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I started the search for my engagement ring with two conflicting ideals in mind: it should be singular, dazzling—but also so discreet as to be almost invisible. This isn’t paradoxical to me. My perfect manicure shade is basically “nail,” and I wholeheartedly believe the mark of a good blow-out is that you can’t tell it’s a blow-out at all. In other words, I’m extremely fussy, but I don’t want to look like I’ve made a fuss about anything.
So you could imagine that for someone this particular, finding the right ring was no small thing. But with engagement rings, as with relationships, there is indeed a lid for every pot.
I found Mary MacGill, a jewelry designer with a lovely little eponymous shop in Germantown, NY, by accident; I was drawn in by a pair of beautiful baroque pearl earrings at a strangely accessible price point. Over at her online store, I felt her collection, especially her engagement rings, fit my aesthetic worldview: the designs were classic, the stones—pale sapphires, blush mineral diamonds—a bit unexpected. Most of all, I loved the delicate gold framing of each jewel, an elegant alternative to the usual prong setting (which, in truth, always felt a little claw-like to me).
“I wanted to elevate and highlight these stones in a way that feels minimal, but at the same time part of the design,” says MacGill, who started making engagement rings three years ago. “Like when you frame a photo—something happens that just kind of brings it to life.”
When I visited the shop last spring, the first ring I tried on—a blue-gray diamond in an emerald cut—ended up being the one for me. (As someone who is perpetually uncertain, this was the only time in my life when I just knew.) MacGill told me that the ring I chose was emblematic of her ideal design cues: both traditional and a little surprising.
This month, MacGill leans into that sense of surprise with her new engagement collection, which features bright sapphires, emeralds, and tourmalines in shades that range from ivy green to a storm-cloud gray—all of which can be worn either on their own or paired with a more classic diamond ring. “I just started delving into color last year and did a few sapphire engagement rings, and then I did one in indicolite tourmaline and was really shocked by how much I loved it,” she says. “And I also loved using them as a foil for a white diamond.”
MacGill, who studied fine art in college (and is the daughter of a gallerist and a photographer), tends to be drawn to a stone for its beauty and its possibility, rather than its market value. In her store, you can find a brilliant, 1.70-carat emerald-cut diamond, but there are also rings that show off a salt-and-pepper mineral diamond, an inky spinel, and other gemstones, which feel just as special—and are, happily, much more affordable.
The accessibility of her pieces has always been important to MacGill. “We’re able to find stones that aren’t diamonds that really function beautifully as an engagement ring,” she says. “And I love that that’s available to all types of people.”
Below, three more New York-based jewelry spots for non-traditional rings:
Since opening its doors in 2012, Mociun has become—at least within my friend group—something like Brooklyn’s answer to Tiffany’s. The brand has been credited with ushering in a golden era of non-traditional engagement rings with their clustered creations; think gemstones—like pink garnet or Montana blue sapphire—surrounded by a constellation of marquise diamonds. But as the business has grown, their designs have gotten a bit more funky and sculptural; their latest collection sees all manner of jewels asymmetrically floating in a thick gold bezel setting. There’s a deep bench of ready-to-ship options, but if none feel quite right, you can design your own dream ring with the help of Mociun’s in-house team.
EN Studios, a fine jewelry brand created in upstate New York, has sought to bridge the gap between traditionally masculine and feminine jewelry. To that end, their work feels beautiful but not at all delicate—which, to me, is exactly what an engagement ring should be. Take the Constellation ring, a sharpened 18k-gold band studded with white diamonds; it’s just as elegant as a solitaire, without seeming too precious. (There are also a number of sculptural rings that would make for a handsome alternative to a wedding band.) EN Studios offers a custom option, too, working with family heirlooms or redesigning any of their pieces to your liking.
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If these modern brands aren’t speaking to your “Something Old” soul, look no further than Erie Basin, a Red Hook mainstay with a seriously stunning collection of vintage engagement rings—across a variety of price points. The styles trend Art Deco, but there’s a number of Victorian and Edwardian pieces in the mix, too. The brand also offers rings from its own collection, a best-of-both-worlds option that brings together antique diamonds in modern settings. (A word to the wise: Their brick-and-mortar location is open by appointment only, so be sure you reach out before making the trek.)
