Antique Engagement Ring Styles
Antique Engagement Ring Styles
Are you looking for a perfect antique engagement ring style for your future bride?
We all know how hard it is to shop for women.. especially when it comes to JEWELRY! Does she like big jewelry with a lot of pizazz or does she like the more classical elegant style? Buy the wrong thing and you will be hearing about it for weeks, months or years. The stress that can be involved is just crazy.
Now imagine buying an Engagement Ring!
One of the most sought after types of engagement rings is the antique engagement ring. These styles of rings are sought after because they are more rare and they have a classic sense of timelessness. You feel like you are continuing in the eternity of a larger tradition. You buy into the symbolism of what the engagement ring is about and you want to make it extremely important that there is something more special about this ring than the common one found in the store.
So you want the special antique engagement ring.
History of Engagement Rings
Just to let you know a little history about antique engagement rings. The term antique means anything more than 50 years old. Whereas vintage refers to the time period between 20-40 years old. So when you are talking about antique engagement rings then you are referring to any time period that is before the 1950s.
The engagement ring has a long tradition dating back roughly medieval times. These rings were created to merely let fellow men that a woman was betrothed to a particular man. The rings weren’t anything spectacular and they were just created by a simple brass band for the common person. On the other hand, the nobility and prestigious men would be able to afford and create a silver or gold band. But they lacked any additional elements like the important diamond.
The popularity of the engagement ring diminished through the years and it wasnt until the late 1800’s/early 1900s that it regained its huge popularity. DeBeers was the first to commercially market these rings and included a diamond in their engagement rings. Instantly, these diamond engagement rings became an enormous success. Every woman either engaged or even married was begging their significant others for one of those special rings. And the men yearned to show off his impressive girl and her wonderful ring.
Different Styles of Rings
The styles of antique engagement rings can be quite large. Remember, you are referring to a time period that is anytime before the 1950s. In addition, there is a lot of confusion about diamond engagement rings because many people do not know the difference between the terms antique and vintage. They use the terms interchangeably and do not realize that there are whole different stylistic elements between the two time periods.
You could try to seek out one of the old medieval period engagement rings. They will be quite expensive (I am assuming in the hundreds of thousands of dollars since it will probably be in a museum) and will lack a diamond. Could you imagine giving your fiance a rusty old engagement ring that doesn’t even have a diamond? Yeh, probably not a good idea. The consequence would be to ugly to think about.
You probably are seeking one of the DeBeers rings from the turn of the 20th century for your antique engagement ring style. You know, the ones with diamonds. These rings can be pretty pricey, but they are definitely worth every penny. The rings from this time period are not only timeless, but they are absolutely breathtaking.
The earliest rings that DeBeers produced were simple diamond engagement rings. They usually only had one diamond and were then attached to a gold ring band. DeBeers cleverly marketed the rings as heirlooms with the phrase “diamonds are forever” and encouraged men to save two to three months worth of income in order to purchase one. The earliest versions of these rings are the most priciest because of their high collector value. On the other hand, you can purchase a later date antique engagement ring with a simple diamond and gold band for a smaller price.
The most popular antique engagement ring style that bachelor’s purchase today is the art deco engagement ring that was made popular in the 1920s and 30’s. These rings were created in accordance with the larger art deco style that was popular during that time period. It was characterized by flashiness and bold colors. Things were extravagant and made lavishly. The more ornamental an object was the more modern it was considered.
Therefore, the influence of art deco onto engagement rings created some of the most lavish pieces of jewelry we have ever seen. The bands consisted of gold and platinum with beautiful designs and stylistic moldings. The band was more than a round piece of metal to hold the diamond, it is a piece of art to be crafted into a masterpiece.
The stones on the art deco styled engagement ring always consisted of one central diamond. The shape and cut of the diamond is beautifully done and wonderfully enhances all the possible reflections the diamond possesses. In addition, many art deco inspired engagement rings contained addition precious gems. Whether it be rubies, sapphires, and/or emeralds, these stones just added to the brilliance and wonder of these rings.
In the end, we can see that there is a large variety of antique engagement ring styles. We didn’t even cover the cuts aand shapes of diamonds in the rings throughout the early to mid 1900’s. There is an option for every couple and their personal preference if they choose to go the antique route. You probably will have to spend a little more to go the antique route, but its ok. Antique engagement rings are breathtaking and worth every penny. And to further convince you, they gain value throughout the years..
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