Zendaya’s east-west diamond fuels a shift toward personalized engagement rings

Zendaya’s 5.02-carat east-west cushion diamond, designed by Jessica McCormack and worn at the 2025 Golden Globes before her engagement to Tom Holland was confirmed, has become a shorthand for where bridal taste is heading. Pair that with Dua Lipa’s chunkier, gold-forward approach and the direction is unmistakable: the ring now has to say something about the wearer, not just the carat count. The classic solitaire is still around, but it is no longer the only silhouette that reads as current.

The new bridal brief is about shape, not just size

Real buying behavior shows the shift. The Natural Diamond Council’s 2025 diamond-trends report analyzes more than four million jewelry transactions from 2,500 specialty jewelers across the United States. Elongated shapes and marquise cuts are rising in importance, which fits neatly with the popularity of east-west settings, wider visual proportions, and rings that do more than sit upright on the finger.

The Knot’s 2025 engagement-ring coverage includes maximalist multi-stones, half bezels, marquise shapes, east-west settings, vintage cuts, thoughtful toi-et-moi designs, blackened gold, architectural shapes, and bold color.

Why Zendaya’s east-west diamond changed the conversation

The east-west orientation takes a cushion cut, already softer and more romantic than a hard-edged square, and rotates it so the stone reads wider across the finger. That one move changes the whole character of the ring, turning a familiar shape into something with a more bespoke, slightly off-center energy.

Jessica McCormack’s design language has long mixed old-world detailing with modern wearability, and that is part of the appeal here. If you are translating that look into a real purchase, the key is proportion: east-west stones often work best when the setting is made for the exact center stone, not forced into a standard mount.

That also affects cost. A five-carat-plus diamond already moves into a very different budget tier than a smaller center stone, and a custom east-west setting adds fabrication time, precision, and design labor. The expense is not only in the diamond itself. It is also in the bench work needed to make the stone sit securely and look intentional from every angle.

Dua Lipa’s clue is in the metal, not just the stone

Where Zendaya points to orientation, Dua Lipa points to volume. Her chunkier, gold-forward look reflects a broader appetite for rings that carry more visual weight, with thicker bands and less fragile proportions. The shank is no longer just a support structure; it is part of the design statement, especially when the metal itself is visible and deliberate.

This is where mixed metals and warmer finishes come in. Yellow gold gives a ring a richer, more grounded presence, while contrasting metal choices can sharpen the center stone and make the whole piece feel more contemporary. Blackened gold, another 2025 trend identified by The Knot, pushes that idea even further by adding edge and contrast.

The practical tradeoff is cost and construction. A thicker band uses more metal, and more metal means more material cost as well as more labor at the bench. If the design combines different metals, the maker has to manage color balance, wear patterns, and how the setting will age over time. That is why these rings often move away from off-the-rack simplicity and into custom territory.

Quiet luxury made the solitaire feel smaller

The appetite for these more individual silhouettes did not begin with a single celebrity. Quiet luxury was already pushing shoppers toward understated, minimalist styles that still felt distinct. The shift was less about size as a status signal and more about how a ring fit the hand, how it sat on the finger, and whether it felt aligned with the wearer’s style.

That idea explains why the current bridal mood reads as restrained but not plain. A ring can be low-key and still have a strong point of view. A marquise, an east-west cushion, a toi-et-moi, or a half bezel can all feel quieter than a halo-heavy cluster, yet they still move the conversation away from the standard round solitaire.

How brands are answering the demand

Retailers have noticed. Brilliant Earth has expanded its bridal category with design-your-own and signature ring offerings, a sign that customization is no longer a niche request. When shoppers want a ring that feels personal, brands have to make space for orientation, band width, metal tone, and setting style rather than pushing one fixed template.

Zendaya and Dua Lipa are not creating a trend out of nowhere. They are amplifying an existing market that already wants more control over the final look. Custom and semi-custom services give that preference a retail structure.

How to shop the look without losing the plot

A ring inspired by this moment should still be judged like a serious purchase, not just an aesthetic mood board. Focus on the parts that change both the look and the price:

• Decide on orientation first. East-west settings, marquise cuts, and elongated cushions all read differently on the hand.

• Choose the band with intention. Chunkier shanks, especially in gold, shift the whole ring toward a more architectural profile.

• Treat mixed metal as a design decision, not an afterthought. Contrast can sharpen the center stone, but it should be balanced.

• Ask for the ring to be made to the stone, especially if the shape is unusual or the setting is low and wide.

• Get the paperwork that matters, including the diamond’s grading details, the metal content, and a clear written spec for the setting.