Antique Engagement Rings or Vintage Engagement Rings?

So What Really Is The Difference Between Antique and Vintage Engagement Rings?

The terms antique engagement rings and vintage engagement rings often get used and interpreted synonymously. 

Historically, an antique is something that is at least 100 years old, making any engagement ring from 1915 or earlier 

an antique engagement ring.The term vintage has recently been used to refer to costume jewellery and items pre-1970.

To some extent, vintage still means older costume jewellery, costume jewellery being jewellery made with cut glass or

crystal instead of gemstones and often set in sterling silver as opposed to gold and platinum. However, with the evolution

of language the terms antique and vintage tend to go hand in hand and are interchangeable in many peoples minds,

especially people under 40. When people use the terms interchangeably they are really just generalizing the older styles.

Knowledge of the eras that influenced design, such as, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro can help 

you distinguish between the older styles because the features that characterize each period also characterize the look/style 

of engagement rings from that period. The feel is also important. Just like with design, the metal work, the types of gemstones 

and the way gems were cut can help to give you a clear idea of the time period the antique or vintage engagement ring was 

made. When possible we try to give the age of a piece of jewellery that is for sale in our shop, Antique Diamond Engagement 

Ring c.1890, for example. 

Finally, because the historical date that marks an item an antique keeps changing and because successive styles may overlap, 

it may not be easy or always critical to distinguish between antique and vintage items especially when the 100 year marker falls 

between successive periods. For example, to the untrained eye, the two engagement rings in the photos above appear quite 

similar in age and style. However, the ring on the left is an antique engagement ring from the Edwardian period c.1910 and the 

ring on the right is a vintage engagement ring from the Art Deco period c.1920/1930. As you can see, for the most parta millennial

shopperof today, particularly in 2015, could get away with calling either engagement ring antique or vintage.

For a complete list of our antique, vintage and modern engagement rings click here.