What Makes An Antique Princess Cut Engagement Ring Special

Princess cut engagement rings have only recently climbed the popularity charts. Because of this, an antique princess cut engagement ring will not necessarily be easy to find. You will readily find antique round cut engagement rings or oval cut engagement rings, but not necessarily the antique square princess cut engagement ring that you are looking for. Because it will be so difficult to find, you know that this particular ring will be the most unique and one of a kind ring that you could possibly find for your special someone.

The best place to find an antique engagement ring is, obviously, in an antique store. However, there are better antique stores than others to look in. Because you are looking for an authentic engagement ring, you will want to look in higher end stores. Cheap antique stores most likely will not have a real diamond engagement ring. However, if you do find an engagement ring in a cheap store, it might be real, so do not immediately discount it.

Checking Authenticity On Your Antique Princess Cut Engagement Ring

It will be necessary for you to check the authenticity of your antique princess cut engagement ring once you find it, especially if you find it in a cheaper antique store. It is not difficult to get your ring authenticated. All you have to do is bring it to a jeweler and pay a nominal fee to have it appraised. Whenever you purchase from an antique store, if you are spending a large amount of money you should make sure that there is some type of return policy in place. Without it, you could unintentionally purchase a princess cut cubic zirconium engagement ring that is worth next to nothing instead of the antique princess cut genuine diamond engagement ring that you are looking for. So before you finalize your purchase, make sure that the ring is legit.

Simply Elegant

If the bride-to-be is a woman of more simple tastes, where she enjoys some flair, but does not like things to be too complicated, then choosing a ring from the Victorian era is probably the best choice. Rings of this era tended towards the solitaire, where there is one focal point to the ring, a single stone.

Just because the ring is less intricate doesn’t mean it is without personality. Antique engagement ring designs of this era give plenty of choices. The stones used in this era are diamonds, pearls, opals, rubies and even sapphires. You may find a bridal set in this era, but normally the engagement ring is meant to be worn alone as a simple statement of love and commitment.

Luxuriously Intricate

Antique engagement ring design of the Edwardian era tended toward the luxurious, where the wealthy could show off their wealth. The more detailed and intricate the antique engagement ring design, the better. If the bride-to-be likes here jewelry to be an accent, if not a statement, then this is the era for her.

The rings of this era also tend to be a solitaire, but the settings and mountings are much more detailed and the use of platinum is also increasingly common. Since technology advanced during this era, the lacey, interwoven patterns were a beautiful change from the more simplistic designs of the earlier era.

Artistically Beautiful

The antique engagement ring design of the Art Deco era was based on the architectural style of the time, which used geometric shapes and color to create an artistic work. If the bride-to-be has an artistic flair and likes her jewelry to be a centerpiece of her look, then the Art Deco era is a great place to look.

These rings use a centerpiece stone, which may or may not be a diamond, and place accent stones around it in geometric patterns. There are also nods to Egyptian, Asian and Native American art in some of the antique engagement ring designs of this era. At times these rings can be costly. To get the same look but at a lesser cost, vintage engagement rings are a great option. These rings are created in the same styles as the older rings but at a lesser cost.

Why Rubies?

Rubies have been known as the stone of preference for kings. Finding large, clear, deeply colored rubies are difficult to find, so they tend to be quite expensive. A ruby of choice has a deep red color, rather than the pinkish hues you more often see in lesser pieces. Therefore, antique ruby engagement rings are a rare pick, and a perfect choice for a once in a lifetime occasion.

Victorian and Edwardian Eras

The Victorian and Edwardian eras were known for their luxurious stones set in stylistic mountings. In the Victorian era especially, an antique ruby engagement ring would be a ring of choice, since they were more apt to use other precious stones than the traditional diamond. In choosing an antique ruby engagement ring, you are likely to find inclusions, or imperfections, in the stone. This is due to various reasons, technology of the time, misuse over the years or the choice of stone at the time.

Art Deco Era

The Art Deco era also includes antique ruby engagement rings. This era was known for its artistic flair, and the use of centerpiece stones besides diamonds was even more common. The ruby is a brilliant and striking stone, so it often became, if not the centerpiece of an engagement ring, at least the main accent of the piece, being paired with diamonds for a flashy look. The stones of this period are less likely to have the inclusions of the earlier time period due to technology, but each ring has to be carefully viewed for its quality.

Cut of Rubies

Antique engagement ring design guides the process of choosing the cut of the ruby in an antique ruby engagement ring. The most common cuts found in antique rings are oval or cushion cuts since the technology to do the more extravagant cuts found today was not available during those time periods.

Another cut that is very rare in antique ruby engagement rings is the star ruby, which is cut so that the large inclusion in the ruby is perfectly centered so that it looks like a six sided star. Antique ruby engagement rings were also not submitted to heat treatment, which helps rubies today to have a deeper color and luster.

Different Eras, Different Mountings

Antique engagement ring mountings have changed through the years according to the era, the technology available, and the styles of the day. In the Victorian era, antique engagement ring mountings were normally with a single stone, set apart in beauty and simplicity. The mounting was in gold, since the technology to use platinum mountings was not yet available. The stones were not necessarily chosen for their clarity, they were chosen for their size and uniqueness, so colored stones were treasured as one of a kind. They also would choose pearls and opals during this era as the center mounting.

In the Edwardian era, things changed considerably in antique engagement ring mountings. New technology allowed for platinum to be used in mountings, which is stronger and allows for more intricate patterns. Edwardian mountings were very intricate, since the fashion of the time declared that the more luxurious and intricate the ring, the more wealth the person had.

There were also more options for cutting the diamonds during this era, such as cushion or emerald cut were used, although round stones were the most common. In this era prongs were still predominantly used in antique engagement ring mountings, although bezel settings can also be found. Diamonds were the predominant stone of this era, although other stones, like sapphires and rubies, were sometimes used. Like the Victorian era, diamonds were not always chosen for their clarity, they were chosen for their uniqueness, which meant colored stones were popular.

The Art Deco era encompassed a entirely new range of antique engagement ring mountings. During this era, the mounting would include the main stone, but would also include the main accent stones, so that the entire piece became one work of art. Technology had advanced some more so that platinum was the most common metal used, allowing for holes to be made in the metal, producing even more fabulous mounting designs. In addition, diamonds were not necessarily the stone of choice for the main mounting. Antique ruby engagement rings can also be found, changing up the traditional look and fitting artsy flair of the Art Deco period.

Pros to Buying a Set

When buying an antique engagement ring it is a purchase of a unique product, of which you will not see another like it. One of the more difficult issues for couples who are interested in buying an antique engagement ring is to match the wedding band to the engagement ring so that it makes a complete set. It is difficult to match an antique wedding band to the antique engagement ring.

The easiest solution to this problem is to buy an antique engagement ring set. That way the original jeweler created the set as a whole from the start, from the design stage through the creation process. In the Elizabethan era, rings were created using different types of gold as well as various colors of diamonds, chosen especially for the overall design effect. The stones were matched beforehand so that the set would end up as a complete unit. It is almost impossible to come up with a set that fits together so beautifully when buying them as separate units as buying an antique engagement ring set.

Cons to Buying a Set

The problem with buying a set is that there is a much more limited supply available of antique engagement ring sets verses individual pieces. The main reason behind this is that during estate sales or sales to antique shops and jewelers, the sets are often separated. The reasons for the separation of sets are myriad, the most common of which are either because a party wants to keep a part of the set, or for monetary gain.

Since the supply of antique engagement ring sets is limited, it rules out a vast supply of antique engagement rings that are beautifully crafted and may fit the specific era or style that a couple is looking to buy. For instance, there are so many choices of antique art deco engagement rings which may not come in a set. If a couple is patient enough and has the time to spend looking at individual pieces, it is possible to start with the perfect antique engagement ring and then go on to match it to a complementary antique wedding band, thus completing the set.

Three Main Eras, Many Options

The most recent era is from 1920-1930, which is called the Art Deco era. Re-creating rings from this era is a lot of fun, since it is full of geometric shapes, with sleek lines and a lot of ‘glam.’ Antique style engagement ring artists can also have a lot of fun with the Egyptian, Native American and Asian themes that are also common during this era. Finally, there is the ability to play with platinum, diamonds as well as accenting the entire look with other color-packed gems. Just like the clothing of that era, antique style engagement rings are full of life and fun!

If the look desired is a little more formal, yet still having use of a more modern metals such as platinum, then the Edwardian engagement rings are the ones to re-create. This is the era running from 1900-1920. There were some technological advances during this era that allowed artisans to use platinum for the first time. They were also able to pierce the bands, allowing for more intricate patterns in the bands and settings. This gives a buyer a lot of options in an antique style engagement ring mimicking this era. In addition to the intricacy of the bands and settings, sapphires were also a stone of choice along with diamonds, which also had the ability to be rose cut during this era.

Finally, the oldest era is the Victorian era from 1835-1900. This era really takes an antique style engagement ring buyer back in time, since even the type of gold used isn’t commonly seen in modern engagement rings. Further, diamonds were not the only stones used in this era, as pearls, opals and emeralds were also used, which are softer and not as commonly used in engagement rings today. However, the uniqueness of the stones and metals of this era create a plethora of possibilities in creating an antique style engagement ring. In addition, the rings created in all of these eras also may come in an antique engagement ring set so that the engagement ring and wedding band flow together into one complete artistic work, thus giving the antique style artisan an assortment of choices.

The best places to look for authentic antique engagement rings are jewelers and specialists in the field, even though you can also find great pieces online, as well as at pawn shops and estate sales. The difficulty for a new buyer is the time and knowledge required in order to recognize an authentically antique ring. Again, vintage rings are often great imitations of a period piece, but if an authentic antique engagement ring is what is desired, then jewelry shops that specialize in antiques are the best option.

Loving the flaws

If a buyer has some knowledge of antique engagement rings, there are still some important things to keep in mind. One difference between modern engagement rings and antique rings is the type and quality of the stones in the ring. Antique ring makers did not follow the same standards of clarity and color in the diamonds chosen for the rings. They would often choose diamonds that were of a specific color, such as yellow, green or rose colored in order to achieve the look they desired.

In addition to color, maker of antique engagement rings didn’t have the same tools that jewelers of today have at their disposal. Therefore, the cuts made in the diamonds might not be smooth and flawless like they are today. Diamonds were also not necessarily the stone of choice during certain eras when pearls, emeralds or opals might be used. It is important to keep these qualities of antique rings in mind while looking at the stones in antique engagement rings because there might be flaws or cracks due to the era of creation, rather than misuse.

Although antique engagement rings may have minor flaws in the stones, the setting and artistry of these older rings are usually beautiful. Unlike antique style engagement rings, where a jeweler has attempted to mimic a ring from an older era, an antique ring has a craftsmanship that is hard to achieve today without considerable expense. Antique engagement rings give you an opportunity to have a one-of-a-kind ring for a one-of-a-kind day. The important thing is for the buyer to look carefully at the stones, the craftsmanship and the quality when buying an antique engagement ring.