Vintage jewelry is a popular choice among many brides, as well as others who are into older pieces. If a unique vintage engagement ring is your idea of the perfect ring, you might have some questions. These are a few tips that can help you with finding and buying the perfect vintage engagement ring.
1. Buy a Real Vintage Engagement Ring (vs. Vintage-Inspired)
Many jewelry designers take vintage eras into consideration when designing modern jewelry, and you can find brand new pieces that were quite clearly designed with vintage and antique eras in mind. Why buy a vintage-inspired ring when you can own a piece of history, though? If you're looking for the real thing, a pawn shop and pre-owned jewelry store like Hilltop Pawn is always the right choice.
2. Consider Different Vintage & Antique Eras & Styles
There are many vintage style and antique-style engagement rings for you to choose from. Each era is known for different things. Once you check out vintage-style engagement rings from different periods, you can get an idea of the style that is the ideal choice for you!
Georgian Era Engagement Rings (1714-1837)
Georgian jewelry is really old. This period lasted for over 120 years, and fun fact...there were four different English kings that had the name George during this time period. It's hard to find Georgian jewelry nowadays...it's simply really old, and most pieces that haven't been lost or completely destroyed over time can be found in museums. Jewelry from this era was made from silver or yellow gold. Antique diamonds can be found in Georgian pieces, as can sapphires, rubies, pearls, topaz, and garnet. Natural elements were commonly found in these pieces, such as leaves, flowers & vines.
Victorian Era Engagement Rings (1837-1901)
The Victorian era was named after Queen Victoria of England. Queen Victoria loved jewelry and was a huge influence in changes in jewelry styles over this period, which is actually broken into three different periods -- Romantic Victorian Era, Grand Victorian Era and the Aesthetic Victorian Era. Jewelry from this era is actually still surprisingly prevalent. Victorian engagement rings, as well as other jewelry pieces from this period, were most commonly made from silver or gold. Diamonds were popular, as were amethyst, turquoise, garnets, pearls and sapphires.
Edwardian Era Engagement Rings (1901-1915)
The Edwardian Era was named after King Edward VII, who reined in the earlier part of this era (until 1910). He was the last monarch to have a jewelry era named after him. This era was also known as the La Belle Epoque Era, and it was considered a very important jewelry era, mostly because this was the time when platinum jewelry first became available. Diamonds and pearls were still very popular during this era, as were onyx. You rarely see colored stones like rubies, emeralds or sapphires in jewelry from the Edwardian era, although these stones were occasionally used for accents. Platinum became much more popular than gold during this time period, and when you did see gold, it was often used along with platinum for a two-metal effect.
Art Nouveau Engagement Rings (1890 – 1910)
Derived from the French term for "new art," this period coincided with the opening of a Parisian gallery in 1895. Despite overlapping the Edwardian period, the two styles of jewelry are very distinguishable from one another. Art Nouveau jewelry is incredibly hard to find and obtain, and it has more of a "modern" (at the time) and free-form look than the intricate details found in Edwardian jewelry. Moonstones, pearls and opals were commonly used...diamonds were not. Although gold and silver were used, other materials like enamel (as well as horn and glass) were popular. In fact, enamel work is perhaps what stands out the most from the Art Nouveau period.
Art Deco Era Engagement Rings (1920-1945)
Art Deco jewelry hit the scene shortly after the conclusion of World War I and was very unique and different from jewelry from previous eras. Geometric designs, geometric patterns and angular looks took the center stage during this specific period. An Art Deco diamond engagement ring would be the most popular choice, since jewelry from this time period often included dazzling diamonds. However, color was also much appreciated during this time period, too, so colorful gemstones like blue sapphire or emeralds were often used as accents to create bold designs.
Retro Era Engagement Rings (1939-1950)
Heavily inspired by World War II, the Retro Era began in 1939. High quality jewelry was made with inspiration from the Art Deco period, but designs just got even bolder during this era. Yellow gold was the most commonly used precious metal during this time period, but rose gold also became popular again for the first time in quite a long time. Colorful stones like aquamarine, amethyst and sapphires in various colors were commonly used, although diamonds were popular during this period, too.
3. Purchase a Matching Vintage Wedding Band
If you're planning on wearing your authentic antique engagement ring or vintage engagement ring on the same finger as your wedding band -- as is typical -- you may want to look at vintage wedding bands that will match your engagement ring nicely. Luckily, here at Hilltop Pawn Shop & Jewelry, we can help you with finding both rings...and we can help you with finding a men's wedding band, too, whether he wants a vintage ring or something a little more modern. Buy a complete set -- even if we have to help you put it together -- so you can have the vintage look that you're going for. We also have other vintage-style rings to complete your style, if you prefer.
4. Buy a Vintage Engagement Ring from Hilltop Pawn in Virginia Beach
If you're wondering about the best place to shop for vintage and antique rings, we invite you to come visit us at Hilltop Pawn & Jewelry. Why shop with us? Well, for one thing, we have the real thing here. Our inventory is always changing because people are always selling us different types of engagement rings and jewelry, so you never know what you'll find when you come in. Plus, we offer rock-bottom prices and even a layaway program to make your engagement ring purchase as easy and affordable as possible. The good news is, you don't have to go anywhere else when looking for Art Deco engagement rings, Edwardian engagement rings, Victorian era rings, or another vintage piece. Let us know your ring style and budget, and we'll show you engagement and wedding rings in varying styles from historical eras. We'll also show you modern designs, if you're interested in checking them out, too. With a little bit of shopping, you can find the perfect ring for you...all without blowing your budget.
If you are interested in vintage and antique engagement rings, we'd love to help you shop for your dream ring. Whether you want a diamond ring with antique diamonds, or if you're interested in other types of vintage rings to wear on your left ring finger, we can help you out. More interested in modern diamonds or another modern piece of jewelry? We can help with that, too. After all, at Hilltop Pawn & Jewelry, jewelry is our main business!
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