If there is one type of jewelry that I have utterly fallen in love with it's the cocktail ring.  Once only worn by wealthy old ladies, royalty and heiresses theseoversized rings have become not only a statement about a woman's sense of style, but of her independence.  Worn on the ring finger, a large gem is a symbol of a strong, sexy and confident woman.   Made popular by celebrities such asBeyonce and Jennifer Lopez, these rings are now influencing women's choices about engagement rings, with many opting for a lower grade stone or even a cubiczirconia in a large size over a smaller, higher quality diamond.

Tara Reid was recently spotted wearing a giant pear shaped pink diamond ring which she had received from her boyfriend, on her engagement finger.  Although few women could hope for the same whopping carat ring from their partner (unless they too have millionaire boyfriends),  The Knot recently named colored gemstone rings as the number one new trend for engagement rings.  Since colored stones such as citrine, amethyst and topaz are cheaper than diamonds, the feature stones in these rings are larger, creating a look that has twice the eye-catching power of a traditional ring.

And larger stones aren't the only thing that should be causing joy for women.  The number of rings that a girl can expect when she gets married is on the rise too. Kelly Osborne was lucky enough toreceive two dazzling rings from her fiancé Luke Worral , who reportedly bought the first ring when he asked her to marry him, and then saved up and presented her with the larger heart shaped diamond ring on her birthday.

Ladies, better hope your man is ready to pop the question before these trends go out of fashion!