Engagement Rings

[MissQueenie]

Hi gals!

Just thought I'd toss this one out there -- do any of you ladies have vintage engagement or wedding rings? If so, are they family heirlooms or did you purchase them from a retailer of vintage jewelry?

I recently purchased a diamond and platinum engagement ring (no, I'm not engaged... ) that the dealer believes to date from the early 1940s -- the diamonds are small but very sparkly, and I haven't even had it cleaned yet! I like to imagine the piece's history, and wish I had information about the woman it once belonged to. The dealer also gave me a gorgeous vintage box to keep it in. I'll try again to photograph it, but the images I have so far aren't very good.

 

[Vanessa]

I love fine vintage jewelry. There's a small antique shop nearby where I work that has a jewelry booth and they have the most amazing collection of engagement rings and wedding bands. Just from looking at those (never had the opportunity to buy yet. . .:cry: ), I'm absolutely ruined for ever buying anything modern. The diamonds and other precious stones just have such a clarity and sparkle that I don't think you can get anymore. I think it must be that they're not lab-manufactured like most gemstones nowadays.

 

[Lauren]

When I get married I want a ring from this site.

http://circa1930s.com/

 

[MissQueenie]

I feel the same way about diamonds that I do about fur: I won't buy "new" -- the diamond trade is part of a much larger cycle of human rights abuses, violence, weapons trading, etc. and I am morally opposed to supporting its continuation. I figure the blood has already been shed over vintage jewels and furs, which doesn't make it more right but at least I can feel satisfied that I'm doing a tiny bit to drain away the current demand.

I can't wait to go home and browse your link, Lauren!

 

[D-Day-Doll]

My engagement ring is vintage. Maybe 30's? I'm not good at dating jewelry. It had an aquamarine in it when I picked it out at a flea market where one of my vintage dealer friends had a booth. Its made of white gold and now has a 1.04 carat diamond in it. It has the most beautiful filigree on it, the shape of it reminds me of a crown. I absolutely love it, its perfect for me!

My wedding band is new, but its a curved white gold filigree band that fits nicely with the vintage ring. Sometimes I wear my grandma's 1939 engagment ring, its white and yellow gold with a small bit of deco looking filigree and a square diamond flanked by sapphires.

 

[decodoll]

My engagement ring is vintage 1940's from circa1930s' sister site (same company but their vintage jewelry), The Way We Were. The wedding band is reproduction from circa1930s. I also have my grandmother's rings and wear them on occasion. The vintage settings are just so much more interesting and pretty than modern. Nowadays, it seems to be all about the size of the rock.

 

[MissQueenie]

All about the rock is right! I am so sick of seeing those huge rings on women -- it's just tacky. Taste and suitability go out in favor of size and flash, and I personally could never function (dishes, work, etc) with a hunk of diamond in a sloppy setting on my hand. Yuck.

 

[BettyValentine]

I suppose I do, sort of... I recently inherited my Great-Uncle's pinky ring. ^_^ (we're Italian). It's white gold with a round-cut solitaire diamond and some small yellow gold decor (looks like it was crests, but is pretty worn down now). I like it a lot because it is a pinky ring so it is small enough for my hand, but it is still a man's ring so it has a size and shape that I like a lot.

BV

 

[MissQueenie]

Wow, Betty! That sounds like such a neat keepsake

Somewhere my mother has my grandmother's ring set that my grandfather bought for her on his army base in Japan, but I don't think she'd ever let me have them :cry:

 

[Deleted member 259]

I'm supposed to inherit my great grandmothers engagement ring (The matching wedding band was stolen while she was in the hospital)
and while I'm not a fan of diamonds (I have the same view as MissQueenie) this is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could post a picture for you gals. My grandmother wears it now, and it's from around the 30's I think.

 

[chintz22]

May I suggest a source?

Hi Ladies,

I've been lurking for the past few weeks but I had to chime in on this topic. I bought my wedding band from Leigh Jay Nacht via the Internet (www.antiqueengagementrings.com) and I sing his praises to anyone I can. Just a wonderful guy who really loves vintage jewelry. I needed my wedding band with an engraved message on very short notice and he delivered it before the date we agreed upon in a lovely old fashioned box. I worried about the quality, since I wasn't able to see the rings in person, but it is top notch; in fact I've had several folks ask me if it was a family piece from the 1920s (it is the last ring on page three of the "bands" section on his site). His price was very reasonable so I was able to get the ring in platinum--the best move I've ever made. If you're on the fence between silver and platinium go for the latter! I drool over his engagement rings too, they are some of the only modern ones I've seen that really look vintage to my eyes.

Hope this helps,

Best,

Sarah

 

[Jessica]

Did somebody say diamonds???? Very cool sites. Thanks for sharing the links.