FYI: This Anti-Traditional Engagement Ring Trend Actually Started With Zoe Kravitz

Some stay up past midnight aimlessly scrolling through celebrities’ Instagram feeds to see their drastic beauty evolutions, while others are on the lookout to feast their eyes on a close-up photo of A-listers’ engagement rings (note: it’s harder than you would think). If you’re guilty of the second, you know that the styles seen on the Hollywood set are far from ordinary. In fact, there are a lot of unconventional celebrity engagement rings that are worth checking out.

The personalities passing on cookie-cutter dazzlers are as varied as you'd expect. There's Mary-Kate Olsen, whose vintage Cartier ring dates back all the way to the '50s; Zoe Kravitz, whose ring throws it back many years further (to 1770), and Scarlett Johansson, who went with a light brown diamond, believe it or not. Each of their rings encourages playing with stones and settings — which Victorian-era styles first popularized, and COVID-19-era brides have reverted back to amidst drastic changes to traditional engagements. The list below wouldn’t be complete with Ariana Grande’s diamond and pearl ring, which caused an internet frenzy when she revealed it back in December 2020 (the photo is almost up to six million likes).

Ahead, browse the most eye-catching, out-of-the-box rings and explore similar styles that you can shop for today, too.

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Serena Williams

Tennis star Serena Williams’ engagement ring is perhaps as glitzy as it gets. The (estimated) 12-carat three-stone ring includes an emerald-cut diamond with smaller stones on both sides of it.

Kate Middleton

While Kate Middleton isn’t known to take huge risks with her wardrobe, her sapphire ring is more on the unconventional side. Fun fact: The piece was passed down from the Princess of Wales (aka, her mother-in-law, Diana).

Emily Ratajkowski

Emily Ratajkowski’s two-stone ring isn’t super unusual, however, it’s certainly not what many would associate traditional with. In fact, the contrast of the square and pear stones next to one another makes the piece unique.

Cardi B

Looking for a stone in a non-traditional shape? If so, Cardi B’s pear-shaped should be on your radar. The flashy 8-carat ring from Offset is quite the attention-grabber — especially next to her long signature nails.

Nikki Reed

Take a gander at Nikki Reed’s Instagram and you’ll quickly notice the Twilight actor’s love of dainty, statement-making rings. And, it turns out the daisy style from husband Ian Somerhalder is no exception.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande shocked the world with her sudden Instagram engagement post, not to mention, the ring itself. (But then again, does Grande do anything casually?) Rather than just a diamond, the 28-year old’s ring has a dainty pearl alongside the stone.

Scarlett Johansson

The Marriage Story actress has always been one-of-a-kind — which then-fiancé Colin Jost showed her with a light brown diamond in an unusual chocolate brown setting. Experts are waging a guess that the ring is from Robert De Givenchy's high jewelry house, TAFFIN.

Mary-Kate Olsen

The designer behind The Row is known for her quiet, all-black outfits — and yet, her sparkler is anything but low-key. The vintage Cartier ring was designed in 1953, and features a blue sapphire halo and floral-shaped gallery. While hers is a rare find, there are a few just like it, most of which also date back to the mid-20th century.

Halle Berry

While Halle Berry's ring comes with a minimalist setting that's more traditional than the rest, her square-cut emerald is what sets it apart. In a yellow gold setting, the pairing is quite unique.

Fergie

The maximalist songstress is often associated with her aughts-worthy personal style — which her ring aligned with perfectly. The chunky gold band featured a star-shaped engraving, punctuated by a colorless round diamond.

Zoe Kravitz

"It’s only fitting that [Zoe's] dream ring would be one that is both completely unique, and lifetimes away from the 'traditional' engagement rings we tend to see today," Mia Moss, who founded the site Kravitz first spotted her ring on, told Vogue UK. Her now-husband Karl Glusman proposed with an antique Georgian ring from the 18th century. Each diamond is bedded in foil, an old practice specifically engineered so that the ring sparkles in candlelight.

Elizabeth Hurley

English actress Elizabeth Hurley took after Princess Diana's engagement ring by choosing a step-cut sapphire stone flanked by two trillion diamonds.

Ashlee Simpson

This artful ring was designed by Neil Lane, with a marquise diamond set in platinum and yellow gold. The rest of the edgy ring is decorated in rubies and white diamonds (140, to be exact).

Olivia Wilde

Shaking up the emerald sparkler trend, Wilde's ring relegates its emeralds to the halo, with a round diamond at its center. The piece puts a modern spin on the Victorian-era colored stone trend.

Julia Roberts

Of course, Julia Roberts' ring needed to match up to her ever-enduring beauty. Hers appears to be green tourmaline stone in white gold or diamond-accented platinum band, according to Kathryn Money, vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth.