Buying an Antique Engagement Ring
If you are looking to buy an antique diamond and gold engagement ring for your fiance or girlfriend for your wedding engagement, then you need to decide what era and style you are looking for, and then how much you want to spend on the ring. Antique diamond and gold engagement rings come in many styles, and materials.
For instance, do you want to buy a 14k gold and diamond ring, 18k gold and diamond ring, white gold and diamond ring, or even possibly a platinum and diamond ring? Other questions you need to answer are if you want diamonds only, or if you would like diamonds mixed with another precious stone such as emeralds, sapphires, or rubies?
Once you have narrowed down your choices, you can start searching for the perfect ring style and size. Bear in mind that it is easier to make rings a little bit smaller than bigger, and it is best to get the right size from the start so as not to alter the antique ring.
I started to research this topic seriously when I came across some simply beautiful antique gold and platinum diamond engagement and wedding rings in the fine jewelry section on Ebay. Ebay has developed from being just the place to buy second hand and cast off items to a clearinghouse for bargains on some really amazing stuff including fine jewelry.
If you shop for antique jewelry in your local area, you would have to go to either an estate jewelry store, or estate sale to find anything comparable to what is available through Ebay sellers. And with Ebay’s feedback system, and the paperwork that most of the fine jewelry sellers provide, you can be assured that what you are buying is exactly what it says it is.
This article focuses on antique art deco and art nouveau diamond engagement wedding rings from the era of circa 1895-1935. These rings, even the diamond solitaire rings, have a specific look and style to them, that frankly, I would buy to wear even if I didn’t need an engagement ring.
Authentic Art Deco Rings
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Art Nouveau Engagement Rings
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Defining Art Deco and Art Nouveau
These definitions come straight from Dictionary.com:
Art Deco–a style of interior decoration, jewelry, architecture, etc, at its height in the 1930s and characterized by geometrical shapes, stylized natural forms, and symmetrical utilitarian designs adapted to mass production.
Art Nouveau–a style of art and architecture of the 1890s, characterized by swelling sinuous outlines and stylized natural forms, such as flowers and leaves.
As you can see in the antique engagement ring styles listed on this page, they fit the description of either Art Deco or Art Nouveau.
Antique Solitaire Diamond Rings
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Antique Art Deco 18K Gold Diamond Rings
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H2>Antique Platinum Diamond Rings
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Antique Deco Gold Filigree Rings
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Materials Used in Antique Art Deco Engagement Rings
As described above, Art Deco diamond engagement rings used all the design qualities of the Art Deco period. These rings have quite a bit of character, which in many ways, makes them much more interesting than modern engagement ring designs. If you are lucky enough to have a ring like this in your own family, hang on to it and hand it down to your descendants. If not, these rings were very well made, and many have stood the test of time, and look as beautiful as the day they were made.
Precious metals were important to the owners of engagement rings during the Art Deco period, because they represented the wealth of the family, and could always be used as collateral or in trade for goods and services, so antique engagement rings were made with the best materials around that had value including 14k and 18k yellow gold and white gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, garnets, and other precious stones.
Antique Art Deco Rings in 14K Gold
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Design Elements in Antique Art Deco and Art Nouveau Engagement Rings
Not all antique diamond engagement rings during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods had all of the design elements mentioned in the definitions above, however, you can certainly see the influence of the times.
Geometric shapes, filigrees, and stylized natural forms were typical of the Art Deco period, while Art Nouveau rings had more curving shapes, and less symmetrical designs than Art Deco.
However, even the antique diamond solitaire rings were unique and stylized as evidenced by the picture above.
Combining Diamonds with Other Precious Stones
It was much more common during this historical period to combine diamonds with other precious stones in wedding and engagement rings than it is today. Some wedding rings had emeralds or sapphires as the main stone, and diamonds as accents around the central stone.
Other rings had both diamond and ruby or garnets or possibly other precious stones combined into one coherent design in the engagement ring.
Antique Diamond Sapphire Ring
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Antique Art Deco Emerald
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Antique Art Deco Ruby Ring
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Cathedral Set Diamond Solitaire Rings
One of my personal favorite styles from this jewelry design period is the cathedral set diamond solitaire engagement rings. In this style, the diamond solitaire is set high up of the ring band, hence the name “cathedral set” and gives the jewelry designer room to add design elements in the band and setting.
Many of the diamond solitaire rings that are cathedral set have beautiful filigree or scrollwork in the setting and band of the engagement ring which adds an elegance and beauty that I love. Choosing an antique diamond engagement ring should be a fun experience, so enjoy browsing through the links provided until you find the perfect ring for your bride.
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