Georgian Revival: Why Zendaya’s Engagement Ring is Sparking a Design Movement

When Zendaya appeared at the 2025 Golden Globes with her engagement ring, jewellery lovers took notice - not just for the diamond, but for what it signalled. 

Her ring, reportedly a 5.02-carat cushion-cut diamond set east-west, in a Georgian-style cut-down or “button-back” setting of mixed 18k yellow and white gold, captures both vintage elegance and modern flair.  

This is more than celebrity sparkle. It’s a pointer towards a trend that some are calling the Georgian revival in engagement rings. 

Alongside Taylor Swift’s own vintage-inspired ring choices, Zendaya’s engagement ring is helping push antique diamond settings, old cuts, and classic craftsmanship back into the spotlight. 

Let’s explore what makes these designs so compelling, and how couples today are reinterpreting them in modern bespoke rings.

Key Features of Georgian-Era Style

Old, antique diamond cuts. Georgian rings often feature cuts like old mine or cushion cuts - facets and proportions that sparkle differently from modern brilliant cuts. 

They tend to have softer edges, deeper pavilion depths, and character in their imperfections. In Zendaya’s case, the cushion cut with an elongated profile gives texture and romance.  

Georgian or vintage-style settings. These include features such as button-back or cut-down settings, closed backs (foil backings), millegrain edges, hand engraving, and designs that mirror old-world metalwork. 

They were built by hand with tools of the period, so every detail mattered. 

Zendaya’s ring blends a Georgian cut-down bezel and a button-back element, giving that rich historical layer.  

Symbolism and warmth. Gold colours, especially yellow or mixed with white, were commonly used in Georgian times. 

These metals patinate over time. The warmth of yellow gold evokes age and authenticity. 

When contrasted or paired with white gold or platinum, the result feels both vintage and fresh. Zendaya’s ring uses both, balancing the warmth of yellow gold with cooler tones.  

Orientation and silhouette. Some Georgian revival rings use unique orientations - such as east-west settings (diamond laid horizontally) rather than the classical north-south centre stone. 

That shift in silhouette changes how the stone interacts with light and offers a modern twist without losing historical cues. 

Zendaya’s ring is notable for being east-west set, which is part of why it’s being cited as a trendsetter.  

How Taylor Swift’s Choices Add Fuel to the Fire

Taylor Swift’s engagement ring (with its antique or old mine cut, halo-inspired elements, or vintage influence) has already helped rekindle interest in vintage engagement ring trends. 

Its influence, together with Zendaya’s recent ring, forms a cultural current: many couples are seeking jewellery that feels personal, timeless, and craft-driven rather than just trendy.

Where once sparkle and bling dominated, now there’s growing admiration for character, for stories embedded in designs, and for stones and settings that seem to carry history, even if new. 

Georgian engagement rings, with their antique diamond settings and romantic forms, offer this appeal in spades.

Why the Vintage Ring Trend Is Growing

1. Uniqueness & individuality. Modern brilliant cuts and standard solitaire settings are beautiful - but they are also common. A vintage or Georgian-inspired setting gives you something distinctive. It tells a story.

2. Character over perfection. Minor irregularities in old cuts, softer facet transitions, and antique shaping are increasingly embraced. They offer warmth, depth, and soul.

3. Design versatility. Vintage elements can be married with modern sensibilities: durable settings, certified stones, lab or natural diamonds, and ergonomic designs made for everyday wear.

4. The emotional draw. Antique inspiration often resonates because it feels heirloom-worthy. Couples are choosing rings they hope will outlast fashion and become family treasures.

How Jewellers Are Reinterpreting Georgian Elements Today

• Custom rings with antique cuts (old mine, cushion, rose cuts) but polished with modern craft precision.

• Halo settings with vintage detailing, millegrain, engravings and sometimes closed backs to echo older reflecting surfaces.

• Two-tone or mixed metal settings, combining yellow gold with white or rose gold, to bring out different facets and hues of the stone.

• East-west or off-axis orientations to reinterpret classic silhouettes.

• Side motifs and filigree: delicate floral scrolls, beading and ornate shoulders that echo Georgian metalwork.

Tips for designing Your Own Georgian Revival Ring

If Zendaya’s ring inspires you, here’s how to design a bespoke, vintage engagement ring with your own twist:

• Start with the stone shape: cushion or old mine cuts give that antique sparkle.

• Choose your colour & clarity mindfully—character is lovely, but not so many inclusions that they weaken the stone or distract.

• Pick your metal: yellow gold often evokes Georgian charm; mixed metals add texture.

• Select the setting style: button-back, cut-down, closed back, millegrain, engraving.

• Consider orientation: east-west settings bring modern edge to a vintage theme.

• Add personal touches: engraving, hidden stones, matching motifs to your story.

Zendaya’s engagement ring is part of a movement celebrating vintage ring trends and antique diamond settings. 

Combined with Taylor Swift’s earlier choice of antique cut and halo symbolism, it underlines a shift from flashy novelty toward heritage, craftsmanship, and character.

At Simon West Fine Jewellery, we see this Georgian revival as deeply aligned with our design philosophy. 

We believe that an engagement ring should endure in beauty, meaning, and style - much like the finest vintage pieces do.