Antique Diamond Rings

Antique and vintage diamond rings, Victorian to 1980s: clusters, solitaires, three-stone and cocktail rings set with old mine, old European, rose and brilliant cut diamonds, in platinum, yellow gold and white gold.

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Clusters, solitaires and eternity rings

A cluster rings a centre stone with smaller diamonds and looks larger on the hand for its weight. A solitaire shows one diamond. An eternity ring or half hoop sets a row of matching stones across or around the band. Check that claws are complete and that small stones in a cluster are tight.

Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco diamond rings

Victorian diamond rings are mostly yellow gold, with silver tops on early pieces to whiten the stones. Edwardian rings are platinum or platinum on gold, light and pierced, with millegrain edges. Art Deco rings (1920 to 1935) use platinum, geometric shapes and baguette or calibré stones; rings made later in the same manner are labelled "Art Deco style". Post-war rings return to yellow gold and brilliant cuts.

Reading an antique diamond

Diamonds are graded on colour, clarity, cut and carat weight. Old cuts were not made to modern proportions, so a warm old mine diamond can look livelier by candlelight than a whiter modern stone. Small girdle chips are common after a century of wear and are noted on the listing. Where a diamond has a laboratory report, the listing gives it; otherwise weights and grades are careful estimates. Platinum holds claws securely, which is why it became the standard for diamond rings from about 1900.

Questions

What is a vintage diamond ring?

A diamond ring made in an earlier decade, usually the 1930s to the 1980s; an antique diamond ring is over 100 years old. Both are originals, not modern rings made in an old style.

How can you tell if a diamond ring is antique?

The cut is the best clue: rose, old mine and old European cuts were made before the 1930s. Hand-made settings, silver or platinum tops on gold, and British hallmark date letters also help date a ring.

Do diamond rings have a hallmark?

Gold and platinum rings sold in Britain must be hallmarked above set weights, and the mark is on the metal, not the diamond. Platinum was hallmarked in Britain only from 1975, so earlier platinum rings may be unmarked or stamped PLAT.

Are old cut diamonds less sparkly?

They sparkle differently: broad, slower flashes of light and colour rather than the fine glitter of a modern brilliant.