There is a difference.

While a vintage ring should be at least 20 years old, Antique means the piece is at least 150 years old and carries extra value simply for its historical significance.

Creating an engagement ring with a vintage style means your ring features elements of the intricate jewellery design from eras gone by, from the late 1800s to the 1960s. Examples of these vintage design elements are: milgrain detailing, filigree cut outs, diamond or gemstone halos, floral engraving, or pavé diamond ring settings. From organic engraving and geometric patterns to opulent embellishments and bright colours, vintage-inspired engagement rings make that striking statement. But, unlike truly vintage rings, they’re also crafted from the highest quality material so that they may be worn and treasured for a lifetime.

A vintage-inspired engagement ring is a newly crafted ring designed to resemble styles from past eras, like Art Deco, Victorian or Edwardian. These rings are specifically designed to incorporate intricate details like filigree, milgrain, hand engraving, and unique gemstone cuts. However, they will use modern materials and techniques to ensure wearability and durability. 

Unlike true vintage or antique rings, vintage-inspired rings offer the charm of classic designs with all the benefits of contemporary craftsmanship and modern improvements. They are perfectly suited for those who love vintage aesthetics but want a ring with newer materials, improved durability, and more customisable options.

A vintage, or antique diamond typically refers to all diamonds cut before the 1900s when the modern brilliant cut was invented. The history of diamond cutting dates back to the Middle Ages and people developed different ways of cutting gemstones all over the world.

When talking about gemstones, the cut does not necessarily refer to the shape, but to the symmetry and proportion of the finished gemstone. The difference between vintage or antique diamond cuts and modern cuts is that at the turn of the 20th century, due to the development of diamond saws and jewellery lathes,  an advancement in the theory of gemstone cutting occurred. The Belgian diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky invented the modern brilliant cut, known for its incredible refraction of light and its truly intense fire.

There are hundreds of different ways to cut a diamond or a gemstone, but here are some of the most common types of vintage or antique cuts that you will find today.

The single cut diamond is considered the simplest form of the round brilliant cut, with eight facets on the pavilion and the table. The single cut was developed around the 15th century, following the simple point cut. As this cut has so few facets (a modern round brilliant cut has 58 facets) the effect this has on its appearance is distinctive. The facets display large, luminous flashes of colour.

The rose cut diamond dates back to the 16th century and is often seen in antique jewellery. It features 3-24 triangular facets, peaking into a rose shape, resembling the soft curve of a rose. Rose cut diamonds are known to be hand-carved by jewellers and are therefore quite rare. A rose cut diamond would make a very one-of-a-kind vintage diamond engagement ring.

The old cut diamond was one of the first brilliant cuts, developed by the Venetian polisher Vincent Peruzzi, increasing the number of facets from 17 in a rose cut to 33. The old mine cut is usually a rounded square or rectangular shape, this early brilliant cut was the predecessor of the cushion cut. This advancement revealed the diamond’s potential for unsurpassable brilliance. If you look closely you’ll see that the old mine cut has a particularly beautiful inner fire.

The old European cut came before the round brilliant cut diamond, featuring 58 facets. But what makes this cut unique is the intention with which it was created. It was made to be worn in low candlelight where they produce a stunning glow, unmatched by any other cut.

It’s all about what matches the wearer’s style and aesthetic. A vintage-inspired engagement ring offers a beauty that transcends time, intricate and intentional detailing, and a romantic, heirloom-like appeal. Unlike minimalist modern designs, vintage-inspired rings showcase more ornate craftsmanship, adding so much more character. 

They are also able to use the benefits of new materials, durability, and customisation while still paying homage to the years gone by. If you love the charm of historical jewellery but want a new, well-crafted piece that suits your lifestyle, a vintage-inspired engagement ring is the perfect combination of old-world elegance and modern practicality.

Many notable celebrities like Kate Middleton, Olivia Wilde, and Jennifer Aniston have been known to wear vintage engagement rings. Being inspired by vintage eras has always been part of fashion and styling, so it’s safe to assume they will remain popular for years to come, until the rings of today become vintage as well.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s engagement ring is the ultimate vintage piece. The iconic oval Ceylon blue sapphire ring once belonged to Princess Diana, given to her by Prince Charles. The ring was crafted by the then crown jeweller, Garrard. Prince William proposed to Kate with the sapphire ring and said he did so as a “way to make sure my mother didn’t miss out on today and the excitement.”

Clues it’s Georgian:

• Typical Georgian engagement ring settings include clusters and mounted bezels crafted in 22ct or 18ct gold.
• Natural and organic themes with intricate shapes usually achieved through milgrain or filigree. These design elements are a moulded metalwork detail, typically seen in vintage engagement ring design. Motifs often seen included love knots, hearts, leaves, wheatsheaf patterns, and flowers.
• Experimental diamond cutting was common in order to maximise the diamond’s light performance. In years previous, most jewellery was set with an enclosed back and a piece of foil was positioned behind the diamond to increase its brilliance.

During Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901, everything in society, including engagement rings, seemed to reflect and revolve around the life and times of the monarch. She harboured a very public love of diamond jewellery herself that sparked a revolution in rings and other pieces of fine jewellery around the globe.

With a reign spanning 64 years, the Victorian jewellery era is separated into three periods. However, the distinctive design elements of the time remained throughout, featuring intricate, decorative styles centred around Her Majesty. This symbolised the beginning of the Romantic jewellery period.

It’s also worth noting that the Victorian era witnessed an enormous and progressive shift in industry, society and fashion that made jewellery far more suitable for mass manufacture, and more accessible for purchase and wear. Firstly, lower metal carat alloys (15ct, 12ct and 9ct gold) were introduced into the market. Secondly, mines in South Africa were opened in 1870 which meant larger diamonds than ever before became readily available for an emerging middle-class market.

This period reflected the early years of the young monarch’s reign and the excitement it brought with it. Typical early Victorian jewellery featured:

• Large, bright gemstones; typically amethyst, amber, bloodstone, pearl, garnet, chalcedony agate, ruby, smoky quartz, and topaz. Any of these gemstones could make a wonderful cocktail ring, but we recommend a gemstone that is more durable for an engagement ring since they’re worn every day. Ring designs were crafted with delicate edges and open settings to show off the centre stone’s glory or often featured in cameos.
• Mixed media rings increased in popularity, featuring materials that weren’t typically paired in jewellery, such as ivory, coral and tortoiseshell with precious gemstones. Much like Georgian jewellery, designs were inspired by fauna and flora alike, featuring details like doves, snakes, leaves, floral garlands, vines, hearts and even eyes.
• Designs were inspired by ostentatious creatures, such as serpents. Representative of eternal love, snakes became popular motifs in early Victorian jewellery. Queen Victoria herself received an engagement ring featuring a snake with an emerald set in its head from Prince Albert, and just like royals of today, whatever she wore became all the rage.
• Rose cut and old European cut diamonds were used as feature centre stones throughout all three stages of the Victorian Era and remain popular in today’s market.
• Bold designs such as elaborate Celtic-inspired knots and twists, perhaps inspired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s presence in Scotland, having bought an estate in Balmoral.

• The mid-Victorian jewellery period coincided with the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Victoria was devastated by his death and began to wear memorial rings, also known as mourning rings. Having once seen popularity in the Georgian period, the sentimentality of the romantic period saw the jewellery aesthetic develop to reflect the mourning and loss experienced by the nation’s beloved Queen.
• Victorian engagement rings became less ornate and far more sleek and sophisticated – though still mostly hand-crafted.

• The late Victorian jewellery period saw jewellery return to more feminine and soft motifs
• Designs were once again set with bright, decadent gemstones such as pearl, ruby, sapphire, topaz, zircon, and diamonds
• Many late Victorian jewellery designs feature diamond clusters and play on light and delicate finishes which inspired the following Edwardian period
• While gold carat alloys remained popular, platinum was widely used and innovations in machinery resulted in higher levels of mass jewellery production.
• More elaborate motifs emerged, such as stars, crowns, bows, ribbons and even Egyptian designs, inspired by movements and inspirations around the world.

The Art Nouveau era began in the 1890s and lasted to around 1910, overlapping with the late Victorian era. It was an incredibly creative time with society expressing a desire to break the rigidity of Victorian design, lifestyle and aesthetics. Free-flowing lines were the defining motif of the Art Nouveau era, perhaps reflective of the prosperity and increased social freedoms of the time.

Clues It’s Art Nouveau:

• Designs initially focused on creative portrayals of nature which later developed into experimentations of geometric shapes, which ultimately served as inspiration for the Art Deco movement.
• Symmetry, feminine swirls and lacy filigree flows are all typical design elements in Art Nouveau jewellery.
• Took inspiration from Japanese art and design.
• White gold and platinum took centre stage throughout this period
• Halos and accent stones were often used in designs to emphasise a soft, feminine and floral aesthetic.

Like the Georgian era, the Edwardian era is named after its monarch, in this case, King Edward VII who reigned from 1901 – 1910. The overall style of Edwardian jewellery, and product design in general, captured the increasingly carefree attitudes of the nation.

• This era of design is synonymous with details. Decorative, elaborate and intricately carved metalwork, also known as filigree, made its debut in this era and was executed to a never-before-seen level. An Edwardian engagement ring typically features incredibly ornate detail.
• Colourful gems made another comeback as well as lustrous stones like opal, moonstone and mother-of-pearl
• Advancements in diamond cutting meant that new fancy diamond cuts emerged such as the baguette, tapered baguette, trapeze, shield, and triangular cuts
• Edwardian jewellery design was aimed to showcase a single design element, such as a centre stone or an intricate basket.

Between 1915 and 1935, society saw an evolution in social freedoms, technological advancements and fashion trends. The Art Deco era embraced the wave of social change spreading across not only the nation but the globe. These changes inspired a drastic change in jewellery design, clothing, furniture and architecture, to be eclectic.

Art Deco also nods to the Art Nouveau period by often featuring ribbons, swirls and floral designs, but combining them with bold, geometric shapes.

• The Asscher cut, although originally developed in 1902, this cut didn’t surge in popularity until the Art Deco period. Beautiful in a trilogy setting, these cuts are known for their large, open tables and are the right choice for lovers who seek a simple nod to vintage elegance in a diamond engagement ring.
• It’s white gold or platinum, seeing as yellow gold saw a serious slump in this period.
• Colourful gemstones and large diamonds were all the rage. Gemstones typically featured were: emeralds, sapphires, jade, black onyx, rubies, crystal, and mother-of-pearl
• Milgrain is a raised beading detail that is often seen in antique-style jewellery and rose to fame again in the Art Deco period. Typically featured along the edges of ring designs. Milgrain serves as a textured frame, emphasising the beauty of the gemstone or diamond at the centre.

The retro era spanned from 1935-1950 and rings in this period emerged under historically turbulent conditions. Primary influences on jewellery design were the Great Depression, the aftermath of two World Wars, and the emergence of original Hollywood glamour icons.

• Takes the static and geometric shapes of Art Deco design and softens them with the free-flowing styles of Edwardian and Art Nouveau periods. The key difference from the preceding design periods is that retro jewellery was flashy and glamorous.
• The vivid designs lead to a prevalence of costume and cocktail jewellery. Actresses dazzled audiences from the big screen and red carpet events alike showcasing exceptionally large diamonds and coloured gemstones.
• Unsurprisingly, retro engagement rings also tended to be more fun, sculptural, and adventurous than styles of the past.
• Gold became the primary metal used in jewellery as platinum had been reserved for the wartime effort.

Whatever time period strikes your fancy, there are fascinating details to the facets of the gemstones as well as some meticulous metalwork. If the limitations of an antique ring, like its more delicate materials and less durable design, are a factor, but you still love the vintage look, then a vintage-inspired ring is the way forward. It has so many customisation options that can transport you to any era you like, and ensure the ring will last into the next era and beyond.