Love is in the air, you’re feeling romantic, you’re madly in love and now you’re searching for the perfect engagement ring that not only expresses your feelings, but also expresses the personality of your beloved and the love that you share. Vintage engagement rings are a great way to showcase not just your romance, but your personal style as well.
Vintage Diamonds
If you love diamonds, but you want something that looks different than the rest of the diamonds you see, then perhaps a vintage diamond engagement ring is right for you. Rose cut, old mine and old European, the three main vintage diamond cuts, have a romanticism to them due to the way they were cut. These diamonds were cut mostly by hand, or by very different equipment than what is available today, which gives them a softer look than a modern cut diamond. Vintage diamonds are often slightly uneven, or may be tinged with an undertone of warm brown, or yellow that gives the gem a dreamy appearance that you won’t find in a new stone. The perfection of an old cut diamond is in the wonderful imperfections that are part of its character.
Old cuts can be found in contemporary settings making a unique diamond engagement ring. You may also find these stunning gems in antique or vintage mounts that add to the individuality of the ring. If you love yellow gold, you’ll find many Victorian or retro era rings made of gold, if you love platinum, Edwardian, Art Deco or 1950s era rings may be the right fit for you.
Vintage Colored Gemstone Rings
If you live life in vibrant color, then you may want to consider a vintage engagement ring with a colored gemstone. There have been some very high profile colored gemstone engagement rings. When Napoleon I proposed to Josephine, he sealed the deal with a diamond and sapphire engagement ring, Princess Diana chose sapphire for her engagement ring, which is now worn by Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales. During the Victorian era, acrostic rings, which were bands with colored gemstones that spelled out the words dearest or regards using the first letter of the gemstones, were very popular and romantic. While they are hard to find today, they make lovely, sentimental engagement rings.
A colored gemstone engagement ring can be your birthstone, or a favorite color, or a gemstone that you just happen to love. Sapphires are a great choice for an engagement ring because it’s a very durable gem that will stand up to everyday wear. Sapphires come in a rainbow of colors from classic blue to pink, yellow, green, orange or even purple. Aquamarine, pink or green tourmaline and amethyst are also good choices for an engagement ring that will be worn daily.
If you love green, you may want to opt for a green demantoid or tsavorite garnet. These gems are much sturdier than an emerald, which due to its internal structure is prone to chipping or cracking.
Bands
Perhaps you want to wear an engagement ring, but you want something more subdued. There are plenty of vintage rings to choose from. The Victorian buckle ring, which is a ring that looks like a belt buckle is filled with romantic messaging. The buckle represented the binding of two people together in love and were used as engagement or wedding rings. Buckles also symbolized fidelity, constancy and an eternal love connection. The Victorians also believed that wearing a buckle ring strengthened the bond between the one giving the ring and the one receiving the ring. In the Victoria era, snakes were associated with love because Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a snake ring, which made it a trending style during that time and a great way to wear a band style ring.
A simple band with diamond or gemstone accents is a sophisticated style that can grow with the years. One of the advantages to this type of engagement/wedding ring is that you can add more rings over the years creating a personal stack that tells your love story. A diamond or gemstone eternity band is a really great starting point if you like a band style.
An engagement ring is one of the most important jewelry items that you will ever gift to your life partner. Whether you and your love are shopping for a ring together or if you want to make it a surprise, vintage engagement rings offer not just the promise of love, but also a personal style statement.
Top of Page: Photo by Toa Heftiba, courtesy Unsplash.
Art Deco, 2.03-carat old European cut diamond and platinum ring; Victorian sapphire, diamond and silver-topped gold ring; Enamel and 15-karat gold buckle ring with hidden locket, England, circa 1876.
Authored by Amber Michelle