Which period do most of these rings come from?

The interwar years. The 1930s account for the largest block of dated listings, with the 1920s behind them, and the two together make up close to half of everything with a clean year. After that come the 1950s, Edwardian, 1960s, 1940s and 1910s, then Victorian and the 1890s. The dated field as a whole spans 1800 to 1960.

What metal are antique diamond rings usually in?

Gold, and 18ct more than any other standard. 9ct, 14ct and 15ct all appear too. Platinum shows up in a large minority of titles, sometimes as the whole ring, more often as the settings on a gold shank. That gold-and-platinum combination is a signature of interwar work.

Why are the diamonds described as old cut?

Because they were cut before modern proportions were standardised. Old cut and old European cut stones have a small table and an open culet, and the facets were judged by eye. Rose cut stones are flat-backed with triangular facets, and turn up on the earlier rings. Transitional cuts sit between old European and the modern round brilliant, and appear on rings from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Are coloured stones common in this category?

Yes. The great majority of these rings pair diamonds with a coloured gem rather than using diamonds alone. Sapphire is the usual partner, well ahead of ruby and emerald. Opal, pearl, aquamarine, turquoise, garnet, citrine, amethyst, tanzanite and spinel all appear as well.

Do any makers' names appear on these rings?

No maker or retailer runs through this category. A scan of the descriptions returned nothing that stands as a category-wide name. What does get quoted is the assay mark. Birmingham, Chester and London all appear in titles, and Chester, an office closed long since, recurs on Edwardian and Victorian pieces.

How many come up for sale each year?

Around 534 antique diamond rings are listed in a year on Sellingantiques, from 64 different dealers. That is one of the broadest dealer bases in the jewellery categories. The supply is steady rather than seasonal, and clusters, solitaires and half-hoops make up the bulk of it.

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Antique Diamond Rings

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Diamond-set finger rings from the early 19th century to the 1960s, made as betrothal and dress jewels, and dominated on Sellingantiques by interwar clusters and half-hoops in 18ct gold.