The Unique Vintage Charm Of An Edwardian Engagement Ring

Are you tired of the usual cuts and gemstones used when it comes to engagement rings? Perhaps you want to go back in time, be enamored, and give your loved one a unique piece of a gem called the Edwardian engagement ring.

It Was a Glorious Time

The name "Edwardian" is derived from the time of King Edward VII of England. He ruled the country for around 10 years. When he was still young, his mother, Queen Victoria, did not include him in several political affairs. However, he was still noticed because of his sense of fashion and style.

Perhaps it was his elite fashion that was the inspiration for the creation of unique and flamboyant types of rings. They don't have any specific form or preferred gemstone, but the ring is usually well loved because it always looks different, flashy, yet still traditional and sometimes romantic. Depending on the ring worn, you will know the person's status in society.

Popular Designs

The Edwardian rings became popular even after his reign. The rings were most sought after even until 1920. Because there was a very long period to become creative and there are no direct rules on how to come up with an Edwardian ring, there were a lot of designs that became extremely saleable.

For one, there are a lot of accent stones. These smaller stones are often found on the side of the rings or around the larger stone. This also gave the rise of bezel and pave settings, which are two of the best ways to highlight the accents.

It's also common to add imageries that are related to romanticism. Edwardian rings would often bear hearts and flowers that were patterned according to filigree (twisting wires for the sake of decoration or ornamentation). The more elaborate ones would contain birds and bows.

Moreover, the twisted but perfectly shaped wires are then paired with the arches to add more drama into the ring.

It was also during the Edwardian period that other gemstones were given more notice. Some of these include the emeralds, rubies, aquamarines, and sapphires.

Where to Find the Ring

If you're looking for the real deal, then you should try hitting online and offline vintage shops. It also pays if you can ask your grandparents if they own anything that resembles to any of the above-mentioned designs. You can also opt for the more modern Edwardian rings. Some of them now follow patterns, but there are still accents and platinum, silver, and white gold are utilized more often.