The options can seem endless when it comes to engagement ring designs, making it near impossible to choose a style you love. But if you're the type of bride who's looking

for something a little bit outside the traditional realm of engagement rings, you've come to the right place.

We spoke with independent jewelry brand Catbird, whose marketing manager, Sriya Karumanchi, shared, "For the past few years now, we’ve seen people really embrace rings with unexpected stones and cuts, a pretty significant departure from rings focused on the white diamond center stone. Opals, emeralds, deep sapphires, and gray diamonds in unconventional settings are some of our most popular this year."

We're noticing a major trend in ring designs that favor the unexpected and offbeat over the perfectly symmetrical. While design elements like clear diamonds and symmetrical settings have long been the standard for engagement rings, many brides are shifting how they place value in an engagement ring. "I think the perspective has shifted. The value of a ring doesn’t have to solely come from a set of rules determined by the jewelry industry—cut, clarity, carat, and color being the common ones," Karumanchi explains. "The value is rooted in what you hold in the piece. It can be from the sentiment of a family heirloom, or maybe a special stone and motif that really spoke to you when you tried the ring on."

Instead of simplistic placements, below you'll find ornate settings on vintage-inspired rings. Instead of regular diamonds, you'll see rich colors, and instead of round or square-cut stones, it's the unexpected shapes you'll find on the following unique engagement rings.