How French Girls Really Feel About Engagement Rings

When you think of a stylish French woman, "flashy" probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. We've been discussing the components of a French girl's wardrobe for years, but how does that classic sensibility affect their feelings toward engagement rings? Given that marriage customs and jewelry trends in France differ from those of the United States, we went straight to the source to find out how French women really feel about the all-important engagement ring tradition. Anne-Laure Mais of style blog Adenorah, jeweler Adeline Rapon, and Kenza Sadoun-el Glaoui of La Revue de Kenza gave us their honest answers to our questions on everything from trends to diamond size to their involvement in choosing the ring. Curious? Want to know if they're on the same page?

Keep scrolling to read what they had to say on the subject and shop our favorite engagement rings according to their preferences. 

Anne-Laure Mais

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(Image credit: @adernorah)

WHO WHAT WEAR: What do you think about a huge engagement ring—is it tacky?

ANN-LAURE MAIS: It is!

WWW: Colored stones are a big trend in the U.S. Are you on board?

Mais: I am not; I am really classic. I love fine jewelry, and mine is super simple with a small diamond.

WWW: Do French girls ever hint to their significant other about what type of ring they'd want, or even go ring shopping together?

Mais: It never happened in my case, because I don't really care about this. I prefer my fiancé really think about it, have a look at what I usually wear to know exactly by himself what I would love. The surprise is the most important!

WWW: Do most French girls prefer a traditional engagement ring or a simple, understated band?

Mais: I don't know if we can put all French girls in the same basket. Some are more into bands, I am not.

WWW: What type of metal do you favor? (Gold, rose gold, platinum, white gold.)

Mais: I am gold even if my fiancé chose white gold—I really love it because HE chose it!

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Adeline Rapon

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(Image credit: Adeline Rapon)

WHO WHAT WEAR: What do you think about a huge engagement ring—is it tacky?

ADELINE RAPON: Depends on the ring, but to me, a huge diamond on a solitary is a no-no. I much prefer big rings with a big sapphire and diamonds.

WWW: Colored stones are a big trend in the U.S. Are you on board?

Rapon: As a jeweler, I can tell that sapphires are people's favorites, followed by rubies and emeralds. But engagement rings are mostly diamond or sapphire.

WWW: Do French girls ever hint to their significant other about what type of ring they'd want, or even go ring shopping together?

Rapon: It really depends. I've done engagement rings for friends and their girlfriend didn't know at all what was going on. But I also see many couples coming and choosing the ring together, the woman (or man!) knowing the price or not.

WWW: Do most French girls prefer a traditional engagement ring or a simple, understated band? Rapon: I think people mostly have a solitary for engagement; it's a classic. But where I'm working there are a lot of huge or original rings, and even vintage ones!

WWW: What type of metal do you favor? (Gold, rose gold, platinum, white gold.)

Rapon: I love rose gold and gold, they're warmer.

Follow @adelinerapon

Kenza Sadoun-el Glaoui

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(Image credit: @kenzasmg)

WHO WHAT WEAR: What do you think about a huge engagement ring—is it tacky?

KENZA SADOUN-EL GLAOUI: I don't feel concerned at all with marriage, because for me the most beautiful contract in love is to create a family, above all. Nevertheless, I love the tradition that involves the engagement ring. Of course, the size of the ring doesn't really matter, and I think it will only be tacky if you wear it this way.

WWW: Colored stones are a big trend in the U.S. Are you on board?

Glaoui: Paradoxically, I'm very modern in my conception of marriage because it doesn't matter more than through my eyes, but if I'm supposed to marry a man, I would love to wear a white diamond.

WWW: Do French girls ever hint to their significant other about what type of ring they'd want, or even go ring shopping together?

Glaoui: Most of my friends have made allusions to their husbands about what they want.

WWW: Do most French girls prefer a traditional engagement ring or a simple, understated band? Glaoui: I think it's very personal. Some will prefer a new ring, but many will want to wear the ring of their grandmother for example.

WWW: What type of metal do you favor? (Gold, rose gold, platinum, white gold.)

Glaoui: I wear only gold! So I will opt for that, I think.

Follow @kenzasmg

Shop French Girl–Inspired Rings

Related: 50 Subtle Engagement Rings for Girls Who Don't Love Bling

Do you agree with these style-savvy French women? Tell us in the comments below!

Opening Image: Adenorah

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.