Antique Engagement Rings Info

Antique Lockets

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:16:16 +0000

Antique lockets often come from the 19th century as they were incredibly popular at that time. There were many different locket designs, from the very large and ornately decorated to the small and simple. The shapes of the lockets could be oval, heart-shaped or circular and a number of different materials were used by the jewelers who created them. Gold or silver were popular, but non-precious metals were also widely used, such as gilt metal or gunmetal. Other materials used included diamonds, ivory, jet, turqoise, pearl and rock crystal.

It was common for the lockets to be engraved with the wearer's initials or a word such as 'Regard'. The lockets would sometimes be hung from a fairly short and thick chain known as a collar, the collars often being made of silver.

Lockets were also used as a way of remembering loved ones who passed away. A lock of hair from the deceased would be placed inside the locket, and the locket would have the name of the deceased person engraved into it.

In a similar way to the 'Dearest' ring or 'Regards' ring, lockets may be set with different varieties of gemstones to spell out these words. For example, the gems Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz made up the word 'Dearest'.

Rare handbag shape Victorian ? antique locket
US $79.00

1 x Antique silver plated heart locket EUROPEAN bead
US $1.90

ANTIQUE HEART GOLD FILLED PHOTO LOCKET PENDANT
US $59.50

ANTIQUE GEORGIAN 2 COLOUR GOLD RUBY,TURQUOISE,BUTTERFLY LOCKET FRONT BROOCH 1820
US $750.50

Many lockets were made to house small photos, and these may be on display behind glass or kept hidden inside the locket. Some of the many shapes and forms lockets have been made in are: books, purses, chests, capsules and prayer boxes.

Victorian Wedding Rings

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:43:06 +0000

Victorian wedding rings were made during the reign of Queen Victoria of England, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. Wedding rings evolved from the posy ring (the word posy being derived from 'poesy' or poetry) which were gold bands with engraved love messages. These rings originated in the Middle ages and the messages were originally on the outer edge of the band, in later years changing to the inside of the band and leaving the outside of the band plain.

The wedding rings of Victorian times were usually a yellow gold band, which may be either plain or engraved with a pattern such as leaves (foliate). Many of these patterns were quite ornate in their appearance. Other more unusual designs include a ring band in the shape of a belt with buckle.

In addition to the highly popular yellow gold, rose gold was also in use at this time, although it was not used as extensively as the yellow variety. The wedding ring would often be worn with a 'keeper' ring which was set with gemstones or enamelled.

VICTORIAN 0.90CT DIAMOND & RUBY WEDDING RING
US $180.53

Antique Victorian Rose Gold Wedding Band Ring Jewelry Vintage Fine Jewelry Old 9
US $396.00

V RARE Silver Antique 1883 Victorian Band / Wedding Ring
US $42.64

Antique Victorian Diamond Garnet Gold Wedding Ring Band Vintage Estate Jewelry
US $471.20

The function of the keeper ring was to keep the wedding ring on the finger to prevent losing it. They are also known as guard rings. A pair of keeper rings were sometimes worn, one in front of the wedding ring and the other behind it.

Victorian wedding bands would sometimes be set with gemstones such as diamonds, either singly or in groups of stones. The diamonds tended to be quite small.

Victorian Mourning Jewelry

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:40:13 +0000

Mourning jewelry is intended to remember and pay respect to a deceased loved one or even a major public figure. Several different types of jewelry were created for this purpose and these included the mourning ring, lockets, earrings, brooches and hair jewelry. In Victorian times, the mourning jewelry would often contain hair from the deceased and this was usually contained inside a locket. Human hair was even fashioned into jewelry such as earrings of woven balls of hair or brooches which included woven hair in the design. This use of hair was very popular from the 1840s to the 1850s and the durability of the hair means that some of this jewelry can still exist today in excellent condition. Some of the cheaper types of this jewelry contain horsehair which was used by unscrupulous jewelers in place of human hair. Any examples of mourning jewelry which contain hair of a famous figure such as members of the monarchy or famous figures from wars such as Napoleon or Wellington, are very popular among collectors these days and can fetch a very high price.

Rare 15ct gold victorian Diamond enamel mourning ring
US $624.02

Victorian Mourning Blk Beaded Crescent Moon Shoe Clips
US $39.99

Victorian Faceted Jet Glass Mourning Necklace
US $249.99

3pc BLK GOLD ENAMEL ANTIQUE VICTORIAN EDWARDIAN MOURNING NECKLACE PENDANT LOT
US $49.99

The most well-known material which is associated with mourning jewelry is jet. This is a black mineraloid (a material similar to a mineral but which has organic origins) formed from the high pressure decomposition of wood millions of years ago. The Victorians used the jet which comes from Whitby in North Yorkshire. Jet became an extremely popular material for mourning jewelry when it was worn by Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert. There are other materials which have a similar appearance to jet, however true jet will leave a chocolate brown mark when rubbed against unglazed porcelain. The jet was carved into brooches, crosses, bracelets and necklaces and many of these items were sold in Victorian times.

After the death of Queen Victorian, the long tradition of wearing mourning jewelry suddenly died out as people looked to live in a happier and less sombre way.

Antique Platinum Rings

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Antique platinum rings come from the Edwardian era (1901 to 1910) and Art Deco eras, the Edwardians being the first to use platinum in their jewellery (a metal which revolutionised the world of jewellery). Platinum was very widely used in jewellery of this period partly because it was such a new material for jewellery and also because it enabled the creation of jewellery which was not previously possible. The great strength and hardness of platinum meant that finer rings with more intricate detail could be made and smaller less obtrusive gemstones settings were also possible. Large claw settings to hold the gemstone in place were no longer necessary as gemstones could be held in place with smaller claws all could even be held in millegrain settings. Millegrain consisted of clusters or lines of raised platinum beads and in addition to holding the gemstones was also used to decorate the edges of rings and other jewellery. Filigree work was popular at this time, and it was created by strands of platinum being twisted together, shaped and soldered to give the jewellery a lacy appearance. Favourite gemstones that were used in combination with platinum for Edwardian rings were diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Beautiful Antique 18ct Gold & Platinum Diamond Ring
US $189.60

Antique Style 1.70 ct Round Diamond Bezel Set Engagement Ring Platinum
US $5,750.00

ANTIQUE ART DECO 3.08ct OVAL CUT DIAMOND SAPPHIRE ENGAGEMENT RING PLATINUM
US $16,000.00

ANTIQUE .95ctw DIAMOND PLATINUM ETERNITY BAND RING 1950 sz7+
US $1,270.75

In addition to Edwardian platinum rings, antique platinum rings were also made in the Art Deco era. Platinum remained very popular as a material for rings during the Art Deco years alongside other popular metals such as palladium and rhodium. Art Deco rings tended to be less delicate in appearance than those of the Edwardian era and the platinum was often set with large clusters of gemstones in geometric patterns. Baguette cut diamonds were particularly popular at this time as were rubies sapphires and emeralds.

Antique Diamond Bands – Wedding and Eternity

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:40:24 +0000

When created by a skilled jeweler, there is something very special about antique diamond bands. If the diamonds are of the correct cut to give them plenty of sparkle they can look very impressive and expensive. If diamonds of an inappropriate cut are set into the ring, the effect is much less impressive and can appear quite dull and flat.

Antique diamond wedding or eternity bands look particularly good with round brilliant cut diamonds. This is the most popular of all diamond cuts and with good reason. This cut has 57 or 58 facets and has great brilliance and fire.

Bands of platinum or white gold complement diamond very well, their reflective quality enhancing the brilliance of the stone and showing off its true colour. Diamonds which are more yellow in colour can often look better in a yellow gold band as their colouration is less apparent, however some people may prefer the silver-coloured metals to show off this colouration. The edges of these rings often have the beaded decoration known as millegrain (also known as milgrain).

ANTIQUE HANDMADE 14K Y+W GOLD VINTAGE 1940s DIAMOND ETERNITY BAND RING~SIZE 5
US $249.00

Antique 14k Solid White Gold Diamond Ring & Band .75 ct
US $1,199.99

SI1/G 0.50C Natural Antique Diamond 14K White Gold Eternity Engagement Ring Band
US $339.00

ANTIQUE EDWARDIAN 18CT GOLD DIAMOND BAND RING! c1902 UNISEX
US $513.50

Other types of cut which are often seen in these rings are the square cut and the baguette cut. The baguette cut was extremely popular in the Art Deco era and its shape fits well with the shape of the band, as does the square cut. Often baguette cut stones are combined with Princess cut stones, the former showing off the clarity and colour best, and the latter adding brilliance to the ring. The ring may be set with diamonds over all of its circumference or it can be partially covered by the stones. The stones are often channel set, meaning that there are no claws holding them in place, and this tends to give the ring a more attractive appearance.

A Look At Mens Antique Wedding Bands

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:32:34 +0000

It's not only women that like to wear antique rings, antique mens wedding bands are also appreciated by many men. Modern mens wedding rings are a great choice for the majority of males getting married, but some like their jewelry to come with a little history. There are others who like to have things which are a little different, more individual and maybe slightly unusual. This sort of person is likely to find these rings very appealing, especially taking into consideration that many antique rings are one-off pieces of jewelry which have been hand made by experts.

If you like the idea of having one of these pieces of jewelry history for your wedding but are worried that the cost would be too high, you may be pleasantly surprised by how affordable many of these rings are. You can see quite a few nice examples on sale for well under $300.

14K WHITE GOLD ANTIQUE MEN'S WEDDING BAND RING
US $1,225.00

ANTIQUE VICTORIAN 18K GOLD WOMAN'S or MAN's WEDDING BAND RING for SIZE 7.5 & 7
US $397.00

14k White Gold Antique Style Men's Wedding Band Ring
US $720.00

14K WHITE GOLD ANTIQUE MEN'S WEDDING BAND RING
US $790.00

When shopping for antique wedding bands for men, you are likely to find fewer rings on sale compared to the number of antique rings for women, particularly in the case of older rings. This is due to the fact that traditionally it was only the bride who wore a wedding ring, the practice of the groom also wearing a wedding ring is a fairly recent one.

When it comes to ring materials, you are likely to find that many of the wedding bands are made from yellow gold or white gold, as these gold has been a popular ring metal for a long time. There are other ring metals which you may come across, including rose gold, platinum, or palladium. Some of the rings were set with gemstones, and there are a number of different types to are likely to see, such as sapphire, diamond and ruby.

If you are planning on having matching bride and groom's antique wedding bands, it can often be easier to choose the groom's ring first and then finding a matching bride's ring. This is because there is more choice in womens antique rings and therefore finding a match is likely to be easier.

Antique Diamond Cuts And Marquise Engagement Rings

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:40:11 +0000

Since the days of the Roman empire, diamonds have been set into jewellery, most often into rings. In ancient times, diamonds were believed to have magical and medicinal powers. They were believed to prevent the wearer from catching the plague and to bring good fortune.

The most common cut in the early days of diamond jewellery was the table-cut. This was a basic unpolished octahedron shape with an upper ground down to form a square, sometimes having a small facet (culet) on the bottom of the diamond. Due to the difficulty in cutting diamonds with the very basic and unsophisticated tools available at the time, it was by far the most common cut during the 16th century and 17th century. More complex cuts were being developed in Antwerp and Amsterdam even during the 1400s and eventually a new and improved diamond cut was developed. The rose-cut had increased brilliance (sparkle) due to the top of the diamond (the crown) being cut into a number of triangular facets. The bottom of the diamond (the pavilion) was flat. These rose-cut diamonds were very popular during the 18th century and 19th century, usually mounted in silver and held in place by collets. They would sometimes have a silver foil backing applied to them to increase their brilliance by reflecting the light back up through the diamond. By the middle of the 18th century there was a new cut, the brilliant-cut. Aptly-named, this cut had far more sparkle than any of the other cuts which had gone before.

1 Ct Marquise Cut Diamond Vintage Antique Engagement Ring CUT: VERY GOOD 14K SI3
US $2,999.99

1.65 Ct Marquise Cut Diamond Vintage Antique Heirloom Engagement Ring Pave SI2-D
US $4,399.99

ANTIQUE 1.70CTW MARQUISE DIAMOND 14K 2 TONE GOLD TRILLION ENGAGEMENT RING
US $9,220.00

3.45CT ANTIQUE VINTAGE MARQUISE CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT WEDDING RING CERTIFIED
US $12,700.00

The discovery of new diamond fields in South Africa in the 1870s and the increase in prosperity in many countries led to a increase in the availability and affordability of diamonds. The introduction of platinum in the Edwardian era as a new metal for jewellery enabled the use of new smaller and less obtrusive settings. The mass production of diamond jewellery gave rise to improvements in the cutting techniques, and with the new platinum settings, several new cuts became popular, including the marquise-cut. Although other gemstones have been marquise-cut, a diamond is possibly the best at showing off the qualities of this cut. It has also been called the navette-cut, which is French for 'little boat' as it has an approximately similar shape to a boat. It is a modified brilliant cut, and is a very popular cut for engagement rings and also for wedding rings. The stone usually has a length which is equal to twice its width, as this gives the most attractive proportions.

The Beauty Of Cushion Cut Engagement Rings

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:41:04 +0000

Engagement rings with cushion cut diamonds have been seen on the fingers of several celebrities recently and are proving to be very popular with many other people. This cut has been around for over a century, and was extremely popular in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It has brilliance (or sparkle) which is good, but it's not quite as high as some of the modern cuts. You may also see the cushion cut described as the pillow cut or the candle light diamond (a name which comes from the times when diamonds were viewed in the light of candles). It has similarities to the oval cut and the old mine cut, but is more rectangular or square in shape. The facets of this cut are large and the corners are rounded, the large facets making any flaws such as inclusions more visible. This means that this type of cut is usually reserved for high quality diamonds which have fewer flaws. The cut also affects how visible the colour of a diamond is, so this is something else to take into account, since very few diamonds are completely colourless.

4.70CT ANTIQUE VINTAGE CUSHION CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT WEDDING RING CERTIFIED WG
US $20,330.00

CUSHION CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING DECO ANTIQUE 2.70CT
US $19,500.00

1.8CT CUSHION CUT SAPPHIRE & DIAMONDs ENGAGEMENT RING ANTIQUE STYLE 14K
US $2,550.00

2.45CT CUSHION CUT PRONG SET ANTIQUE STYLE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING
US $9,199.00

Cushion cut diamonds vary in their width and length ratios and this gives them different looks depending on the ratio. They also tend to be quite large and therefore if you are looking for a smaller diamond you may need to choose a different style of cut such as an Asscher cut.

Some famous diamonds are good examples of the cushion cut, such as the well-known Hope Diamond. This diamond has a blue colour and was believed to originally be 112 carats,

and is thought to have been part of the French crown jewels in the 1600s before passing through a series of owners. It is now on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in the USA.

Solitaire cushion cut engagement rings work particularly well as they show off the qualities of the cut very well. If additional diamonds are set into the engagement ring, they are often set into channels to avoid detracting from the visual impact of the cushion cut. These days the most frequently used setting for the main stone is a four-pronged one, since this shows off the shape better than other settings. It was common however, for older rings to have settings with eight prongs.

As with other antique engagement rings, antique cushion cut engagement rings are becoming increasingly popular.

Asscher Cut Engagement Rings – A Short Guide

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:43:27 +0000

In 1854 the Royal Asscher Diamond company was founded by the Asscher family. Based in Amsterdam and still owned by the same family, it has cut many of the World's most famous diamonds. The company is responsible for originating the famous Asscher cut, a diamond cut which was the first one to be patented. The Cullinan diamond was discovered in 1907 and weighed 621 g (3106 carats). It was given to King Edward VII of England and was cut by Joseph Asscher. It is said that the diamond broke his cutting blade on the first attempt and he had to make new cutting tools in order to cut the diamond successfully.

The patent expired during the Second World War as the Jewish Asscher family were interned in Nazi concentration camps along with most of the company's employees. This led to other companies using the Asscher cut and caused some confusion over whether diamonds had been cut by the Asscher company or by others copying their technique. Some of the companies using this cut called it a square-emerald cut, and did not follow the original calculations for the cut specifying a diamonds facet alignment, table size and crown height.

2.5CT ASSCHER CUT ANTIQUE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING BAND WEDDING SET A29
US $9,299.00

1.10 Ct Asscher Cut Vintage Heirloom Antique Diamond Engagement Ring 14K SI2-H
US $3,499.99

1.70CT ASSCHER CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING BEZEL SET ANTIQUE STYLE
US $5,699.00

ASSCHER CUT ANTIQUE/DECO DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING 2.11CT
US $4,150.00

The cut has proven to be very popular in engagement rings, and looks similar to an emerald cut but with a square stone having each corner cut to form an octagon. As with emerald cuts, this cut is stepped but has larger steps than the emerald cut. Since there are fewer facets with this method of cutting, the colour of the diamond, it's clarity and any inclusions become more apparent. Therefore, you may want your engagement ring to have a higher quality diamond than would be required with other cuts. In recent years, variations of these cuts have been introduced using additional facets to give more sparkle.

Antique Asscher cut engagement rings are particularly popular, as are many antique engagement rings currently. Their recent appearance on TV in a popular TV series and on the red carpet being worn by celebrities has contributed to their popularity. Art Deco rings often used diamonds cut in this way, and rings from this period are highly sought after.

If the ring contains more than one diamond cut in this style, it is important to make sure that all of the diamonds match. They need to match not only in terms of colour, but also table size (the flat top part of the diamond), angle of the steps and corner size. This will ensure that the ring has the symmetry that these diamonds possess individually.

Antique Engagement Rings – An Overview

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:50:08 +0000

The tradition of giving an engagement ring started in the 15th Century. Today, many couples prefer to buy antique engagement rings for their special occasion.

Rings which are less than 50 years old and purchased as used are known as 'estate' rings. Rings greater than 50 years old are considered to be antique engagement rings. Antique engagement rings are sold by some jewellers, by dealers at antiques markets or you can find them at jewellery or antiques auctions or online jewellery stores.

These rings give you the chance to buy a unique and beautiful piece of jewellery that will make the wearer feel very special. Fashion magazines are also extolling the virtues of these rings and have been saying that antique engagement rings are THE engagement rings to have.

When it comes to antique jewellery, there are three main periods: Art Nouveau, Edwardian and Art Deco. When it comes to modern rings, diamonds are the most popular, but this hasn't always been the case. Edwardian engagement rings used jade, pearls and opal in their ring settings.

1.3c Antique Diamond Engagement Ring Setting Y14k 4sz
US $2,199.00

0.9C Antique Diamond Engagement Ring Setting Y14k 4sz
US $1,549.00

1C Antique Diamond Engagement Ring Semi mount Y14k 4sz
US $1,549.00

2.4 CT ROUND CUT ANTIQUE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING 18K
US $4,200.00

Edwardian engagement rings were frequently made from platinum as the malleability of the platinum got better and the introduction of the oxy-acetylene torch made construction of the rings faster and easier. A feature of Edwardian engagement rings was that they showed a lot of detail and weren't massed produced, like most of today's engagement rings. This meant that the ring you wore was unique. While the price of these rings seems quite high, having a ring specially made by a craftsman these days would probably cost a lot more than buying an Edwardian antique engagement ring. The main reason for this is the amount of design work that goes into the setting.

There are considerable differences between antique engagement rings from the Art Nouveau, Edwardian and Art Deco periods. The engagement rings of the Art Nouveau period usually used silver and gold as well as ivory with glass and enamel in mounting the jewellery. In this period the most often-used motifs for the rings are flowers, serpents, insects, vines, leaves, birds, and womens faces.

In the Edwardian period, engagement rings had the look of Louis XVI furniture decorations. The Edwardian rings were usually made of platinum.

In the Art Deco period, the motifs for engagement rings were animals, flowers and geometric shapes.

Engagements are all about the anticipation and excitement of a new life together, and a lot of couples want a ring which can’t be found in just any jeweller’s shop. Whether from the Art Nouveau, Edwardian or Art Deco periods, an antique engagement ring can meet these requirements.