The 20 Best Fake Engagement Rings to Wear While Traveling

With a center stone just under five carats, this Moissanite solitaire is simple and a showstopper. The oval-cut stone rests atop a hidden halo on a pavé band set in 10K white gold, so you can wear it daily without any concern about tarnishing.

This timeless style from Charles & Colvard features a juicy cushion-cut center stone flanked by two elegant tapered baguettes for added sparkle. For added resilience, these hardy Moissanites are set in durable 14K gold, creating a sophisticated yet sturdy ring that can withstand everyday wear.

There’s a lot to love about this toi et moi ring from Aurate—the ring can be made in yellow, rose, or white gold vermeil, the two stones are available in your choice of 13 gems, and it’s more affordable than most cross-country flights. Try customizing the stones to align with your and your partner's birthstones, or mimic diamonds by selecting white topaz for pear and emerald cuts. 

We adore this piece’s Georgian-era styling—a highly secure button-back setting that fully encapsulates the Moissanite within—that’s further enhanced by the two-tone metal option. (Fun fact: Zendaya has a button-back engagement ring.) The oval stone is positioned east-west for a touch of modernity.

The symmetry of a princess-cut stone shines as a solitaire. This one-carat pick from Grown Brilliance feels sweet and dainty due to its clean prong setting, which can be made in your choice of yellow, rose, white gold, or even platinum.

While cubic zirconia isn’t the most realistic diamond dupe out there, it is one of the most affordable options. This CZ ring is as budget-friendly as it is elegant, with a simple solitaire setting resting on a slim pavé band. 

We love the striking contrast of the 10K yellow gold of this trendy bezel setting against its crisp white emerald-cut Moissanite solitaire. The stone is one and three-quarters carats—enough to catch the eye without feeling too flashy.

In addition to the lab diamond center stone, this dreamy sparkler from Catbird boasts a pavé halo, pavé band, and two side stones for a gorgeously glittery ring. While you have your choice of tone for the 14K gold, we think the rose gold enhances the femininity of the design.

Though it appears to feature one large emerald-cut stone, this unique ring creates an illusion using a “pie cut” setting—multiple lab diamonds cut and carefully arranged into a rectangular shape. The geometric angles evoke art deco vibes, but the bezel setting feels au courant.

This regal-looking ring makes a bold statement without breaking the bank, courtesy of three amply-sized white sapphire stones. The emerald cut will never go out of style, either—the cut has graced the fingers of everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Beyoncé.

The rose cut dates back to the 1500s, and differs from most cuts you know today in that it has a flat base and domed top (rather than a pointed base and flat top). This technique maximized a stone’s sparkle back when people were cutting gems by hand, and after seeing the brilliance of this three-stone Moissanite ring, it’s obvious why this antique cut is making a major comeback.

This rose gold ring features an unexpected step-cut hexagon lab diamond as its center stone. Its bold angles are nicely balanced by round and oval stones on each shoulder, giving this piece a romantic feel.

If you prefer a simple band (or are looking to create a travel-friendly wedding set), this lab-grown sapphire ring from Mejuri is a lovely pick. Available in either sterling silver or 18K gold vermeil, this eternity band wraps the finger in glimmering white sapphires, a budget-friendly and hard-wearing diamond alternative.

This Moissanite ring from Eternate combines the art deco era sophistication of the asscher cut with a modern, knife-edge band for a unique and ultimately timeless ring. The stone’s high setting makes it easy to neatly stack this ring on top of a wedding band without any gaps. 

With a large oval-cut stone perched atop a hidden halo, this enviable ring looks like a splurge, but it costs less than your average grocery run. Just be aware that the stone is made of crystal—while it can handle leisurely vacations, it likely won’t stand up to heavy wear.

This ring is remarkably affordable, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s flimsy. The two-carat round Moissanite is firmly clasped in a six-prong setting that’s both classic and secure.

This modern and dynamic style looks like rings we’ve seen in the windows of shops on Madison Avenue, but for a fraction of the price. In addition to a glimmering two-carat, offset pear-shaped Moissanite center stone, it dazzles with a double halo and additional stones sprinkled across the band.

The flower design makes this romantic Moissanite ring sparkle. Sixteen additional stones surround the two-carat center stone in alternating sizes to create the illusion of petals. For even more glitz, the shoulders are studded with cubic zirconia.

This Moissanite ring boasts a cushion-shaped old mine-cut stone—a cut we love due to its chubby facets, designed initially to amplify sparkle in candlelight—and claw prongs for antique flair. But once you look at the ring from below, you’ll see a modern touch: a tulip basket, which provides both daintiness and durability.

Selena Gomez’s engagement ring sparked new interest in the marquise cut, which is said to have been created in the 1700s when King Louis XV had a jeweler cut a diamond shaped like the lips of his lover—the Marquise de Pompadour. With a cubic zirconia solitaire, this ring is decidedly more budget-friendly than Gomez’s, but still has plenty of allure.

FAQ

• In most cases, people opt to wear fake engagement rings when they travel, so they can keep their real ring safely stowed away at home. Others may wear them more frequently, choosing to sport a faux engagement ring when working out, running errands, commuting, or even at work if they’re worried about theft or are in an environment where wearing expensive jewelry isn’t practical. Ultimately, all the reasons for wearing a fake engagement ring boil down to one motive: peace of mind. “For many people, their engagement ring is one of their most valuable and sentimental pieces of jewelry, and the thought of it being lost or stolen can be incredibly stressful,” explains Akmakjian. “A faux ring offers a sense of security; you still get the look and feel of your real ring, but without the worry.” 

• It may be safer for you and your real engagement ring to travel with a fake. “I have heard many stories about lost or stolen engagement rings and the stress this raises,” says Reh. “These stories consist of outright robberies or simply leaving a ring on the sink while washing hands and forgetting to pick it up.” It’s up to you whether you choose to wear a fake or the real thing when traveling, but if you do hit the road with your real engagement ring, make sure you have a safeguard in place. “It’s crucial to have it properly insured, like through BriteCo, which can offer peace of mind and allow you to focus on the adventure, not the ‘what ifs’ or unknowns,” suggests Akmakjian. Most home and travel insurance won’t cover the loss of jewelry, so the added protection of your ring is important to consider. 

• You definitely don’t have to have a fake engagement ring that’s identical to your real one—in fact, it’s a low-risk opportunity to try a different cut, metal tone, or style just for fun. However, “some people like their travel ring to be a near-identical dupe of their original because it’s comforting and familiar,” says Akmakjian. You may also want to find a copy of your real ring if you don’t want to answer questions about why your ring “looks different,” but really, it’s up to you. 

• “The best dupe depends on how long you’ll wear it and how closely you want it to resemble the real thing,” says Akmakjian. If you have the budget to spend a little more on a travel engagement ring, Reh recommends a lab diamond, as he feels the other options aren’t accurate replicas of a diamond. A lab diamond is a real diamond and has all the same characteristics, it’s just made with technology rather than by nature. If you enjoy the prismatic brilliance of a Moissanite, that would be our other recommended choice due to its hardiness. Adds Akmakjian, “insuring these in addition to your original will allow you to confidently travel anywhere and everywhere without the worry of losing a prized possession.”