The History of Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
The dazzling beauty of vintage diamond engagement rings never fail to enchant anyone with its exquisite appearance and mysterious appeal. Vintage diamond engagement rings date back to the glorious days of the mid 19th century. There were vintage designs based on different eras and each one had different styles of vintage diamond engagement rings.
For instance, the period from 1835 to 1900 is known as Victorian era, named after the late Queen Victoria. The era itself was divided in to three distinct kinds, depending on the existing lifestyle. The first one among the three eras within the Victorian period was “early Victorian era” in which a typical romantic style prevailed.
The second one was called as “mid Victorian era” which had the royal grandeur in abundance. The third one was the “late Victorian era” characterized by great aesthetic sense in everything, right from the way the streets were planned to the way clothes were stitched. The vintage diamond engagement rings which were characteristic of this era had this specific characteristic embodied unique richness about them.
These vintage diamond engagement rings were available mostly to the elite as they were the only ones who could afford it as gold and precious metals were quite scarce at the time. Because of the overall scarcity of precious metals such as gold, filigree and piercing work was more popular as it gave a kind of fullness or volume to the ring, in spite of the small quantity of gold being used. This was mainly utilized to the fullest during the early Victorian era.
The mid Victorian era, which was also accompanied by Queen Victoria’s husband’s death, had engagement rings made of dark stones and fashioned sobered designs rather than flashy or bright ones. These were quite limited in use of colors as well. The last few years of the Victorian era i.e. the aesthetic period in contrast, had engagement rings with pictures in them. These were fun kind of rings and the pictures on the rings included stars, moons or even dragons.
The next era is known as Edwardian era which covers only the first decade of the 20th century. This was the time of affluence and saw an increased use of diamonds in the engagement rings. This was also the era which saw the emergence of Platinum in jewelry as it witnessed the invention of oxyacetylene torch.
Art Nouveau era was around the end of Edwardian era and was greatly influenced by the industrial revolution. Similarly the World War I had a huge impact on the Art Deco Era which prevailed from 1895 to 1935. By this time concept of geometric symmetry came into existence. The engagement rings started being made in a more precise and meticulous manner. The rings also had floral patterns on them.
1930s till 1980s saw the retro type of engagement rings. This was around the World War II, so the use of precious metals and stones saw a dip. However rose and yellow gold became more famous and widely used.
The charm of the vintage diamond engagement rings is unmatched because each one brings a hint of the past and the novelty of the royal history. Such a ring would make you and your bride a part of history and the magnificence attached with it.