Vintage & Antique Wedding Rings

Isn't it FABULOUS!? My amazing fiance surprised me two weeks before Christmas with this authentic Art Deco engagement ring. It even has the matching wedding band, but of course I will not wear it until our big day :). We never shopped for rings together, or even really discussed it. The proposal was a complete and total surprise! He just knows me so well, he knew what would suit me best. 

He spent a whole year...yes a whole year looking for the perfect ring. I mean, it even has emeralds flanking the sides! The green of course represents peas, since we are two peas in a pod. I think he might have been a little intimidated by the fact I have been selling vintage jewelry and clothes for almost 13 years and he wanted to find something special. However, I told him he could have proposed with a funny gumball ring and I would have been thrilled. I really do not think he could have found a more perfect ring for me!

Now the quest begins for me to find him the perfect wedding band. He just wants something simple, but I think he needs something with some flair to it. I still have a while to look, but I already know I will get him a vintage ring.

TB Dress

With vintage themed weddings being all the rage today, I am surprised authentic vintage engagement jewelry has not skyrocketed in popularity. However, I can understand that most young couples like the ease of going to a modern jewelry store and trying on rings - which can lead to ladies falling in love with a particular modern style. Vintage and antique rings also have sizing limitations which is something you do not typically run into at a modern store since they can order whatever ring they have in stock in the needed size.

The most popular style today is still the tried and true round cut solitaire. In recent years cushion and oval cuts have become more popular, as well as diamond encrusted bands and halos around the center stone. I still do not think anything can beat an authentic vintage ring. The quality and craftsmanship just cannot be beat! 

If you are thinking of getting a vintage ring, here are some things to consider:

 Size:

If you are shopping for a vintage ring, it is best to get one that is your size or close to it. This is true for ladies and gentlemen alike. If you are not sure of your size, there are a zillion charts online to measure and size your finger. The best way however is to go to a jeweler and try on rings. The THICKER the ring, the more snug it will fit on your finger. This is important to keep in mind for the ladies because if they will be wearing a wedding band or even a third eternity band with their engagement ring, they might not need it to be as small as they think. Sizing can also be a problem for vintage rings. 

If the ring has a design on the top or down the sides of the shank, it can only be sized down so far. For example, my ring could only be sized to a 4 even though my finger is a size 3 1/2 (yes, my hands are freakishly small). Some rings cannot be sized any smaller than a 5. But not to worry! Some jewelers can add a sizing bar onto the inside of the shank or even sizing beads that are typically used when a ring "spins" on the finger.

Size is also important for the gents too! If a vintage wedding band has milgrain, chasing, or some other design, it CANNOT be sized down without leaving a seam or break in the design. Vintage men's rings can be sized up very slightly by stretching - but not much. 

Vierk's Fine Jewelry - Etsy

 Style:

Both vintage and modern styles can have their drawbacks - but I am not talking solely about a matter of taste. Some ladies vintage solitaire settings can set up really high, and I mean really high. While it might look impressive to have a high-set ring on your dainty finger, you might find that it will get caught and hooked on everything from your clothes, to hair, to furniture, etc. Another thing you need to consider is that if you use a retro cocktail ring as your engagement ring, it might be very difficult to find or have a wedding band made to wear with it. Many vintage cocktail rings are asymmetrical and not meant to be worn with another band.

One major drawback to the new styles of men's rings I have found is a profile issue. My fiance said a lot of the new gents rings he looked at online for ideas have a really high profile - meaning they come up instead of down toward the finger. To him, this makes the rings look like washers or nuts from the hardware store. This can also be very dangerous because this style is prone to getting caught or hooked on things. My fiance works with pipe and other construction materials and the first thing he said to me when he saw how high they stick up on the sides was, "Yeah, I would get that caught and it would rip my finger off".

If your groom works with his hands - carpentry, plumbing, concrete like my fiance does, you will also want to discuss this with a jeweler. Some finishes are not forgiving when it comes to scratches. A jeweler also told me recently that modern rings made from tungsten or stainless steel are EXTREMELY difficult to remove or cut if the finger were to swell due to jamming or other injury. It is for this reason that a vintage gents ring might be right up your alley because unless they have been polished and restored, they will already have some great character (small scratches and dings) associated with age and wear.

Handmade Spark

Materials:

Today, there is a whole other world out there in terms of materials to use instead of gold, silver, and platinum. Vintage rings will in almost all cases be made of sterling silver, gold - yellow, rose, or white, or platinum. Almost all vintage men's rings are gold and very rarely will one be made of platinum. Today however you have a choice of stainless steel, tungsten, titanium, carbon fiber, mixed metals like silver & copper, wood, ceramic, palladium, or glass in addition to gold, silver, and platinum. You also have hammered or peen finishes, brushed, oxidized, satin, textured, etc.

One drawback I see with these new materials is that in years to come, they might not be in style anymore. While most men likely would not care at all if their wedding band was out of style, it might look odd to have a black carbon fiber ring when all his buddies have timeless gold rings 20 years down the road. This is the beauty of a traditional gents band, it will never go out of style. 

Another problem I have with some of the unconventional materials is damage. While I was initially drawn to some of the new wood and mixed metal rings, I would really not count on the wood part lasting a lifetime without it cracking or getting chipped. Rings with copper on them will eventually oxidize and turn green, which means they will need maintenance. A jeweler was happy to show me, but straight away told me to NOT buy a ceramic or glass ring because they WILL crack within a year or two - then they cannot be repaired.

The Verdict:

Despite the fact that the new materials of rings looks really cool, modern, and futuristic, I think down the road they might not be as popular or become as "timeless" as a conventional band. Since traditional bands have been relatively unchanged for the last 100 years, I will be looking for the perfect vintage ring for my fiance. But, I really do hope to find something as unique and distinctive as he found for me!