17 Engagement Rings for Rebel Brides
There are alternative bridal rings...and then there are gleefully nonconformist, bordering-on-anarchistic engagement rings and wedding bands. Summer 2016 was a hotbed of exciting debuts from designers who specialize in the latter, giving uber-hip brides who are planning to get engaged within the year access to a treasure trove of untapped, non-traditional engagement ring options that no one else will have.
Held in late July, the JANY show brought together a sizzling sample of young, emerging talent. You can think of this post as a virtual meet-and-greet with 10 of these designers. Each has a unique perspective on the bridal category but all share a desire to push boundaries, chart new territory and redefine the look and feel of what typically constitutes an engagement ring or wedding band.
Diamonds too vanilla for you? Consider Elisa Solomon's paraiba tourmaline. Or Alexis Kletjian's phenakite, a mineral from the beryl family that most people have never heard of but cool kids will find hard to resist.
These are the new rule-breakers. The new provocateurs. The new enfants terribles. They are young and fearless and they love rough stones and rose cuts. They revel in their metier and they have their fingers on the pulse. Some of their voices are more disruptive than others, but every designer highlighted here deserves your attention. Get to know them now!
An extremely cool lady metalsmith inspired by Native American and Southwestern art, New York-based designer Dana Bronfman has a unique point of view that lends itself perfectly to the creation of wedding rings with an organic, sculptural, feminine- but-not-too-girlie slant. She’s dipped a toe in with a few one-off bridal designs as in the example above and we can’t wait to see more. Using certified reclaimed 18k gold and sterling silver, Dana hand-sculpts each piece out of wax in her Brooklyn workshop; later, master jewelers produce the collection in NYC’s Diamond District.