Victorian Engagement Rings

Typical Victorian Engagement Rings

What's typical of Victorian engagement rings varies. Before 1870, it was rare to even see an engagement ring with one large diamond center stone. Instead, they had clusters of small diamonds or colored stones. The shift in style occurred after 1870 when South Africa's diamond mines opened and larger diamonds were up for grabs as the ultimate way to say "I love you" and ask for a lady's hand in marriage. A popular way to incorporate diamonds into engagement rings and still have a large center stone was to feature a large pearl and surround it with smaller diamonds.

Completely different from our idea of typical Victorian bridal jewelry is a type of ring known as a romantic ring. These were bands that displayed colored stones rather than diamonds, and had messages etched inside the band (like "Dearest" for example). These are sometimes referred to as Dearest and Regard rings. In some cases, the stones were all colored, in others, they alternated with diamonds. Still, in others, all the stones were diamonds, but they were on the small side, rather than having a large center stone and several smaller diamond side stones.

Another type of ring that housed colored stones was the snake ring, similar to the one Queen Victoria wore. The serpent rings, representative of eternity, were made up of two snake designs—one each for the bride and groom, intertwined—accented with either diamonds, rubies, sapphires, or other colored stones.

The metal was often not the white gold or platinum found in many engagement rings today. Popular choices were yellow gold and rose gold instead.

Finding Victorian Rings

Many online jewelers offer a range of Victorian style rings, including:

• Fay Cullen designs cover a wide range of styles. You could choose an intricate pink sapphire ring, a long and thin rose-cut diamond ring, or a dainty demantoid engagement ring.
• Things Gone By offers another wide selection, to include a version of the snake ring that was popular during the Victorian era.
• If you really want to check out more snake rings, try Antique-rings.co.uk.
• London Victorian Ring has all types of Victorian rings. From Dearest and Regard rings to three and five stone rings, to the previously mentioned snake rings, you can find all types of popular Victorian bridal jewelry on this site.

Why Choose Victorian

Aside from the exceptional beauty apparent in Victorian engagement rings, there are a few more reasons to buy Victorian styles:

• If you choose an antique ring, you'll have an heirloom instantly, even if it wasn't handed down for generations in your own family.
• If you use a ring that has been handed down in your own family, not only do you have a meaningful piece of jewelry on your hand and close to your heart, but you have a story to tell whenever someone compliments your ring.
• Not everyone has a Victorian style or antique ring, so your bridal jewelry will be unique—especially in the case of serpent rings.
• White gold is popular these days; by choosing an antique ring of yellow or rose gold, you won't blend in with the masses, even if your diamond shape and ring style are fairly simple.

Choosing a Victorian engagement ring, or an engagement ring inspired by Victorian style, is fairly easy. Since a diamond isn't required it opens up the realms of possibilities for your bridal jewelry, giving you an untraditional, colorful conversation piece to flaunt right on your finger. You can consider all types of rings—rubies, emeralds, sapphires, simple, intricate, serpent-like—as long as they're set in yellow or rose gold characteristic of the era.