Vintage engagement rings are loved for their embellishments which range from floral to complicated beadings. Bearing a strong influence of the styles of a particular era, these rings are an ode to antiquity. If your bride-to-be is predisposed to antique designs in jewelry or has a particularly nostalgic taste, then your preferred range is vintage rings. But, before start scoping the rings in this section, let’s take a glance through the precious metals these rings are available in.
Gold used in vintage rings are of two main Karats, 18 and 14. While 18K is higher in purity, 14K gold is stronger and quite durable because of the presence of other metals. Both the gold types are alloys that make all three variants of gold, yellow, white and rose gold. Regarding purity, 18K gold scores higher than 14K. 18K gold is 75% pure gold, and the rest is other metals like Copper, Silver, Zink, etc. 14K gold is 58.5% pure, but is much harder than 18K and is, therefore, harder to work with.
The best platinum jewelry however sticks to the 95% purity standard which is how top-quality pure platinum is. The top selling brands do not dip their platinum rings in whitening agents for extra shine and polish.
The Dominant Traits of a Vintage Engagement Ring
A vintage ring stands out by its quality of antiquity which overflows from the lines, shapes, and details of its designs. The designs of vintage engagement rings at Diamonds-USA are acutely influenced by the ideas of the past. Their lines graceful, their motives bold and their details ornamental, vintage engagement rings have some very specific features which easily distinguish them from other styles.
- Mil Grain- Mil grain is a kind of beading which is a distinct decorative feature of vintage ornaments. Jewelers of today replicate these details in vintage-inspired jewelry to create beaded borders around the edge. This typically enhances the elegance of the design giving it a distinctly ornamental look. (Mill Grains=Thousand grains)
- Filigree- Filigree is a design that came to use form the Edwardian era. Ornate and delicate at the same time, filigree is formed by turning and twisting of metal to create a lace-like pattern. Shapes in jewelry close to filigree are ribbons, leaves, and flowers. It is very artistic and is often seen in vintage-inspired engagement rings.
- Botanical Patterns- The nature wise designs came into being in the Georgian Era which was roughly between 1714 and 1830. The jewelers during this time took to depicting elements of nature in their jewelry through intricate designs. Thus jewelry fashioned in that time was heavy on metal works. Common patterns include leaves, flowers, butterflies, vines, etc. Vintage rings inspired by the jewelry is this era feature rich varieties of natural elements.
- Geometric Shapes- A signature style that emerged from the Art Deco era, this one consists of parallel lines and shapes like squares, rectangles, pentagons, octagons, triangles, quadrangles and such.
