Engagement ring trends we'll see in 2026 – and the ones we'll leave behind

2025 has been the year for big celebrity engagements and even bigger rings.

From Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez, elongated and oval engagement rings have been all the rage this year.

Of course, trends change or die out, so what can we expect to be popular as we enter 2026?

The rings we'll see everywhere in 2026

Jeweller Kosta Theochari from MDT Design says some the trends we've seen in 2025 will carry across into the new year.

"The popularity of the oval shape definitely will continue," he said.

"You do get a little bit more size out of it compared to a round brilliant cut.

READ MORE: The one regret Diana had after tell-all interview

READ MORE: Supermarket seemingly soft launches divisive food item

READ MORE: Kate's powerful letter urging for end of 'fear and judgment'

"A lot of people are going for something like an oval-shaped, emerald cut, radiant cut, even a marquise cut is becoming quite popular as well ... but oval is still number one."

He said Georgina Rodríguez's enormous oval ring pushed the trend over the line this year, with a serious uptick in popularity after her Instagram post.

"They were always quite popular, but now seeing it again reiterated on a superstar, it just brings that back into play a little bit more," Theochari said.

Other elongated cuts, such as marquise and radiant cuts, are also expected to rise in popularity.

Interestingly, Theochari says Taylor Swift's engagement ring – an old mine-cut diamond – will not impact market trends going into 2026.

"I don't feel that's carried through the trade at all," he said, but it's for good reason.

"If you're gonna go for an old mine diamond, for it to look anything like hers, it needs to be a really large stone.

"If you're getting a small mine-cut diamond, it's actually quite ugly because you don't get the brilliance or lustre out of it."

"Taylor Swift's demographic is younger people, I wouldn't expect them to have the cash to spend on something like that to get the same result."

Engagement ring trends that'll fade out

The big rings we've seen this year have inspired an oversized trend using lab-grown diamonds.

Lab-grown diamond prices have dropped in the past six months, and are expected to drop even further in the next year, however, experts say that might actually buck the trend.

"I don't think that will increase the desire to have one. If anything, it might do the opposite," Theochari said.

"People will start looking at it as 'it is really cheap ... do I wanna pass that down to my kids down the track?'"

There are some other trends Theochari says won't translate into the new year, including thin or dainty bands.

The jeweller says thinner bands, which are advertised as fine jewellery, actually break much more often than their chunkier counterparts.

"I think a lot of people are feeling the heartache of buying poor quality rings at the moment, with a lot of people having to get repairs done on engagement rings after 4-5 years of having them," he says.

"I think, slowly, better-quality, thicker and chunkier pieces will come back into play."  

Theochari said customers have also been stung by shopping for mass-produced engagement rings online – a trend he says will also die out as customers end up with a subpar quality item.

"The bands are too thin, but also the manufacturing style they've gone for, which is basically designed on a computer, and it's mass-produced from there," he said.

"A long-lasting piece is going to be something handmade, the old-school craftsmanship of rolling out the metal, bending it, hammering it, working it and that strengthens the piece."

How to pick the best engagement ring for you?

Theochari said when picking a ring, it's vital to ignore the trends and figure out what you love.

"Don't just think about what looks great now and what's in fashion now," he said.

"Ask yourself, 'What can I see myself wearing in 50 years when I'm an 80-year-old lady?'

"Are [you] still going to love it?"

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.