Antique engagement rings are one of kind jewels with colorful history. They are a rare breed of precious metal and stone commodities that you can only find in the right places. Precious things from the past can be valuable family heirlooms. These unusual jewelries can be passed on from generation to generation. Its value is greatly enhanced if the rings were formerly owned by celebrities and famous people. Honoring and appreciating the past as well as the intrinsic potential high value of genuine antique jewelries are some of the rationale of couples who want to invest in these kinds of engagement rings.
There are top caliber jewelry shops with wide inventory of genuine antique vintage engagement rings of the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco circa models. So if you have the logistics and are truly persuaded to invest in high quality, genuine antique engagement rings, it is to your best interest to deal only with reputable antique dealers and to have some basic knowledge about antique rings.
Just a short overview of antique Georgian rings circa 1714-1830s, they are handcrafted and simple. The traditional style of the ring has a large stone in the center surrounded by multiple precious stones, woven gold or silver or pearls with engravings. Moonstone, topaz, tourmaline, pearl and ruby are the favorite pieces during this era.
During the time that Queen Victoria ruled Britain in the middle of the 1800s up to the beginning of the 20th century, this is the Victorian era (1835-1900). Victorian rings have unique styles. Old mine diamond cut, cushion cut, cluster ring, yellow gold and serpent shaped rings like the one worn by Queen Victoria were the trend. Solitaire and prong settings were also the popular choices.
In the Edwardian era of the 1900-1920s, the styles have pierced filigree patterns and intricate designs with center stones and multiple accent stones. The pave, pronged and bezel settings with contoured rings and arches were popular. Etchings were crafted for added texture to the ring’s metal. Round, cushion or emerald cut were common choices. White or yellow gold, silver, platinum, sapphires, rubies, aquamarines were the trend.
To give you an idea about art deco engagement rings unique , their structural look was conceptualized during the period of 1920-1930s. The art deco name was derived from the exposition of decorative arts and modern manufactures held in Paris in 1935. The art deco rings boast of coordinated use of geometry and symmetry in crafting the shapes of the rings. During this period, platinum, old European cut diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, turquoise and other gemstones were the “in” things.
In dealing with a trustworthy antique jeweler, request for a written product description of the ring you are interested in. A sample product description of an antique engagement ring is as follows: “Antique Art Deco Platinum Diamond Engagement Ring containing a prong set Old European Cut Diamond measuring 6.30 x 6.30 x 4.00mm, and weighing approximately 1.05 Carats, Color N, Clarity VVS-2, Six (6) single cut diamonds measuring 2.20 mm in diameter, approximate total weight of 6 stones = 0.12 Carats, Color H-I, Clarity SI-2 to I-1, Eight(8) square shape blue sapphires, approximate total weight 0.08 Carats, total approximate weight ring of 1.17 Carats and total approximate weight of sapphires 0.08 Carats with a tapered hand engraved shank, Size 5, Circa 1920-30s.”
You can also request for a certified appraised value of the ring you plan to purchase. If you need a GIA or EGL certification, your trusted jeweler can provide you the document. When it comes to getting an antique engagement ring, you can select from many available collection of unique, elegant, classy, beautiful authentic antique engagement rings. Do your homework diligently to make sure that you are not getting cloned replicas but the true and precious antique engagement rings.
