Have you ever heard or seen minimalist engagement rings? Probably not. But the words minimalism and minimalist may ring a bell if you are into social media or keeps track of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. There are a few of them out there. Despite their net worth being in the six-figure and above realm they choose to live simply and frugally.
In this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of choosing minimalist engagement rings while providing valuable advice on how to purchase them. We’ll also get into the minimalist lifestyle and what benefits it has to offer to those who choose to dive into it.
What are Minimalist Engagement Rings
For example, Apple founder Steve Jobs is a known minimalist. When he died in 2011, he was worth $10.2 billion. And do you know how his house was furnished? According to former Apple CEO, John Sculley, Steve had nothing but a portrait of Einstein (whom he greatly admired), a Tiffany lamp, a chair, and a bed.
Note: Most of his assets were inherited by his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs (nothing is said, however, if Steve gave her a minimalist engagement ring).
This revelation may leave you speechless. Yet, he was not alone. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Robert Pattinson, Brad Pitt, and Michael Bloomberg, one of the richest people on Forbes list, etc., are also minimalists. They find more happiness in having less, than more. But they are not misers or penny pinchers. They answer the question…
What is Minimalism or a Minimalist
First, the easier one—minimalist. It is a person living a lifestyle of the barest minimum, yet satisfying, meaningful, and comfortable.
Minimalism, at its very core, is a means to achieve freedom—from fear or worry. Freedom from being overwhelmed, with guilt, and depression.Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we have trapped ourselves in
People in the minimalism mode, the minimalists, have no problem letting go of excesses. They know and understand the value of less. Consequently, they gain much more time, energy, freedom, and financial security. Minimalists have more physical space and for the things that matter most—themselves.
They don’t totally shun material things. But they don’t put so much stock on these to the point of forsaking relationships, health, passions, personal growth, and the desire to contribute beyond themselves.
Minimalism Description
To get a better idea of what minimalism is, here are its key points:
Fewer possessions
It is getting by with the things that are really needed. Why have 20 pairs of shoes when there’s no way you can wear them all at the same time?
Remove all the distractions of excess possession so you can focus on things that matter most.
Intentional
Don’t force yourself to be a minimalist, then keep on grumbling about how difficult life is without the things you are used to. That defeats the purpose.
It must be intentional and clear in purpose. In this way, it forces some improvements in every aspect of your life.
It is freedom from the desire to possess
Society has brainwashed us into believing that a good life is based on the number of things we possess. So we accumulate as many things as we can afford to. This has led us to believe that happiness can be found at department stores.
But this mindset has not led to a fulfilling and happy life. Instead, it has created a sort of mania of accumulating more things. At the end of the day, and when the novelty of our new purchases has worn off, we are left with a certain emptiness that needs to be quenched somewhere else.
By going minimalist, you are protected from this ‘me-too syndrome’ that has enslaved the greater part of society.
Freedom from modern mania
Mania is an excessive enthusiasm or obsession. For common folks like us, this comes in the form of being rushed through the day; being stressed. You work long hours to pay the bills, yet get deeper into debt; rush from one activity to the next, yet don’t seem to accomplish anything.
You know the feeling, don’t you?
It’s going against the flow
We live in a world that idolizes celebrities and superstars. They grace your daily newspapers, are featured on TV shows, and go viral on social media.
The result is that a lot of people hold them as their ‘ideal,’ their ‘standard’ of success.
Minimalism doesn’t want any of that. A minimalist thrives better in a smaller, quieter, and calmer environment. It spares him or her of the stress of trying to catch up, and the disappointment of not being able to make the cut.
It’s achievable
Being a minimalist is not living a monastic life. It is living a life you are used to—but scaled down.
Minimalists are not loners, or seclusion-type individuals living on the fringes of society. They are everywhere. You just don’t know them. As mentioned earlier, a lot of current celebrities are minimalists.
They have broken the perpetual desire-buy-accumulate cycle. And they are never happier in their lives.
So where do engagement rings fit into a minimalist lifestyle?
What is a Minimalist Engagement Ring
When people think of engagement rings, what comes to their minds is a sparkling white gold, platinum, or sterling silver ring with a matching sparkling and dazzling diamond or its equivalent. And dollar signs start floating before their eyes.
Generally, that image is still true. But its stranglehold on the engagement ring niche is being threatened. Young people these days opt for simplicity. Their idea of elegance is something that comes as it is—with no frills or embellishments; understated but classic.
Such are the minimalist engagement rings.
And mind you, their popularity is on the rise. One reason is that they never go out of style—very much like the VW Beetle.
Let’s face it. Not everyone wants an engagement ring that is flashy and large as if to make a statement. Young people these days make a statement by doing something different, exotic, out of the ordinary.
And because minimalist engagement rings epitomize the saying, ‘less is more,’ they never go out of style. They will keep their mystical aura through the years.
In a nutshell, a minimalist engagement ring with pared-back embellishments and flash is a ring that’s simple but classy. It doesn’t lack any element of an engagement ring, they are just understated. And this is where its beauty lies.
Why Buy a Minimalist Engagement Ring
When buying an engagement ring, minimalist or otherwise, expect to spend between as low as $ 1,000 $ 6,000. Though a ring design may influence its price, the biggest factor, where the price is concerned, is the carat weight of the center stone.
So is $5000 good for an engagement ring, or is $7000 good for an engagement ring? The answer is it depends. Though they both seem a good buy, they may not be what you are looking for, or even suitable for your tastes or lifestyle.
A better idea of the relationship between diamond carat weight and price is shown below
Now that you have a pretty good idea of how much engagement rings cost, you begin toying with the idea of going minimalist, instead of traditional. The path may seem appealing, but it’s fraught with dangers. So before you do something that may end up in a lifetime of remorse and misery, check yourself against these criteria:
Personality trait
People who opt for minimalist engagement rings prefer something comfortable to wear daily; that won’t get in the way when using their hands.
They don’t want to wear anything that may get snagged on something like bedsheets, hair, or clothing. And work around the house or office comfortably and easily—even with their rings on.
Social norms
Minimalists are not hermits. They have their own social circle and have very active and healthy social lives. But they don’t necessarily conform to the societal norms other members try hard to embrace to blend in. Minimalists march to their own drumbeat, not to that of their social circle.
In such a milieu, it is not far-fetched for a minimalist to be asked, “are simple engagement rings better?” To which she will answer, “I love simple and small things. They are less likely to get snagged or get caught on something. While large rings with big gemstones may look awesome, a small ring sits close to my finger; it makes me feel more conscious of its significance. Besides, it is less cumbersome”
Practicality
A minimalist is not your typical Uncle Scrooge type. They do spend, if it has a practical purpose. However, for them, spending big bucks on an engagement ring is not practical. They would rather invest thousands of dollars with a modest return down the road.
Rather than spend $ 6,000 on an engagement ring, a minimalist would look for something just as good but less expensive. If you dig a little deeper, you can buy a minimalist engagement ring for $ 500.00, which is just as gorgeous.
Choosing a Minimalist Engagement Ring
There are many types of minimalist engagement rings in the market. Choosing one can be a bit daunting. To help you out, consider these:
Unembellished and thinner band
The most obvious sign of a minimalist engagement ring is a smooth, unembellished, and thin band. The thinner the band and the smaller the stone, the more minimalistic it looks.
A good example is a solitaire ring. Regardless of the thickness of the band and the size of the stone, it will always have a clean, minimalistic look
Smaller stones
A smaller stone would make the ring more dainty, less cluttered. It can still sparkle and glitter just as much as a large stone. In fact, it might even be better because the inclusions and surface imperfections are not so obvious.
And what is the smallest engagement ring there is?
‘Small’ is a relative term and what is small for one may be large for another. For example, most people in the United States go for a 1-carat diamond while in Japan, the average diamond size is 0.3 carat. In some cases, they even go down to as low as 0.07 carats.
A small engagement ring, by industry standards, is that which has a 0.3 to 0.8 diamond center-stone.
Setting types
The term ‘setting’ refers to the metal used in the ring. The most popular are gold (white, rose, and yellow), sterling silver like the one in this Jewlr review, or platinum.
By diamond setting type, we mean how the stone is held in place on the ring. The most popular type is the solitaire, such as the one in this Diamond Nexus review, where the stone is held on top of the ring and fixed in place by 4 to 8 prongs.
The solitaire setting is classic, timeless and beautiful. It maximizes a stone’s light performance while protecting it at the same time.
But don’t let your window-shopping end there. There are also engagement rings that use the bezel setting (where the metal encloses the gemstone keeping it in place), and the flush setting (where the diamond is set into the hole drilled into the band).
Both alternative settings safely protect the stone from damage. The downside is that they minimize the stone’s sparkle due to all the metal around it.
Add uniqueness to your search
What a minimalist engagement ring lacks in size, can be made up for by having one with unique features. Uniqueness always stands out.
For example, you may have your stone set horizontally instead of vertically. Or you can have a combination of stones to augment the center stone.
Make your ring really special and one-of-a-kind.
Keep in touch with nature
Minimalism is about keeping things natural and simple—including engagement rings. And what better way to do it than by adding a bit of nature such as leaves, vines, and flowers into the ring band.
Some people, especially those with the fortitude to search for unique things, use rough diamonds or other gemstones. Rough diamonds, even if not on par with diamond polish and symmetry standards, if set properly, look very attractive on an engagement ring.
Minimalist engagement rings have not yet created a storm of popularity to go viral. But they are getting there. With the older generations being slowly replaced by the millennials and the pandemic acting like a straightjacket—limiting people’s movements and earning potentials—it will soon be upon us.
Not only with engagement rings. More and more people have discovered the benefits they get from practicing minimalism. Not only does it free them from the clutter of useless things around the house, but also unclutters their minds over things that don’t really matter.
And that’s about it. Now, if you’ve decided to go for a minimalist engagement ring, check out our guide “Ultimate Shopping Guide For Engagement Rings: What You and Your Partner Need To Know.”