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My favorite MaeVona engagement rings.

I recently had the great pleasure of working with wonderful Scottish engagement ring brand, Maevona, to run their social media accounts while their designer, Maeve, was on maternity leave.

I enjoyed the challenge of taking the helm of a completely new set of social media accounts, but I think that my very favorite part of the experience was getting to know MaeVona’s engagement rings. There’s nothing like spend a lot of time taking pictures of a jewelry line to really learn its ins and out – with the rings on my own hands and through my camera lens.

Engagement rings by MaeVona, a fantastic women-owned engagement ring brand.

Many of MaeVona’s designs are inspired by the designer’s home country of Scotland – by Scottish towns, wildflowers, or famous locations. That inspiration mixed with Maeve’s fresh, modern aesthetic makes for a line of truly interesting and beautiful pieces.

I’ve handed the reins of MaeVona’s accounts back to Maeve, but I find myself still thinking about those fabulous rings. And I still have all the pretty photos I took…so I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you!

The delicate side view of the Vaila engagement ring by MaeVona.

Here’s the lovely Vaila. How great is the gallery on this design? That’s the bit under the diamond. It has a vintage vibe that I’m totally into.

The elegant Paisley Tri diamond engagement ring by MaeVona.

At the other end of the spectrum: here’s the glamorous Paisley Tri. Its details are much less subtle, and just as fantastic. This piece turns up the volume on a standard solitaire in a more creative way than just making the diamonds enormous.

A whole stack of round brilliant cut engagement rings by MaeVona.

A whole stack of what I like to call MaeVona’s  “simple with a twist” round brilliant cut solitaires. Iconic, but not boring.

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Chinchar/Maloney’s The New Classic Collection.

When Chinchar/Maloney first reached out to me two years ago, they were a little baby jewelry brand looking to break into the online jewelry world. Now they’re a powerhouse in progress: just check out their half a million social media followers if you need proof how how much Millennial jewelry lovers adores this family-owned brand’s distinctive work.

Chinchar/Maloney’s popularity has spread so widely that the brand is expanding into wholesale operations with their newest line, “The New Classic.” That means that The New Classic will hopefully soon be available in a jewelry store near you!

Natural diamond engagement rings from Chinchar Maloney's The New Classic collection.Few things make me happier than getting to follow along with a small brand as it finds its foothold in the industry and blossoms into vibrant success.

Chinchar/Maloney is a completely family owned and operated team with a love of natural gems and a fierce dedication to ethical sourcing. Their handmade creations are brimming with personality, especially in The New Classic collection.

A 1.52 carat pink and red diamond ring and wedding band from Chinchar Maloney's The New Classic Collection.The New Classic Collection from Chnichar/Maloney combines a sense of timelessness and simplicity with modern design experimentation that uses geometric shapes, rough textures, and varying levels of saturated color to project the originality of each rustic diamond.

These stones are carefully chosen, evaluated one-by-one for uniqueness, beauty, and quality. The diamonds’ natural inclusions and colors make each piece entirely unique, each just waiting to find its perfect jewelry soulmate.

A 3.1 carat amber colored diamond engagement ring from Chinchar Maloney's The New Classic Collection.The New Classic Collection really is aptly named: these designs neatly knit together traditional design elements in unexpected ways with fresh twists and rich, non-traditional diamonds to create final pieces that feel luxe and recognizable but still fresh and special.

And it gets even better: it’s not just rings.

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13 ultra-cool contemporary engagement rings.

I was browsing the Greenwich St. Jewelers website the other day to see what was new (they’re always a great place to find interesting but wearable modern pieces) and I found myself captivated by the bridal section. There’s some really exciting things happening in contemporary engagement rings right now, and I haven’t been doing the category justice here on Diamonds in the Library in recent months.

Bridal is becoming a more and more open-minded field of design, with a wide range of styles that guarantee that anyone on the quest for a contemporary engagement ring will be able to find one that feels just right. I think that’s just wonderful and these great new designs deserve our attention.

Here’s a baker’s dozen of the coolest contemporary engagement rings I encountered in my recent browsing:

A beautiful rose gold engagement ring from Sylvie Collection, with a lovely oval center stone.I love this setting from Sylvie Collection because it embodies so many of the recent important engagement ring trends in a beautiful, wearable way.

With warm rose gold, a simple halo, and an elegant oval diamond – this ring is rocking the “I’m on trend now, but I’ll still look good in 30 years” approach. Bonus: how cool are those thorn-like prongs?

The Trellis round diamond engagement ring, by Megan Thorne. A great example of what contemporary engagement rings. have to offer. This is the Trellis ring by Megan Thorne. I think it’s fantastic: it reminds me of bridges and skyscrapers.

I love how it involves all the traditional elements of an engagement ring but uses them in such a unique way, with the wide, openwork band and bezel-set center stone that’s the same width as the ring shank. It occupies space on the finger in an unusual way, while still feeling very engagement ring-like.

Jennie Kwon Oak Cluster diamond engagement ring with rose cut diamonds.One of the things I hear the most frequently from women looking for engagement rings is that they want something easy-to-wear that won’t interfere with their daily activities: namely, they want a low-profile ring (that sits low on the finger) that won’t get caught on things as they go about their busy lives.

This Jennie Kwon ring is proof that a ring can be low-profile and high style. It looks like it’s about as comfortable and easy as a ring can be, while still bringing plenty of style.

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