea for his fiancée’s ring, we were hooked. We love the playful nature of this piece, with bezels surrounding each of the 10 diamonds, accentuating the design's focus on circles. The bubbly accent stones remind us of foamy shores, shallow tide pools, and popping champagne. We hope the happy couple popped a few bottles after the bride-to-be saw this amazing ring!

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This engagement ring features a hefty 2-carat tanzanite with a perfect blue hue. The delicate yellow gold setting complements the center stone's color, and we love the way the tapered baguette accent diamonds frame and add structure—not to mention sparkle!—to the center setting. This type of ballerina halo offers so much room to play with the angles, shapes and positions of the baguettes in the halo!.

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While lines of accent stones are nice, clusters bring an Old Hollywood glam to any setting and can make a solitaire sparkle. This pear-shaped emerald is a stunner by itself, but the two clusters of marquise-shaped diamonds fanning out on either side match the fierce point of the emerald and make this ring look like it belongs at a red carpet event.

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We try not to play favorites, but this one's definitely among the coolest design ideas we've seen from our customers in the last few years. Drawing inspiration from a solar eclipse, the centerpiece is (of course) a moonstone, with a halo of sapphire and citrine- and diamond-studded "flares." Our designer interpreted John's vision for his partner's ring and added balance and a wonderful Deco element to the design with the wrapping wedding band. Such a statement piece!

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We’ve been going on about the dazzling effects of accent stones on colored gems, but they can also be used to enhance the “big 3” of white diamonds: fire, brilliance, and scintillation. With a delicate, marquise-shaped diamond at its center, this ring takes full advantage of the semi-halo accent diamonds on opposing ends of the stone’s point. They soften the edges of the double-pointed silhouette, and their graduated arrangement makes them look as if they’re circling the center stone. It's a playful, modern interpretation of a classic halo design.

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You don’t always need a massive cluster of accent stones to make a splash! This opal engagement ring evokes images of rolling waves with just two accent diamonds. The opal at the center has a bit of subtle blue color play that symbolizes the ocean, and the two marquise diamonds are like fish jumping from the waves created by the rolling gold band.

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We get serious princess vibes from this ring, and the wedding band that forms a glittering tiara above the center stone brings everything together. In addition to a regal crown of pear-shaped moissanite, this engagement ring boasts a rare, rose-cut for its star moonstone, and the adularescent stone absolutely glows when surrounded by white gems and two deep blue aquamarine side stones.

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Another morganite beauty, this ring has a spray of marquise diamonds fanning out on one end of the elongated center stone. It's a playful extension of the morganite's angular kite cut, already a unique choice for a bride-to-be who loves kite and pear shapes. Blushing pink morganite in a rose gold setting is at once modern, popular, and timeless. And the marquise accent arrangement brings a bit of vintage inspiration to the otherwise simple silhouette. The morganite’s kite shape is also a unique choice, as the

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If it looks like there are a ton of facets in this round tourmaline center stone, it's because there are! That's a Portuguese cut, which has many more facets than a typical round brilliant cut, and gives the gem a pleasing floral appearance. The ring's distinctive shape is our designer's elegant interpretation of Steven's tattoo—which features a DNA strand and mindfulness symbols—incorporating curves that play with the DNA double helix, and a floating beaded halo around the center stone. As if all of that wonderful detail isn't enough, we designed a matching wedding band that's just dripping with classic elegance. The bridal set's silhouette looks perfectly suited for a modern bride and would look equally at home on a 1920's socialite draped with jewels as she heads off to her next big social event. Just the small work of art that Steven's fiancée deserves.

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Checkerboard cuts look amazing on colored gemstones, particularly this deeply saturated garnet that sparkles with every shade of red you can imagine. The rose gold setting and white diamond accents emphasize the depth of the garnet, and the delicate diamond collar drapes loosely below the center stone like an elegant diamond necklace.

Inspired by nature

What's more distinctive than the amazing flora and fauna found in nature? Mother Nature offers us tons of excellent themes and stylistic inspiration for unique engagement ring designs. And, for those customers who nudge us toward a nature-inspired design, they get to embrace all of nature's perfect imperfection—or is it imperfect perfection?—to make their design one-of-a-kind. We love exploring this balance between organic and handcrafted beauty.

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One of our favorite natural themes is the butterfly: delicate, colorful, and incredibly beautiful. This ring includes two rose gold butterflies swooping inward toward the center diamond, which is surrounded by soft, white gold petals. The emerald accents around the center stone as well as those on the butterfly band give the piece an earthy, organic feel, as if these butterflies are dancing over a field of wildflowers.

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Floral themes provide a wide array of inspiring ideas, as there are so many flowers and so many wonderful ways to incorporate their shapes and colors in a ring design. This ring boasts an intricate lotus flower motif, with a carefully crafted rose gold design and a staggering 25 diamonds accenting its many petals. The lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth and purity, which are perfect themes for beginning the new journey of marriage.

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Life as we know it wouldn’t even exist without our nearest star, the sun. We adore the burning citrine at the heart of this sunshine themed ring, and the yellow gold setting features delicate, carved solar rays that offer subtle detail and focus your attention on the center stone. And there's an element of ancient art about this design, as if it could have been found in the ruins of an old civilization.

Tilted stones

Finding the balance between simplicity and uniqueness can be as simple as tilting your ring's center stone by a few degrees. The stone’s new orientation provides a completely different look even in a traditional setting, but without going overboard. We love the unexpected twist in these slightly off-kilter designs!

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A bypass ring creates a clever optical illusion that’s sure to attract attention. The two sides of a bypass ring’s band never touch, and they swirl around the stone and make it look as though the stone is slightly tilted. The morganite at the center of this ring is also offset so that the points aren't perfectly straight, and the band delicately wraps around two of its points for a stunning, feminine look.

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With the right setting, you can even make your tilted center stone appear as if it’s floating. This oval-shaped tourmaline is slanted between the two ends of the bypass band that end in delicate points to contrast the rounded shape of the stone. The faux tension design makes it look as though the gem could slide right through the band, but rest assured: it’s secure and ready for a lifetime of wear.

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Most trillion-shaped stones are set so that one of their points faces upward and away from the wearer’s hand, but not this beauty. The trillion blue sapphire almost has a royal purple glow, and it’s rotated 90° in the setting to produce a more intriguing silhouette. A cluster of diamonds on one side of the center stone offer a delicate sparkle and balance the stone’s unique placement.

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Pear-shaped stones also typically have their prominent point facing upward and away from the wearer’s hand, or down along the finger toward the heart. But, there’s no rule saying you can’t get a little creative with the tilt of this iconic shape. The luscious lab-created pink sapphire at the heart of this ring is tilted to the right, adding its bezel's elegant curves to the open, diamond-accented lines of the gold band.

Bold and beautiful

We love when a client decides to go all out to make a unique engagement ring: intricate metalwork, tons of gemstones, a brash silhouette, the works. Below are some spectacular examples of what our team can do with the right inspiration.

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Bold IS beautiful, and this intricate ring—is it a flower? a snowflake?—is a custom design chock full of Art Deco and geometrical flair. The rose gold band boasts 16 angular petals with a moissanite at the center of each. However, there’s even more to look at when you view the ring from the side, including 68 moissanite accents that add a ton of sparkle to the filigree under the center setting.

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We are living for the chevron details of this Deco-inspired engagement ring, lined with 20 baguette diamonds to add mirror-like flashes as a delightful foil to the pure sparkle and fire of the lab-created diamond at the center of this piece.

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Floral themed rings have actually been around for centuries, and they were a favorite among royalty. So, it’s no surprise this unique, vintage-inspired flower ring is giving us big “Queen” vibes. The center stone is a Rose de France amethyst with its distinctive lilac hue, and the 6 larger diamond accents and beadwork contribute to the ring's vintage styling and draw the eye inward toward the center of the flower.

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“Art Deco” and “minimalist” are terms that don’t always go together, but this Art Deco-inspired kite ring has us reconsidering that combination. The design is strong yet elegant and reminds us of a Greek mosaic, with a beaded diamond outline and a sleek bezel around an aquamarine. Under the center setting is little wave detail, which is a great look for the bride-to-be: she loves the ocean and aquamarine is her birthstone!

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Even a delicate band with plenty of details makes for a bold engagement ring when the curves of that delicate gold band extend across the surface of the center stone. This white opal appears to glow within its yellow gold setting, and the floral details divide the face of the stone to make it look like an ancient gem covered in vines. The twisted leaf designs along the sides further compliment the floral motif, and the diamond accents give the ring a polished look.

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Black stones and rose gold are just meant to go together, and the addition of white diamonds in this stunning piece just amps up the glam even further. The compass rose setting features black onyx, diamonds, and a glistening champagne morganite at its center. This future bride loves to travel, so the addition of compass needle points among the stones was a subtle way to incorporate her personality into this stylized, Art Deco-styled piece.

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The playful fire in this opal seems to come alive thanks to this custom setting! It's a design that comes straight from antiquity, with its elegant scrollwork and rope detailing. Notice how the swirls of the band seem to bring out the swirling colors within the opal, as if some ancient spirit is dancing within the stone.

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Be still my heart: we love when a future groom decides to take something old—like an Art Deco design—and make it something new and completely personalized. The lab-created diamond at the center of this ring has a gorgeous yellow gold bezel to protect its pointed shape, and the scintillating fans of accent diamonds hug the curves of the marquise-shaped center stone so perfectly.

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Sometimes a design is so bold and beautiful that it takes your breath away. At least, that’s what happens to us every time we look at this sapphire snowflake ring. Our client had this ring custom made for his wife to celebrate the birth of their child in September, so it showcases plenty of sapphire in honor of the newborn's birthstone. There are so many hidden peaks and points in this rose gold setting, and the hybrid cut center stone combines the “hall of mirrors” look of step cut gems with the sparkle of a brilliant cut.

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There’s no wedding ring needed for a stunning silhouette like the one created by this ribbon ring. The moissanite stones seem to hang off the delicate white gold setting, dripping down the wearer’s finger.

So, what makes a ring unique?

Since every ring we create is designed and created for—and with!—a specific person, they're really all one-of-a-kind. Sometimes the personal touches are just about the choices you make when selecting the perfect center stone, or the meaningful message you ask us to inscribe inside the band. Maybe a birthstone or a subtle peek-a-boo detail hidden under a classic center setting. But for some of our customers, the whole point is to create a ring that looks like no other ring they've seen before. And that's just what we've tried to showcase with these 50 unique little works of art. Hopefully you've found something to inspire you among these rings and now you're ready to start working with our design team on your unique design!