Vintage Diamond Rings

How do I know if my diamond ring is vintage or antique?

Antique diamond rings are over 100 years old, while vintage diamond rings are over 20 years old. If your ring has a hallmark, you can use this to date the ring. If not, it's best to get the ring expertly appraised. Experienced jewellers can tell the try age of a diamond ring by the construction methods used, ring style and design, and the cut and condition of the gemstones.

Are vintage diamond rings valuable?

Absolutely, yes. Diamonds are valuable stones, and the better quality the diamond, the more expensive the ring. The desirability of the ring style also has some bearing on the value of the piece. Vintage diamonds rings are always a good investment when bought from a reputable dealer or jeweller. They have been coveted items of jewellery for thousands of years and there is no doubt that will continue.

How do I find the value of an antique diamond ring?

In the United Kingdom, the best person for the job is an experienced jeweller/gemmologist or an IRV - that is, a member of the Institute of Registered Valuers. It's important to realise that diamond rings can only be valued in person, it cannot be achieved via emailed photographs. The jeweller or IRV will need to examine the ring and the stone closely with their loupe and microscope, grade it for cut, colour and clarity and carat weight. Not always easy to do when the stone is set in a ring as opposed to loose. An experienced eye is required.

When to consider a vintage diamond engagement ring?

Antique and vintage diamonds rings are best suited to people who want an ethical engagement ring. Second hand or pre owned rings are a good ethical choice, as the carbon footprint is low, and the more people that wear and use the ring, so the ecological impact of the stone's mining becomes less burdensome. There's also the history and magic of antique jewellery to consider as well, and perhaps this the main pull towards vintage diamond rings. Old rings have lived through a lot - world wars, uprisings, scandals, changes in governments, shifts in the social fabric of society. OK, rings don't have eyes and ears! But if they did, antique diamond rings would have some serious stories to tell of times gone by. And that's a truly wonderful thing - to wear a piece of history on one's finger and to add to its story.