center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engag

Like hem lines, wedding rings change with fashion and the seasons in order to offer alternatives to the traditional styles for wedding couples. The bride and groom, however, have minds of their own when it comes to buying engagement and wedding bands. Here are a few of the hottest trends in wedding rings.

The most fashionable, hot items are platinum and white-gold wedding rings. For the past few years, white gold and platinum in a channel set or prongs have been very strong. Yellow gold is also very strong and is getting more fashionable.

Couples are looking for more contemporary designs using baguettes. It's a more desirable, more contemporary look. Couples are asking for wedding bands with round diamonds. They are looking for better quality. What was customary is no longer the rule. At one time, eternity bands, a band with diamonds all around the ring, were given as a 10th or 15th wedding anniversary gift. Now, however, people are buying these rings for other occasions and are not bound by protocol.

Couples don't want so much the plain vanilla looking bands that traditionally have been worn by men. Today's rings offer a stronger look for men, with women preferring a more delicate look.

Platinum remains a favorite with wedding couples, but they may gulp at the price. A lot of people are still looking at platinum, but they find it's expensive. They're upgrading to 18-carat white gold, and they don't have to stretch their budget with the platinum.

Couples prefer the princess cut to a round one, while demand for pear or heart shaped stones is lower. Diamonds are still used as a center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engag

rs, white gold and platinum in a channel set or prongs have been very strong. Yellow gold is also very strong and is getting more fashionable.

Couples are looking for more contemporary designs using baguettes. It's a more desirable, more contemporary look. Couples are asking for wedding bands with round diamonds. They are looking for better quality. What was customary is no longer the rule. At one time, eternity bands, a band with diamonds all around the ring, were given as a 10th or 15th wedding anniversary gift. Now, however, people are buying these rings for other occasions and are not bound by protocol.

Couples don't want so much the plain vanilla looking bands that traditionally have been worn by men. Today's rings offer a stronger look for men, with women preferring a more delicate look.

Platinum remains a favorite with wedding couples, but they may gulp at the price. A lot of people are still looking at platinum, but they find it's expensive. They're upgrading to 18-carat white gold, and they don't have to stretch their budget with the platinum.

Couples prefer the princess cut to a round one, while demand for pear or heart shaped stones is lower. Diamonds are still used as a center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engag

ime, eternity bands, a band with diamonds all around the ring, were given as a 10th or 15th wedding anniversary gift. Now, however, people are buying these rings for other occasions and are not bound by protocol.

Couples don't want so much the plain vanilla looking bands that traditionally have been worn by men. Today's rings offer a stronger look for men, with women preferring a more delicate look.

Platinum remains a favorite with wedding couples, but they may gulp at the price. A lot of people are still looking at platinum, but they find it's expensive. They're upgrading to 18-carat white gold, and they don't have to stretch their budget with the platinum.

Couples prefer the princess cut to a round one, while demand for pear or heart shaped stones is lower. Diamonds are still used as a center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engag

Platinum remains a favorite with wedding couples, but they may gulp at the price. A lot of people are still looking at platinum, but they find it's expensive. They're upgrading to 18-carat white gold, and they don't have to stretch their budget with the platinum.

Couples prefer the princess cut to a round one, while demand for pear or heart shaped stones is lower. Diamonds are still used as a center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engag

center stone, but for side stones, colored gems such as yellow diamonds or blue sapphires are preferred these days.

Tanzanite is another colored stone that people are requesting and using as an accent. People are accenting everything with it because of its periwinkle, light-blue appearance. It is very clean looking and it's especially gorgeous in a white gold. They can use it on a three-stone engagement ring. The ring has a larger center stone with two reasonably sized stones on each side, such as a diamond with two tanzanite stone accents.

A variation on the three-stone engagement ring may include similar-sized stones instead of the center one being larger. The stones may be three diamonds or, more often than not, a sapphire or yellow diamond may also be used. Sapphires appear not only in blue but are available in a variety of colors, such as pinks, canary yellow and pale green.

The biggest trend is toward a retro, classic look. The most sought-after metal is platinum, which has greater durability and a much whiter color than white gold. A platinum ring can easily last 50 years and there is a lot of engraving on these bands.

Even the shapes of stones bring back memories of earlier years. They are somewhat retro. For example, the bullet cut was very popular in the 1920s. It is a variation on a baguette, with five sides, a half-moon with a square or emerald cut. A trillion cut, a triangular shape, may also be used with marquis shapes and with emerald and princess cuts.