You know that friend whose vintage engagement ring is a 1940s antique unlike any bling you’ve ever seen? Or that blogger you follow on Instagram whose fiancé designed her unique diamond engagement ring with a mix of Edwardian meets Art Deco details? With a century of engagement rings influencing our ring styles, it’s kind of amazing we can ever decide on one ring at all. Since you can’t have all the rings, we’ve compiled this guide of 21st century ring trends to inspire your own heirloom-worthy style. Time to get pinning!
1. Pebble and Polish Mine Cut Ring: ($5,000): Edwardian rings were inspired by the change in British reign to a more fun-loving king and the influx of French influence on fashion. This translated to seriously swoon-worthy lace-inspired rings involving as many diamonds as possible. Handmade filigree details on platinum were a major trend, and have helped these rings stay in pristine condition over the last century, making them the perfect antique ring to set your sights on.
2. Abhika Jewels Edwardian Mixed Metal Floral Ring ($1,615): Looking to mix in modern elements with some Edwardian influence? Platinum was the metal of choice for most rings during the 1910s but mixed metals add a nice millennial touch. The milgrain edges surrounding the floral-inspired diamonds incorporate the best details of the decade.
1910-1920
3. Estate Diamond Jewelry Platinum European Cut Ring ($18,000): The ladies of the 1910s had the benefit of seeing by candle instead of electricity and seriously wanted to show off those diamonds in the flickering light. Rings during this decade had even bigger diamonds offset by intensely intricate but less delicate settings to support more sizable stones.
4. Provenance Jewellery Pearl and Diamond Ring ($1,816): The toi et moi (you and me) style ring grew in popularity due to its sweet sentiment that the dual stones symbolize two souls becoming intertwined. You can make it modern by adding in mixed metals and maybe a birthstone instead of a pearl.
1920-1930
5. Erstwhile .50 Carat Art Deco Engagement Ring ($5,500): Enter the Art Deco era, where bold geometry inspired an entirely new style of rings that mirrored the more streamlined and architectural style of the decade.
6. Trumpet & Horn Palm Harbor Ring ($9,900): Colorful geometric side stones combined with milgrain edges and hand-pierced filigree make this a classic Art Deco ring. To get the look, seek out designs with clean cut lines and a mix of stone sizes and cuts.
1930-1940
7. DiamondTen Milgrain and Filigree Ring With Picture Frame Setting ($3,850): The Great Depression meant the carefree designs of the 1920s became a bit more toned down. The 1930s brides interpreted Art Deco to mean new settings like those pretty “picture frame corners.”
8. Elizabeth Kwan Fine Jewellery Sapphire Bow Ring ($4,950): These brides-to-be embraced colorful center stones and bow motifs that were still angular but also super feminine.
9. 1st Dibs Vertical Platinum and Diamond Ring ($4,200): An ornate frame of diamonds on an elongated setting makes a serious statement and teases the less stark angles that were in style.
1940-1950
10. Fergusons Fine Jewelry Ruby Crescent Ring ($395): The ladies of the 1940s bid farewell to angular geometry and fell for swooping circular settings like this crescent ruby and round diamond ring instead.
11. Fergusons Fine Jewelry Ruby Flower Ring ($395): Seriously feminine shapes reigned in this softer era. You can thank these ladies for the floral-shaped rings you still lust after today.
1950-1960
11. Serenade Diamonds Stackable Rose Gold Ring ($1,870): You can thank Audrey Hepburn for introducing the stackable engagement ring trend. The women in the 1950s fully embraced gold and interlocking rings — looks like some things haven’t changed a bit!
12. Andrea Bonelli Jewelry Teardrop Gold Ring ($810): These ladies also fell for new center stone shapes, like the marquise and teardrop cuts. Today, these cuts are often surrounded by an infinity band of tiny stones, but the trend of this decade was solid gold bands that let the center stone truly shine.
1960-1970
13. Karat Jewelry Group Diamond Floral Cluster Ring ($4,480): We all know the best trends always come back around. The 1960s saw a revival of 1920s and 1930s Art Deco styles in the form of more linear geometric shapes. The floral motifs of the previous decades were alive and well.
14. 1st Dibs Emerald Diamond Gold Ring ($4,500) and 15. Yellow Diamond Gold Solitaire Ring ($2,909): The mod ladies of the 1960s put their own twist on the Art Deco style by falling for gold over platinum and oversized colorful center stones.
1970-1980
16. Ross-Simons Diamond and Yellow Gold Cluster Ring ($1,495): Similar to the fashion of the 1970s, engagement ring styles did things people had never seen before. To channel the decade, search for rings with clusters of stones, especially linear baguettes.
17. James Allen 18K Yellow Gold Solitaire Ring ($1,871): Rings also went in a totally different direction with solitaire princess or bias cut stones, which were invented during the seventies.
1980-1990
18. Mint and Made Marquise Sapphire Ring ($695) and 19. Aardvark Jewellery Sapphire Floral Cluster Ring ($407): Everything was bigger in the ’80s, and engagement rings were no exception. You know how we’re all obsessed with Kate Middleton’s sapphire stunner? Well, that ring originally belonged to Princess Diana, and the hype was just as intense the first time around.
1990-2000
20. Addy Brilliant Diamond Trilogy Ring ($556) and 21. Ross-Simons Brilliant Round Solitaire Ring ($346): The ’90s saw the revival of less intricate ring styles with brilliant cut stones taking center stage. Looking to channel the decade? Seek out solitaire styles and triple stone rings with unembellished bands.
Did you find the vintage engagement ring of your dreams? Tweet us @Britandco and let us know which one was your favorite!
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