Selena Gomez can’t stop, won’t stop showing off her engagement ring.
Since record producer Benny Blanco proposed to Gomez in December, the 32-year-old actress has shared a flurry of Instagram pics of the big rock on her finger: an elongated marquise sparkler, set on a diamond-studded eternity band.
“I’ve just dreamed of this moment my whole life,” she wrote.
Indeed, in her 2015 song “Good for You,” Gomez compared herself to a marquise diamond, a rare, unconventional cut with pointed ends that originated in the 18th-century French court of Versailles. (It was reportedly named after Louis XV’s mistress, La Marquise de Pompadour, and modeled after the shape of her lips. Ooh la la.)
“It’s definitely a style for somebody who wants to be a little different or avant-garde,” Vice President of London Jewelers Scott Udell tells ALEXA. “It’s for somebody who wants to stand out, or at least to not have a shape that you see on everybody.”
Gomez is not alone. It seems that these days, everyone wants to stand out. Forget the demure stones and subtle designs that characterized the restrained COVID era. Quiet luxury is over. The “boom boom” aesthetic is in: slick business suits, towering bouffants, flamboyant furs and diamonds as big as the Ritz.
“I’m starting to see these retro styles that were popular in the 1980s and ’90s come back,” Udell says. In terms of engagement rings, that means marquise cuts, pear shapes, bold yellow-gold bands and a general more-is-more ethos. “These styles were phased out for a while, but they’re now being rejuvenated.”
Take Adele’s enormous pear-shaped stunner from sports agent Rich Paul — an ostentatiously old-fashioned cut that matches the 36-year-old diva’s powerhouse voice and classic style.
“I think it’s stunning,” Udell says of the ring, adding that the slim platinum band gives the 1980s staple a modern twist. “I love the super thin band that the diamond kind of floats on. It really lets it pop.”
Lady Gaga debuted a similarly over-the-top engagement ring at the Venice Film Festival this past September. Though the 39-year-old performer and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, went for something utterly original.
Designed by Sofia Jewelry, it features a brilliant oval set on an 18-karat white-and-rose-gold diamond pavé band, which is then adorned with natural pink ombré diamonds. There’s even a hidden white-diamond halo under the center stone, in case anyone thought there wasn’t enough sparkle.
“Challengers” and “Dune” actress Zendaya also chose a cushioned oval diamond for her engagement ring to “Spider-Man” co-star Tom Holland. Yet, the 28-year-old fashion plate is known for doing things her own way. The Georgian-style cut-down setting — in which a layer of metal surrounds the stone — has a vintage feel. And instead of a vertical diamond, the stone has an east-west setting, said to symbolize an equal relationship with both partners working alongside one another as a team.
“It’s both antique and modern,” Udell says. It’s the perfect ring for a woman who wears the most cutting-edge couture and classic vintage styles with equal elegance and aplomb.
Like Zendaya, actress Emma Roberts also unveiled a vintage-inspired engagement ring. Hers (bestowed by actor Cody John), features a round, European-cut diamond with — like Zendaya’s ring — a thicker gold band.
While thinner bands are still a more popular way to show off a big stone, Udell says he’s seen more brides recently gravitate toward heftier bands to balance out round stones and add texture and depth. “If it’s done to scale properly, it can look really nice and elegant,” he says. “And it can withstand a lot of wear and tear, and that’s the whole point. You gotta design something that you can wear day to day.”
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