Objects of Desire: Unique Engagement Rings

1} Band Together (top center)
Mod is the word with this double-decker halo ring (from $6,000) by local jewelry designer Brian Walters—when turned to the side, the ring shows off a second halo that rests below the first. Tiny rings of 14K rose gold wrap around the white-gold band, while a 1-carat diamond adorns the center. Available at Brian Walters, the Ring Maker.

2} Something Blue (second from top, center)
Take a page from the royal handbook and think sapphire for your engagement ring. Pavé-set diamonds in 18K white gold surround a square sapphire in this Adel Chefridi ring ($5,300) that feels contemporary, with a nod to tradition. Available at Max’s.

3} Shape Shifter (top right)
Understated is overrated. Case in point: this Fred Leighton 2.96-carat emerald-cut diamond with accents ($45,000), with a modern edge courtesy of the platinum bezel setting. Available at JB Hudson Jewelers.

4} Bigger Is Better (center)
Two rows of round-cut diamonds set in 14K yellow gold with black patina surround an oval-cut center diamond in this wow-worthy ring from local jewelry designer SBG Designs (price available on request).

5} La Vie en Rose (second from bottom, center)
The romantic 18K rose-gold setting steals the show in this two-ring pair by Minnesota designer Patrick Mohs. An oval-cut, bezel-set diamond solitaire ($4,350) stacks perfectly atop an eternity band set with round diamonds ($1,950). Available at JB Hudson Jewelers.

6} The Gilded Age (bottom, center)
An extra-wide hammered 18K yellow gold band makes an art deco statement, with white gold accents and a .25-carat round-cut center stone in this ring by designer Annie Fensterstock ($7,690). Available at Max’s.

7} Heirloom Quality (bottom, left)
Everything old is new again. Here, a bouquet of European-cut diamonds (approximately 2 carats), rests among 14K white gold, filigree and a scalloped edge in this vintage ring ($5,200) from Landmark Jewelers.

8} Natural Beauty (top, left)
Just a bit of bling, courtesy of round diamonds in a 14K white-gold bezel setting, peeks out between layers of buckeye wood and deer antler in this distinctive band ($2,801) from local designer Jewelry by Johan.