Designer Jewelry Experts

Posts Tagged ‘antique rings’

Engagement ring giving is thought to have originated in the 15th Century. Of the many couples who choose these rings these days, a large number opt for antique engagement rings instead of new.

Rings which are purchased as used and are less than fifty years old are known as Estate Rings. Rings that are greater than fifty years old are classed as antique engagement rings. These engagement rings can be purchased at specialist dealers, on the internet or at antiques sales.

Many of these rings are unique and one of a kind, and will suit people who like the individuality that these rings bring. At the moment, this type of ring is very much in fashion.

The 3 main periods of major significance for antique rings are Edwardian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Probably the number one choice for engagement rings nowadays are diamond rings, however this hasn’t been the case always.

A lot of Edwardians chose pearls, jade and opal for their ring settings and platinum was widely chosen for these rings. Platinum became more widespread as new methods for its use were created, and the majority of rings in this period were hand-made and unique.

The styles of the engagement rings from the Art Deco, Edwardian and Art Nouveau eras were quite different. Art Nouveau rings mostly used gold or silver, in addition to glass, enamel and ivory. Rings of this era often incorporated flowers, birds, leaves and faces in addition to other design themes.

Fine work such as filigree designs were often used for Edwardian engagement rings. Commonly-used design themes for Art Deco engagement rings were geometric shapes, animals and flowers.

Antique engagement rings of the Edwardian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods make a great choice for couples who prefer one-off items of quality. The historical value and superior build quality makes these rings a very attractive option.

Find out more about antique engagement rings and Art Nouveau engagement rings. Visit the author’s site now.

Vintage rings have something about them that is irreplaceable. You can certainly find quite the variety of rings at just about any jeweler, many of which are reproduced these days just do not have the same feel as those that are truly vintage.

Just what are vintage rings? Real ones are those that were actually created decades ago, usually in the 1930s or 1940s, and are on the market again. You may find that many jewelry stores have rings that are vintage style, but they are not actually vintage. This is because the style itself has become quite popular in recent years, and it is actually much easier to get your hands on a replica of an actual ring that is from decades ago.

You will likely come across som surprising things when looking at different vintage rings. An example is the styles that differ from today’s. The 1930s and 1940s had ring styles that were a lot different.

The stones and diamonds are set differently, and the bands themselves tend to be a little bit thinner than those that you normally find. You will discover this rather quickly, as rings that are truly vintage or made in vintage fashion are distinctly different from the ones that are produced to look like standard fashions today. These differences alone make them distinctly unique from your normal everyday rings.

What is a good time to give someone a vintage ring? Just about any time you’re going to get someone any sort of ring is a great time to get one that is vintage. These are commonly used most often as engagement or wedding rings because of the sentiment that they represent. Their classic look represents a sort of timelessness that you cannot get any other way.

Be sure that any rings that you are looking at, if you’re in the market for those that are painted, are actually vintage. Some jewelry stores label rings being vintage Benaiah really not, so it is important to pay attention.

If you want something for your wardrobe that will never go out of style, vintage rings are such items.

Vintage diamond engagement rings are typically solitaire diamond rings still trendy today only placed in settings designed and fashioned in past eras. Today’s rings do not have the historical value or uniqueness captured by vintage rings. Much of today’s jewelry is machine produced in large quantities while older eras hand crafting the rings dramatically reduced the redundancy. Even today’s most expensive rings have hundreds if not thousands of identical twins. As trends come and go these vintage diamond engagement rings will become even rarer as some rings will ultimately get melted down to make new jewelry.

Over the years the eras have changed allowing a variety of ring styles. Thankfully, a fair number of these designs have are making a come back in today’s rings. Some of the more recent and popular eras include the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Retro.

Victorian Era 1837 to 1901 – The Victorian Era provides a large variety of styles, providing a nice selection of unique vintage diamond engagements rings. Named after Queen Victoria of Great Britain this era lasted for over 60 years from 1837 to 1901 and was broken up into the Romantic Period, the Grand Period, and the Aesthetic Period. The Romantic Period styles were a product of the Queen dictating the proper etiquette for which gems use and gold becoming scarce. Methods such as piercing and engraving were used to give the appearance of greater mass with minimal gold. The Grand Period began as a consequence of Victoria’s husband passing away. Vintage rings of this period will have a more serious design with darker stones. The last period, the Aesthetic Period, designs had a more fun style and included dragons, moons, and stars in many designs.

Edwardian Era 1901 to 1910 – Although a short era for vintage diamond engagement rings this era was the beginning of significant changes. Much of these changes were a result of flourishing wealth among the upper and middle class and women moving up in society. Vintage rings styles followed clothing styles becoming more light, lacy, and flexible. Platinum grew in popularity and its strength permitted settings with tiny prongs creating a nearly invisible gem setting. The improved prosperity allowed platinum to increase in popularity while platinum’s strength permitted smaller prongs giving setting an invisible look. Popular gems included diamonds, pearls, and amethyst.

Art Nouveau / Art Deco Eras 1895 to 1935 – Vintage diamond engagement rings from these two eras are often grouped together. They both were the result of major society changing events. For Art Nouveau it was the Industrial Revolution and for Art Deco it was World War I. Basically these two styles can be summed up, and differentiated, by a few simple concepts. The vintage rings of Art Nouveau will include natural styles mimicking flowers and insects while geometry and symmetry are more reminiscent of the Art Deco style.

Retro, Vintage 1930s-1980s – This era has the largest number of vintage diamond engagement rings. Although diamonds were somewhat “out” during this era it is the most recent vintage era. World War II had caused a shortage in precious metals. As a result jewelry to focus on the metal aspect of the ring as opposed to the gem. Yellow and rose gold were the two most commonly used metals. When gems were used they were often large less precious bright gems or clusters.

Alan Brenner enjoys learning and writing about history. Owning a vintage era ring can bring that history to life. To learn more more about or to see a collection of Vintage Engagement Rings please visit OldEraRings.com.