The New Rules of "Yes": What I'm Seeing Gen Z Do With Engagement Rings (And Honestly, I Love It)
Can I be honest with you for a minute?
After years of sitting across from couples in our studio on Cambridge Street, I've watched the engagement ring conversation completely transform. And right now, in 2026, something really exciting is happening, especially with younger buyers coming through our door.
Gen Z are rewriting the rules. And as someone who has always believed your ring should feel like you and nobody else, I couldn't be more here for it.
So grab a cup of tea, because I want to talk you through what I'm seeing the shapes, the metals, the questions people are asking and hopefully help you feel a little less overwhelmed if you're in the middle of it all right now.
First Things First: It's Not About Impressing Anyone Anymore
Here's the thing I notice immediately with younger couples who come and see me. They're not asking "how many carats should I get?" They're asking "what does this ring say about us?"
That shift is everything. It means the ring isn't a status symbol anymore it's a story. And honestly, that's always been my favourite kind of commission to work on.
Searches for "vintage style engagement rings" have gone up by 700% this year. Seven hundred percent! People aren't chasing what's on trend. They're chasing something that feels meaningful and personal. And I find that really lovely.
So, What Shapes Are People Actually Choosing?
The classic round brilliant diamond is still the most popular but its grip is loosening. In 2024 it made up nearly half of all engagement ring sales. Now it's just over 40%. That might not sound dramatic, but in jewellery terms, that's a huge shift.
Here's what I'm seeing people fall in love with instead:
The oval is still gorgeous and going nowhere. It's one of those cuts that somehow manages to feel modern and timeless at the same time. It also gives you beautiful visual impact without needing a huge carat weight which is a practical win, especially right now with gold prices the way they are. One of my favourites in the studio right now is our 0.70ct Oval Cut and Pear Diamond Three Stone Ring it pairs that elegant oval centre with two pear-shaped diamonds either side, and the result is just stunning. It's the kind of ring that feels considered and special without being shouty about it.
The emerald cut is having a real moment. It's clean, it's confident, it's almost architectural. If you're someone who dresses simply but really well, I'd put money on you falling for an emerald cut.
The marquise oh, I do love a marquise. That elongated, pointed shape has a quiet drama to it. And something I'm seeing a lot of right now is wearing it east-west, so it sits horizontally across the finger rather than pointing up and down. It looks completely different. Really unexpected and fashion-forward. If you want something nobody else in your friendship group will have, this might be it. Our Aurelia Marquise Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring is a perfect example of exactly this — she's elegant, she's a little bit daring, and every time someone sees her in the studio they can't stop staring. Honestly, I'm a little obsessed with her.
The pear romantic, a little unconventional, and if a pear on its own is calling your name, have a look at our Scarlett Pear Lab-Grown Diamond V-Shaped Band Engagement Ring that V-shaped band is designed to cradle the pear perfectly, and the whole thing together is just so elegant. She's one of those rings that looks even better in person than in photos, which is really saying something.
Can We Talk About Thick Bands for a Second?
Because I am so glad the ultra-skinny band era is winding down.
Don't get me wrong a delicate band can be gorgeous on the right hand. But I've had clients come in with those incredibly fine bands that have bent or worn down, and it breaks my heart a little. Your engagement ring is supposed to last a lifetime.
What I'm seeing Gen Z go for is something more substantial. Thicker bands, chunkier silhouettes rings that look intentional and feel solid when you put them on. And they're choosing bezel settings more than ever, where the stone sits inside a rim of metal rather than being held up by claws. It looks very clean and modern, and it protects the stone so much better for everyday life.
Think about it: this generation works at laptops, goes to the gym, travels constantly. They want a ring they can actually live in. And I think that's completely sensible.
Yellow Gold. I Know, I Know — But Please Hear Me Out.
If you haven't considered yellow gold because it feels like something your nan would wear please, come and look at what's happening with it right now.
Yellow gold is back in a really big way, and it looks nothing like the clunky heavy pieces of the past. On an emerald cut, it's sharp and sophisticated. On an oval, it's warm and romantic. On a marquise, it has this incredible richness that white metal just can't give you.
It's also and this matters genuinely timeless in a way that some trends aren't. Fifty years from now, a yellow gold ring will still look like a yellow gold ring. It won't date in the way that some very-of-the-moment styles can.
Interestingly, platinum is also making a comeback with Gen Z , but not as the safe, expected choice. They're choosing it specifically because it contrasts with all the gold they already stack and layer. Which brings me onto something I find really fun about this generation...
They Don't Match Anything, and It Works Brilliantly
Gen Z have grown up mixing and layering their jewellery without a second thought. Gold rings on the same hand as silver ones. A dainty chain under a chunky one. It just looks cool, and it's entirely intentional.
And they're bringing that energy to engagement rings too.
I've had people ask me to make bands with mixed metals yellow gold with platinum prongs, for example. I've had couples decide they won't wear a wedding band at all, or that they'll wear the wedding band on the opposite hand so neither ring has to "match" the other.
None of this is rebellious for the sake of it. It's just authentic. Which is exactly how it should be.
The Lab-Grown Diamond Question
I know a lot of you have this on your mind, so let me be straightforward with you.
Lab-grown diamonds now account for more than half of all engagement diamond sales in the UK. Among younger buyers, that figure is even higher. And the reasons make complete sense: this generation cares deeply about where things come from. They want to know the story behind what they're buying. And they've grown up understanding that you don't have to follow the old formula.
A lab-grown diamond is the same diamond same chemical makeup, same sparkle, same hardness it just wasn't formed underground over millions of years. It was created above ground using incredible technology. And because of that, a budget that might once have bought you a modest natural stone can now get you something genuinely spectacular.
Our Isla Oval Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring is a gorgeous example of exactly what I mean. A 3ct oval lab-grown diamond the kind of size and presence that would have felt out of reach for many people even a few years ago. She's breathtaking, and she's the ring that makes people do a double take when they walk past the studio window.
At Fogal & Barnes, I work with both natural and lab-grown. I'm not here to tell you which one to choose. What I am here to do is make sure you understand your options properly, so you can make the decision that feels right for you not just the one that's easiest to explain.
So What Does All This Mean For You?
If you're ring shopping right now or thinking about it here's what I want you to hear from me, as someone who has been doing this for a long time:
The old rules don't apply. And that is genuinely wonderful news.
You don't have to spend a fixed amount. You don't have to have a diamond if a sapphire is calling your name. You don't need a thin band, or matching metals, or a ring that looks like every other engagement ring on Instagram.
You just need a ring that feels like you.
And if you're not sure what that looks like yet that's completely fine. That's exactly what the conversation over a cup of tea in our studio is for.
Come and See Me
I'm at 14 Cambridge Street in Harrogate, and I'd genuinely love to talk through what you're dreaming of whether that's a clear vision you've been saving on Pinterest for two years, or just a feeling you haven't quite found the words for yet.
No pressure. No formula. Just us, talking about what makes you you.
Pop in, give us a call, or drop me a message...I'm always happy to chat.
