Vintage Looking Engagement Rings

Vintage Looking Rings Without Vintage Prices

True vintage rings are, for the most part, expensive. Once in a while, you can pick up a beautiful vintage ring from an estate sale or online auction for less, but generally, any antique jeweler is going to charge you a hefty price tag for their rings. Vintage looking engagement rings, on the other hand, allow you to have a distinctive ring without the hefty price tag because the ring only looks vintage and isn’t actually an antique.

Traditional Vintage Ring Designs

Before you begin your search for the perfect vintage looking engagement ring, here is a list of traditional vintage ring designs to help you get an idea of what you are looking for.

Diamond Cuts

Though there were many different cuts of diamonds available in the early 20th century, the following were among the most popular:

• Cushion cut diamond – This cut was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s and is considered one of the most popular cuts for diamonds throughout history. The overall stone is cut in a rectangular shape with rounded edges and the facets are cut so the diamond resembles the look of a quilted cushion. Many say that the finished product resembles more of a square than a rectangle.
• European cut diamond – This cut made its mark in the 19th century and is considered the antique version of the modern day brilliant cut diamond. The stone is round and traditionally has 58 facets.
• Asscher cut diamond – Similar to the modern day emerald cut, this particular cut is square containing a total of 72 facets. The stone is cut in such a way that when finished, the inside of the diamond looks like an octagon. The Asscher cut was invented and developed by jeweler Joseph Asscher in the early 1900s.

Metal Work

The metal work on antique rings is delicate and usually very intricate. Popular designs include:

• Art Deco – The shoulders of a ring are the right and left hand sides directly next to the stone. Stepped shouldered design rings have two descending "steps" as the ring shank curves around the finger. These shoulders generally contain diamonds or some other type of precious or semi-precious stone.
• Edwardian style rings – During this time period, the shoulders of the ring were intricately carved and designed using many different types of motifs like Filigree, ribbons, bows and flowers.
• Victorian – During this time period, rings were very ornate with the "half hoop" design being the most popular. A half hoop ring has stones or diamonds that cover only the top half of the circumference of the ring.

Get Ideas for Vintage Looking Engagement Rings

The perfect way to get some ideas of what type of vintage style ring you want is to take a look at a few authentic vintage engagement rings:

• Sylvia's Antiques
• Antique Jewelry Mall
• Antique Engagement Rings
• Ross-Simons
• Estate Diamond Jewelry

Final Considerations

Before you begin searching for vintage looking engagement rings, keep in mind that actual vintage rings can be found at reasonable prices and can also be easily sized to fit your loved one's finger. For most people the benefit of having a ring that is as special and unique as themselves, that can't be found on anyone else's finger but theirs, far outweighs the cost.