Beautiful Vintage-Inspired Engagement Rings

Ring styles from decades past are in high demand, so we’ve put together a guide to the differences in eras of vintage rings and what to look for in a truly vintage-inspired engagement ring. Whether your partner prefers the swirling metalwork of an Edwardian era ring, or the regal diamond halos made popular in the Victorian era, we’re here to help identify the most fitting ring for your partner.

Victorian Era

The Victorian era is inspired, as the name suggests, by the tastes and preferred styles of Queen Victoria. It was common in this era for birthstones and other gemstones to be used as the center stone and, to accent the stone, rows and and halos of smaller diamonds were added. The result is a grandiose, radiant effect.

Rings of this era were generally crafted of rose and yellow gold, providing contrast to the diamonds and gemstones inlaid in the metal. Marquise cut diamonds, like the center stone of this Fana engagement ring, were quite popular in this era.

Edwardian Era

With the passing of Queen Victoria and her son, Edward’s ascension to the throne came with a new era of fashion jewelry. The Edwardian era was largely characterized by intricate filigree metal work and scrolling designs. Milgraining, a texture created by tiny spheres of metal set in tight lines, became extremely popular.

During Edward’s reign, significant advancements were made in the world of metal fabrication. Thus, platinum became a very popular metal for jewelry and was much more easily manipulated to create artistic designs. Rings like this Sylvie solitaire, crafted from high-quality titanium, display the intricate milgrain and flowing lines typical of this era.

Art Deco Era

The lacey, flowing designs of the Edwardian era stand in stark contrast to the geometric designs that characterize rings of the art deco era. While milgrain detail carried over into this period of fashion, repeating angles, clean lines, and bold shapes replaced the soft curves of the previous age.

With the art reco era of design came the rise of more geometric diamond cuts like the emerald and princess cut. This vintage-inspired ring features both the milgrain detailing and the elongated emerald cut diamond shape made popular during the art deco period.

Retro Era

While art deco designs were loud and intricate, retro era rings were pared back in detail, favoring simplistic yet bold features. Larger diamonds were being featured in designs, thus solitaire and three stone settings became more popular, allowing for the size of the stone to be on full display.

As WWII took place during this era of fashion, titanium ? a strong and durable metal ? was taken off of the jewelry market in order to be used in combat machinery. Bright yellow and rose gold were featured almost exclusively in rings of this time. Mixed metals and baguette side stones popularly characterized retro era rings.

Shop Vintage-Inspired Engagement Rings at BENARI JEWELERS

Family-owned and operated for more than fifty years, BENARI JEWELERS has served the state of Pennsylvania with the motto, ’treat each customer as if they were our only customer.? Our Exton and Newton Square jewelry stores are staffed with incredibly experienced personnel, prepared to guide you through our extensive selection of designer jewelry. We proudly carry top designer brands from around the world including Tacori, Hearts On Fire, and Simon G. Book an appointment with us for a personalized visit to our showroom or browse our inventory online today.