Vintage Style – Engagement Rings

#4 – The Vintage Engagement Ring Style

Go back… way back; more than a hundred years for some of these engagement rings. Vintage fashion is a risk that some celebs take on the red carpet (most are successful), but what about a vintage design, every day, on your fourth finger? Choosing this style for your engagement ring can also be a bit of a risk. But in my opinion, it’s one worth taking. In the jewelry world, I believe there is nothing more intriguing than a piece of vintage jewelry. Instantly my mind races with questions; who wore it and what did that person do for a living? What metal is it made of? Are the stones original? Each of these engagement rings has a story, and I want to hear them all.

1. Fay Cullen 2.Brilliant Earth 3. Three Graces 4. Erstwhile Jewelry Co. 5. EraGem 6. Brilliant Earth 7.Fred Leighton 8. Erstwhile Jewelry Co. 9. Dover Jewelry 10. Brilliant Earth 11. Three Graces 12. Lang Antiques

Characteristics: Pre-owned and characteristic of a certain period of time, i.e. Art Deco. Most often it has and older diamond cut, i.e. old European or old Mine cut, and milgrain accent.

Pros: A vintage style engagement ring is such an awesome choice. It’s history on your hand. It’s beautiful, and different, and it reflects a historical period of time in our culture, e.g. Art Deco, Art Nouveau. So cool!

Cons: Just like a 100-year-old house, this 100(+) year-old engagement ring needs time and attention. Prongs should be checked on a routine basis, and milgrain edges will likely need a touch up at some point. The shank (bottom metal part of the ring that wraps around the finger) could be thin and need replacing sooner rather than later, which could be expensive considering metal prices. Another factor to consider is the cut of the diamond. Depending on the age of the ring, it may have an older cut (e.g. Old European Cut). Older cuts have less facets, causing the sparkle to be less intense than a modern-day round brilliant diamond, for example. Check out #8. To some, it may not have enough flash. To others, the charm and beauty is derived from the rough, rugged texture of the diamonds.

High Polish Favorite: I love black and white. Which means I’m obsessed with #4. It’s classy, and definitely my favorite vintage style ring that I’ve discovered so far.

*PLEASE NOTE : In the jewelry world, there’s a lot of different views on using the word “vintage” to describe a piece of jewelry. Antique jewelry is always Vintage, but not all Vintage jewelry is Antique, and so on… So, for the sake of my sanity (and yours), let’s assume that this post uses the term Vintage to refer to pre-owned or estate. Otherwise.. it gets a bit hairy.

What do you think?… Could you wear one of these beauties as an engagement ring?