Everyone knows the demand for vintage diamond rings has been going strong for quite some time now. The trick is, how many people know exactly what the characteristics of vintage diamond rings are? Any jeweller can pick a few second-hand diamond rings from his collection and call them “vintage”. Knowing the more common traits of true vintage diamond rings, however, can help ensure you are getting the real deal.
One of the first things many people notice about true vintage diamond rings is the gold itself. While modern diamond rings typically come in 14kt gold or 18kt gold, vintage diamond rings were most commonly made with 9kt or 10kt gold. This was often due to the fact that the cost of purer gold made jewellery harder to afford. The lower karat golds also tended to be somewhat stronger and longer lasting, as the lower karat also meant a high concentration of stronger metals such as steel. This added strength is also one of the main reasons that so many diamond rings from back in the day are still in circulation today and being used as heirloom diamond rings. If you prefer diamond rings with higher gold concentrations, most vintage inspired rings in production today are made from either 14kt or 18kt gold.
The second most common feature among vintage diamond rings was their artistic nature. Art deco diamond rings focused on unique angles that were often architectural in nature. Victorian and Edwardian diamond rings were designed to be delicate while also being extremely intricate. Regardless of the time period the diamond rings came from, the bands tended to be highly detailed or encrusted with small stones. In essence, every visible surface area of the diamond rings was made to be beautiful.
While vintage diamond rings did use quite a few diamonds, particularly smaller stones used for accents, they also relied heavily on other gemstones as well. Similar to the gold concentration in vintage diamond rings, the inclusion of gemstones also helped to keep prices as affordable as possible. Not to mention the fact that, while diamond rings on their own may be a beautiful sight to behold, gemstone and diamond rings have their own unique visual appeal.