Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Trend Watch: Vintage Engagement Rings

Vintage inspiration is one of the biggest trends for 2012 weddings. It's a trend that has been gaining in popularity for several years now. From vintage gowns to vintage jewelry, touches of days gone by are popping up everywhere. And I'll have to say, I hope this is a trend that is here to stay.

I have long had a love for vintage jewelry. In fact, I had always dreamed of wearing my great-grandmother's Edwardian Era sapphire and diamond engagement ring in lieu of a brand new design. Needless to say I was thrilled when my now husband proposed to me with the vintage beauty.

So for today's post I'd like to focus on vintage and antique engagement rings. With their intricate designs, timeless appeal, expert craftsmanship, and exquisite beauty, these pieces are complete eye candy for vintage lovers such as myself. Get ready for some stunning pieces...


One of the best new shops in the vintage jewelry market is Erstwhile Jewelry Co. Launched in the spring of 2010, founders Jared and Alisa specialize in jewelry from the 19th century, Victorian, Edwardian, French Art Nouveau, and Art Deco Eras, and retro ’40s through modern ’60s and ’70s. Jared is a fifth generation antique jeweler and has an extensive knowledge of vintage pieces. 

Antique .95 Carat Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring
Antique Marquis Cut Engagement Ring
via Erstwhile Jewelry
Antique .87 Carat Moval-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Moval Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
via Erstwhile Jewelry



















One of my favorite sites to window shop is Lang's Antique and Estate JewelryFounded in 1969, in the heart of downtown San Francisco, Lang's is one of the best shops to go to for all types of vintage, estate, and antique jewelry. Their brick and mortar shop is home to over 7,000 beautiful pieces, so if you don't see something that tickles your fancy listed on their website, the ring of your dreams is most likely just an email or phone call away.


1209862941_30-1-1695.jpg
Victorian Diamond & Sapphire Ring
via Lang Antique & Estate Jewelry

Art Deco Engagement Ring
via Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry
Burmese Ruby Engagement Ring
via Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

Another of my favorite vintage jewelry sites is Fay Cullen. In business for over 25 years, they offer a stunning array of vintage jewelry styles from Art Deco and Edwardian, to Victorian and Estate pieces, including an extensive collection of gorgeous engagement rings in all price ranges. Fay Cullen also has a priority viewing club so you can receive sneak peeks of new pieces 48 hours before they are listed for sale.


Natural Fancy Yellow Art Deco Style Engagement Ring via Fay Cullen

1930's Vintage Diamond Engagement Ring
via Fay Cullen
Art Deco Aquamarine Engagement Ring
Deco Aquamarine Engagement Ring
via Fay Cullen

For our final stop today we head over to Leigh Jay Nacht, Inc. With a showroom located in New York's diamond district as well as a website packed full of vintage lovelies for online browsing, brides are sure to find themselves in antique jewelry heaven. Leigh Jay Nacht offers "a unique collection of original vintage antique engagement rings from the 1910's through the 1940's as well as exclusive replicas of the originals all built in house."  Here are some beautiful examples of what you will find.
Platinum, diamond and sapphire engagement ring circa 1920 via Leigh Jay Nacht, Inc
Old European Cut Tiffany & Co. ring circa 1920
 via Leigh Jay Nacht, Inc
Edwardian Old European Cut champagne diamond
engagement ring via Leigh Jay Nacht, Inc. 





















Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

39 comments:

  1. oh my! love all of them, especially the art deco by Lang!!!

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    Replies
    1. It's so gorgeous... I had such a hard time deciding which pieces to feature. I want them all!!

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  2. These are all so stunning! So much intricate detail, beautiful!

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  3. Wow! These are beautiful! Especially the sapphire (my birthstone) and the aquamarine rings! :)

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    Replies
    1. I'm very partial to the sapphire too... it's nearly exactly what my engagement ring looks like!

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  4. All of these are absolutely stunning!

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  5. They are all stunning and just so beautiful! They don't make them like they used to!

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  6. What SibStudio said...these ARE stunning! So much more character than the settings we see so often these days! Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely! I think the settings are so much more intricate and eye-catching. I also really like the look of old cut (like rose cut and mine cut) stones. Not as sharp and crisp as the cuts we know today... but you can see the human element in those older, hand cuts. You'll also see that color and clarity were not as highly emphasized as they are today - but again... this just adds to the character of the stones and in my view, doesn't diminish their beauty in any way.

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  7. Stunning! In my book, the Victorian Diamond & Sapphire Ring is the most beautiful of them all. Vintage does hold a certain charm that never goes out of style. This goes for all things vintage -- including cars and clothes.


    Jeffry Pullam

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  8. lovely..its lovely collection. I am enjoying reading your post. Your jewelry collection is too good..Thanks for sharing. I would love to buy some pieces for myself.
    engagement rings new york

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  9. Engagement rings are symbol of commitment, a bond, a promise, it symbolized the end of ones loneliness, when we are talking about the likes of wedding rings and princess cut diamond rings.

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  10. Those are all absolutely stunning! I think my favorite is the Aquamarine ring by Fay Cullen. Its simplicity is what makes it so elegant. Plus, the shade of blue on the gem is very charming. It’s also the perfect engagement ring because blue symbolizes loyalty, so the ring truly emphasizes the promise of faithfulness and a long and happy marriage.

    Rochel Faltus

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  11. Simply beautiful! All of them. I like the Edwardian actually. Very old fashioned looking.

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. Vintage is definitely coming back into style this year! The rings got progressively more gorgeous as I went through the post, haha! I thought that marquis cut was the best looking, but then the deco aquamarine ring absolutely floored me! I’d love to have that on my finger one day!

    Bridget Rossi

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  14. All the rings are showing an traditional style. I think the first one most beautiful ring in this post. Will you please write its characteristics. Princess Cut Diamonds

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    Replies
    1. Here is a link to the ring itself:
      http://www.etsy.com/listing/95213952/vintage-120-carat-old-european-cut

      It is a beauty, indeed!

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  15. Brilliant post. Very informative. You have a lovely blog. Diamonds Are loose diamonds

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  16. Terrific! If there will be a word more than gorgeous and beautiful to describe those vintage engagement rings then that would be it.

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  18. Though you might want to look at plated rings it is probably best that you stick to standard options. Wedding rings that have been made from, for example, silver and then plated with a precious metal are susceptible to wear.

    diamond wedding rings

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  19. such amazing rings! I was able to find some great Engagement Rings on Sale when I was shopping. It really let me give her the ring I knew she deserved

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  20. These are great pictures of vintage rings. I am currently helping my son look for an engagement ring to give to his girlfriend. Would anyone know where I can find vintage engagement rings for sale?

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  21. I loved every single ring you pictured above. I hope to have a vintage ring too. I've decided to look into Pre Owned Engagement Rings to see if I can find the perfect one.

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  22. Thank you very much for sharing this informative post. That’s a great post.I feel the post very useful and interesting.


    princess cut diamond earrings

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  23. Engagement Rings are always special and precious for a girl. Its very important to have something memorable when having these rings,and thus these tips are very much helpful in choosing one.Everyone have a different choice for this, for example diamond rings are my favorite.
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  24. Some good advice for those looking for diamond rings. Another great way to save is to look at alternative stones like sapphire, topaz, pearl, or even uncut diamond.
    Diamond Wedding Bands

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  25. Very informative and excellent photos. Thanks a lot. Engagement rings must inspire the loved ones at first instance.

    Engagement Rings Ventura California

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  26. Thank you very much for such amazing photos and post. I have found some great Vintage Engagement Rings

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  27. Please keep posting such kind of informative stuff.
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  29. Thankx for the Sharing your Post and it was awesome.i would Like to hear more from you in future too....
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  30. When it comes to engagement rings, it is inevitable to think of a diamond engagement ring. Without a doubt a diamond is the most important part of an engagement ring and it surely makes up most of the cost of an engagement ring.
    vintage engagement rings

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  31. Engagement rings are made to be special as they are directly linked to the dreams of any girls. Choosing engagement rings for a girl is always special.The ring that you have shown here is really beautiful.

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  32. the pictures of rings that shows on this post are really beautiful. it would be honor for any person who are going to buy these types of rings and wear. here is some more examples of engagement rings for women one of the best jwellery seller i have ever meet. thank you Aviant jewelers for this lovely Diamond Zirconia Engagement Rings For Women.

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  33. This post was so helpful! I've been searching for an vintage diamond engagement rings for months and this gave me great insight on what to look for.

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