Selecting an engagement ring is an enormous choice so discovering a method that you simply’ll cherish for a lifetime is vital. This information will take you on a journey by probably the most iconic types in historical past, exhibiting you engagement ring traits by the many years and hopefully serving to you discover the right match!

Victorian Engagement Rings

Beginning with the eclectic types of the Victorian period, a typical motif all through this era was the flowery steel work, with ring shanks typically that includes engraved ornament, filigree and scroll work, typically impressed by nature. Throughout a interval of scientific discoveries, Victorians had been fascinated by pure historical past and romanticised nature, celebrating unique animal and fruits as the peak of sophistication.

Victorian engagement rings at the moment had been largely yellow gold because it’s heat tone complimented the romantic and naturalistic themes of the early Victorian period in addition to the extra vibrant gem stones of the time. Typically the gold was alloyed with copper as a extra reasonably priced possibility for center class prospects.

The invention of diamond mines in South Africa in 1867 made diamonds extra reasonably priced and ample, main manner for colored emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and clothes to look rarer and extra fascinating. The Victorian’s sentimental values shine by the recognition of birthstone rings for betrothals as a candy nod to their accomplice.

Edwardian Period Engagement Rings

The Edwardian period is commonly related to gentle, shiny and kooky designs as an period that adopted the darkness of Queen Victoria’s mourning interval. The advances in platinum work made the steel a well-liked selection in jewelry, with its power utilised to create tremendous millegrain ornament.

Edwardian Era Bridal Illustration — 1906 catalog illustration of wedding ceremony robe

A Complete Guide to Engagement Ring Trends Through the Decades

You won’t realize it however in the course of the Edwardian period, pearls had been thought-about extra priceless than diamonds. Lustrous pearls hailed from faraway locations like Australia and Africa and had been worn by royalty and the higher class as an emblem of their wealth, standing and energy. Our assortment of Edwardian engagement rings date from 1901 to 1914, ample with diamonds, pearls some other gem stones!

Nineteen Twenties Engagement Rings

The roaring twenties was epitomised by the well-known Artwork Deco model, filled with geometric shapes, clear traces and symmetry. White steel was nonetheless favoured at the moment and the continued use of platinum allowed for filigree element work that allowed jewellers to create geometric traces and complicated designs lending to the symmetrical Artwork Deco model.

Rings had been typically extra geometric in form, typically favouring the emerald, baguette or sq. reduce characteristic stones or combining colored gem stones to create contrasting boarders. Halo engagement rings had been fashionable on the time, utilizing steel work and pave set diamonds to create intricate boarders, typically incorporating romantic motifs and metalwork by to the shoulders.

Nineteen Thirties Engagement Rings

The Artwork Deco model remained a dominant pressure however, as the last decade progressed, Nineteen Thirties engagement rings advanced past the structured geometric model. Jewellers experimented with bolder combos, mixing sharp-edged baguette and emerald cuts with the gentle curves of spherical sensible diamonds to create a putting distinction.

Whereas the U.S. grappled with the Nice Despair, Britain confronted its personal financial challenges, resulting in a shift in engagement ring types. Platinum was nonetheless the popular selection for individuals who may afford it, however white gold emerged as a well-liked and extra accessible various. Designs turned barely extra refined, that includes stepped settings and mixed-cut diamonds—pairing the crisp traces of baguettes with the magnificence of spherical or marquise stones for an ideal steadiness of construction and class.

1930s engagement ring with contrasting round and baguette cut diamonds

Regardless of monetary hardships, glamour was nonetheless in demand, with Hollywood’s Golden Age shaping traits, with movie stars’ dazzling jewels inspiring British {couples} to hunt timeless but trendy designs.

Nineteen Forties Engagement Rings

The Nineteen Forties was all about doing extra with much less. With World Warfare II lasting from 1939 to 1945 and its results persevering with effectively past, Nineteen Forties engagement ring designs mirrored each creativity and necessity.

Platinum was declared a strategic materials, limiting its availability for non-military makes use of resembling jewelry. This solely elevated its desirability, with those that may afford it in search of out the rarer steel. In response to its shortage, yellow and rose gold made a comeback, including heat and richness to engagement ring designs.

Jewellers used smaller stones however added extra embellishment to create the phantasm of a bigger diamond or created rings with increased setting to pressure perspective and cluster preparations. This diamond cluster ring has a characteristic 0.74ct diamond at its centre however surrounded by an extra 8 diamonds and steel work, creating the phantasm of bigger diamond!

Nineteen Fifties Engagement Rings

In 1948, De Beers launched their ‘a diamond is without end’ marketing campaign, efficiently making diamonds and solely diamonds on the forefront of everybody’s thoughts when it got here to selecting out an engagement ring by the Nineteen Fifties. Proposing with a diamond ring turned the norm with solitaire ring reputation skyrocketing.

1950s Hollywood Glamour — Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds are a Woman’s Finest Pal” in ”Gents Favor Blondes” (1953). By way of Public Area

It’s price mentioning the movie star affect throughout this period on the reduce of the diamond. At a time of Hollywood glamour, actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly kick-started an emerald reduce diamond obsession that continued by the ‘60s. Grace Kelly was introduced with a second engagement ring from Prince Rainier III of Monaco – a big 0.47-carat emerald-cut diamond that she wore in her ultimate movie excessive society that surprised audiences! 1950’s engagement rings typically concentrate on massive characteristic stones and ornament to emphasize this!

Sixties Engagement Rings

The sixties sparked a brand new period for engagement rings, shifting in direction of extra extravagant designs! The emphasis on showcasing the characteristic stone that dominated the Nineteen Fifties continued within the ’60s, however the cuts advanced. Marquise, oval, and pear-shaped cuts gained reputation alongside the traditional spherical cuts.

This period noticed the rise of bigger, extra extravagant rings, typically set with geometric or custom-designed settings to spotlight the characteristic stone. The mantra “the extra sparkle, the higher” outlined the last decade, with cluster and halo settings changing into broadly favoured, enhancing the brilliance and measurement of the diamond.

The counterculture motion additionally influenced jewellery designs, with extra natural and unconventional parts, although this pattern was extra pronounced in informal style and equipment. General, Sixties engagement rings marked a departure from the minimalist types of earlier many years, embracing daring and vibrant selections that mirrored the dynamic shifts in society and style of the time.

Engagement Rings of the Nineteen Seventies

Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s marquise-shaped ring given to her by her second husband in 1968 pushed this reduce into the 70s, with the sq. form of the princess reduce following shortly behind. The princess reduce, which first gained consideration within the Sixties, surged in reputation in the course of the Nineteen Seventies. Not solely was it admired for its geometric trendy look, however the princess reduce was additionally cheaper than the normal spherical reduce, because it allowed jewellers to retain a bigger portion of the unique diamond, decreasing waste. This made it a favoured selection for these in search of each magnificence and worth in the course of the period.

One other vital growth within the Nineteen Seventies was the rise of matching wedding ceremony units. It turned more and more frequent for {couples} to buy coordinated engagement rings and wedding ceremony bands, typically with complementary types and metals, to create a harmonious search for each rings. The matching units had been seen as an emblem of unity and dedication, with the engagement ring and wedding ceremony band seamlessly becoming collectively.

Eighties Engagement Rings

In 1981, Princess Diana turned engaged to Prince Charles, receiving a surprising sapphire and diamond cluster ring. This iconic ring sparked waves amongst fiancées-to-be, with everybody dreaming of changing into a princess with an analogous model, making a big comeback for colored gem stones. The sapphire has all the time been favoured amongst royals, for its deep, fascinating color and historic significance, and have become embraced by {couples} in search of a singular various to the normal diamond.