Are you searching for the perfect engagement ring for your loved one? Antique rings provide remarkable uniqueness, superb craftsmanship, and a myriad of styles to choose from. Each piece crafted more than fifty years ago is considered vintage, belonging to a particular époque in history.
The search for such a jewellery piece might be painstaking, but it’s definitely worth the trouble. The charm of antique accessories is incomparable to that of modern adornments.
Make sure you get familiar with the different styles of antique engagement rings before starting a quest.
Victorian designs
The jewellery styles during the Victorian era, between 1835 and 1900, were mainly influenced by the taste of Queen Victoria. In the course of her reign, jewellery has been made accessible to the middle class, not just high society. Due to the increased number of gold discoveries, gold has become the most popular material, enabling jewellers to experiment with different motifs. After the discovery of diamonds in South Africa and other gemstones in Australia, gems became common in jewellery and other types of accessories. See this URL for an insight into the Victorian era.
The most specific thing about Victorian engagement rings is the possibility for buyers to trace their design to a particular period of Queen Victoria’s reign. Hence, the vintage engagement rings crafted in the early Romanic period feature hearts, birds, and floral designs, in the name of the love between the Queen and her husband, Prince Albert. These weren’t common in the Grand period, as Queen Victoria mourned her husband’s death by introducing dark tones in jewellery designs.
During the ultimate phase of her reign, Victorian rings became bright once again, expressing the hope for a better tomorrow through stars and crescent symbols. The engagement rings were mainly made from yellow and rose gold with a few diamond rows or precious stones like sapphire, emerald, or ruby.
Edwardian designs
Although still influenced by the jewellery designs from the Victorian period, Edwardian jewellery styles have become more gracious and elegant. The delicacy of the filigree method is what provides these rings a lacy look and intricate ornaments. Instead of gold, platinum has become the leading precious metal in the creation of antique accessories and jewellery.
In addition, diamonds and pearls were used to adorn the graceful engagement ring designs. Subtleness was the main goal of jewellers during the reign of King Edward, thus creating platinum models decorated with white diamonds instead of colourful gemstones.
Despite platinum, jewellers used white gold and silver to craft unique filigree accessory styles. Nevertheless, platinum was widely preferred because of its low weight. Rose-cut diamonds and sapphires were among the favourites between 1900 and 1920. For guidance on the uses, properties, and sources of sapphire, check out this link, https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/sapphire_gemstone.aspx.
Art Deco designs
The Art Deco period was in favour of modern, artistic jewellery designs, which depicted boldness and readiness to embrace the latest changes in the field of technology. Consequently, bright colours and bold hues have become typical for this period, along with the geometric forms of jewellery. Curves were no longer modern, giving way to sharp lines.
Furthermore, Art Deco engagement rings are best suited for bold women who love individualism and freedom. Regarding materials, these antique models were made from platinum, gold, and white gold. The variants made from gold and platinum are top-of-the-range items, whereas those made from white gold are of lower price. Additionally, the brilliant-cut has become a prominent diamond cutting technique during the Art Deco period, enabling jewellers to design all sorts of symmetrical jewellery styles.
Specific styles
Floral motif antique rings were dominant in both the Edwardian époque and the Art Deco period but differed in symmetry. Edwardian floral motifs are asymmetrical, realistic, and more delicate than those in the Art Deco era, which were perfectly symmetrical and balanced. The same goes for the leaf motif models, which were interpreted differently in both periods.
Moreover, the halo style engagement ring is another popular jewellery style, invented in the Art Deco era. When shopping for antique jewellery, make sure you learn the difference between engagement ring styles. For instance, the halo style refers to the models that feature tiny stones, which accentuate the large gemstone in the centre. Although halo models appeared in the 1920s, this style is one of the most prominent contemporary engagement jewellery trends.
The scroll motif in engagement jewellery has been around for approximately three millennia. It’s one of the oldest yet most elegant styles that hasn’t lost its charm over time. The emphasis is placed on the central gemstones, surrounded by multiple stones of smaller size to contribute to its beauty.
Bow motif engagement rings were thriving in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, remaining attractive to buyers to the present day. Metalwork is the most common method for jewellers to express the theme, but the bow motif engagement jewellery is usually adorned with tiny diamonds.
What to consider when shopping for such a precious item?
Even though the central gemstones of virtually all rings are diamonds, there are models that feature opal, emerald, or ruby in the centre. It’s paramount for buyers to be attentive in the choice of models with soft gemstones, as these are incredibly susceptible to damage.
Additionally, craftsmanship is of tremendous importance when choosing an antique jewellery piece. The original design of vintage jewellery items rarely matches the quality of the modern replicas, as the latter unsuccessfully imitate the style. Instead of authorizing a modern jeweller to design a Victorian, Edwardian, or Art Deco ring you fell in love with, try finding an original piece from the particular era, as you’ll be charged a similar sum.
Regarding diamond quality, do not expect older diamonds to comply with contemporary diamond quality standards. Although white diamonds are trendy nowadays, they weren’t fashionable decades ago.
Bottom line
The best way to impress your future fiancée is by proposing to her with an antique ring.
She won’t dare to say no!
