What period are most cocktail rings from?

The dated listings run from 1800 to 1960, but the weight is late. The 1930s, 1950s and 1960s between them account for the bulk, with the 1920s close behind. Victorian, Edwardian and 19th century pieces are a small part of the whole. Dating in this category is the dealer's approximation from style, not a hallmark reading.

Which stones turn up most often?

Diamond, far ahead of everything else, and named in the majority of titles. Sapphire leads the coloured stones, then emerald, then ruby. Amethyst and aquamarine appear regularly too, usually as large single stones in 9ct or 14ct mounts. Opal, pearl, tourmaline, zircon, jade and turquoise each surface in smaller numbers.

Is there a difference between a dress ring and a cocktail ring?

Not in practice. The two words are used interchangeably across the listings for the same thing: a large ring with a raised gem-set head, worn for show rather than as a wedding or engagement band. 'Dress' appears in a fair number of titles, often on the bigger single-stone semi-precious rings.

Why do some titles name a country for the stone?

Origin names like Ceylon, Colombian, Burmese, Mogok, Zambian and Australian mark out gems whose source has been identified, and they appear almost exclusively at the top of the range. Ceylon is the only one common enough to count as a recurring term. The others surface a handful of times each, often alongside gem report or certification wording.

Do listings state the ring size?

Usually not. Size appears in only a small fraction of titles, so the majority of listings leave it out. What titles do carry, more often, is metal, stone and construction: 18ct, platinum, cluster, bombé, tank.

What does Art Deco mean on one of these?

It points to the geometric styling of the 1920s and 30s: flat panels and plaques, target and navette heads, pavé and chequer settings, generally in platinum or white gold. Around a third of titles in the category use the term, which makes the deco diamond and sapphire cluster the single most familiar type on Sellingantiques.

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Antique Cocktail Rings

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A cocktail or dress ring is a large gem-set finger ring built around a raised, showy head, made to be worn for evening and social occasions rather than as an engagement or wedding band.