Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings - The Eras and Styles

Vintage diamond engagement rings are often handmade diamond rings with a touch of the past. The new rings do not have the unique and historical value captured by vintage rings. Most of today's jewelry is mass produced by machines, while vintage rings are often made by hand, drastically reducing their common characteristics. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of identical twins of new rings hanging in human hands. As the styles change, some of these old diamond engagement rings will be destroyed for use in new jewelry, which will increase the uniqueness of the remaining rings.

The last ages were all different and gave a good collection of ring styles. Fortunately, many of today's designs look the same in those earlier times. The latest vintages are Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Retro.

It was Victorian from 1837 to 1901.

The Victorian era offers a great variety of designs due to different periods of the long era. For more than 60 years from 1837 to 1901, the Queen Victoria era from Britain was received and divided into Early Victorian (Romantic), Middle Victorian (Great) and Late Victorian (Aesthetic). The styles of the romantic period were a product of the queen who dictated the appropriate label for which gems are used and gold becomes scarce. Practice like filigree and perforation was used to produce the appearance of more mass with a minimum of gold. The great period began as a result of Victoria's husband's death. During this period, vintage rings had a tendency to have darker stones and a more serious design. The aesthetic period produced designs with a fun style and included moons, stars and dragons.

It was Edwardian 1901 to 1910

The Edwardian era, however, was one of the shortest times for engagement rings of ancient diamonds. It was the beginning of some significant changes. The thriving wealth of the middle and upper class along with the women who rise up in society were two of the main reasons for these changes. Styles of vintage rings followed the increasingly light, lacy and flexible clothing styles. Platinum grew in popularity and its strength allowed small-point configurations that created a configuration of almost invisible gems. Popular beads include diamonds, beads and amethysts.

Art Nouveau / Art Deco Eras 1895 to 1935

Although these are two different epochs, the old diamond engagement rings of these two time periods are often grouped together. Both eras were the result of major events. For Art Nouveau, it was the industrial revolution, while for Art Deco it was World War I. For the most part, the two styles can be summed up with just a few concepts. With Art Nouveau style, vintage rings will be designed taking into account natural styles such as flowers and insects. With Art Deco, the designs will be based on geometry and symmetry to give a more smooth look.

Retro, Vintage 1930s-1980s

This is the era of the largest selection of vintage diamond engagement rings, as it is the latest era. However, diamonds lost their appeal during this time. Many precious materials, including gold and silver, were defective because of World War II. This meant that the expensive jewels had more metal and the pearl was less important. Yellow and pink gold became popular. The beads that were typically used were less precious but large and shiny gemstones.