The Buyer’s Guide To Vintage Engagement Rings
The time has come – you are ready to pop the question. You know where, when and how you are going to do it, but now you have the big decision of choosing the most important element of all – the ring!
This engagement ring will be on her finger for the rest of her life, so you want it to be one that she will love. But with so many rings out there, how do you choose the right one? There are a lot of things you need to consider including the shape, size, colour and number of diamonds as well as the overall style of the rings itself. So, where do you start? Well, if your wife-to-be is a lover of all things vintage, you are in the right place to find out all you need to know.
Vintage is an extremely popular style because it can have much more character than a modern ring, as well as being a special, one-of-a-kind piece – either as a reproduction of an original design or the original item itself.
First, check out the engagement rings from 77Diamonds, they have a section specifically for vintage engagement rings, which will start to give you some inspiration and an awareness of what is out there and how much it will cost.
But, having made the decision to go for a vintage ring there are still some decision you need to make, the main one being; which era?
Victorian: 1837 – 1901
During the reign of Queen Victoria, rings were bright, colourful and incredibly intricate. Designs were influenced by treasures discovered in Egypt, Greece and Asia as well as designs in Rome, medieval Europe and 18th century France.
Queen Victoria was known to love jewellery and her trademark was to wear a ring on every finger. Her engagement ring was a gold snake coiling about itself, which is an ancient Roman symbol of eternal love. It was popular in the period to incorporate birthstones, and Victoria’s included hers, a green emerald.
Rings in this period were primarily made from rose or yellow gold and featured elaborate engravings such as flowers, branches and trees.
Edwardian Era: 1901 – 1914
The Edwardian Period, during the reign of Edward VII, was a very important time for jewellery manufacturing. It saw designs become much more delicate and feminine, with metals often being bent to mimic the look of lace embroidery.
Platinum was the preferred metal at this time, for the wealthy, and diamonds were often surrounded by precious stones such as amethysts, sapphires and black opals.
Art Deco Era: 20’s and 30’s
This period is known as one of the most creative periods for jewellery design, ever. The rings of this period feature geometric patterns such as clear-cut, sharp lines, bright colours and bold shapes.
A real trademark for this era was to have a diamond surrounded by linear patterns of sapphires and emeralds. Triangular or square-shaped diamonds were also popular, as was the use of plastic and aluminum in jewellery.
So, now all you need to do is choose the perfect one for your partner and ask that very important question!
