Vintage Engagement Rings — They’re Granny Chic
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, engagement season is upon us. Soon we’ll see our social media feeds fill up with ring selfies and wedding-planning posts. Again this year we are going to see more and more of the rings are vintage, not new. And many of our bride-friends will choose gems other than diamonds. In part it’s just economics. No one buys into that old edict that the groom must spend so many paychecks on the ring. Hah, even if we did, um, student loans. In addition, many of us want no part of “blood diamonds.” “This generation, more than any in the past, knows what De Beers is all about,” Ira Weissman — former diamond salesman and founder of consumer education site The Diamond Pro — told the New York Times. Weissman, who answers thousands of reader emails for his site, claims to have seen a 50 percent increase in questions related to hand-me-down gems. But is he reading too much into it? Maybe the resurgent interest in vintage rings has more to do with our personal style than economics. Maybe it’s simply that Art-Deco–style granny rings suit our taste — just as clothes from thrift stores and furniture from flea markets do. And like these 17 vintage engagement rings that make us swoon do!
Even when we have no granny with a ring to hand down, we’re likely to be looking at vintage rings on Etsy or getting a unique-looking ring that’s eco-friendly. And we’re much more apt than previous generations to look beyond diamonds. From alluring opals to gorgeous garnets to purple amethysts (the exact shade I’d like to pastel my hair!), any ring that we like enough to see ourself wearing it for a lifetime can be an engagement ring.
Yeah, any one of these 14 stunning vintage engagement rings with amethyst stones and modern aesthetics would do very nicely, thank you.
Show us your vintage ring selfie? Tag us on Instagram @britandco. Come on — we want to see it!
(Photo via Getty)