Which period turns up most often?

The 1930s is the single busiest decade in the dealers' dating, with 1,298 listings, and Art Deco appears on around a third of all titles. The 1920s follow, then the 1960s and 1950s. Victorian and Edwardian labels are used in place of a year on a good many pieces. Georgian and 18th-century rings appear only as isolated examples.

Are these rings mostly diamond?

Yes. Diamond is named in more than three quarters of titles, which makes it close to universal in the category. Sapphire is the leading coloured stone, then ruby, emerald, opal and pearl. Many coloured-stone rings pair the main gem with diamond shoulders or a diamond surround.

What does a hallmarked date in the title mean?

It means the ring carries a British assay mark that fixes the year, so the listing can read Birmingham 1911 or Chester 1915 rather than circa. Chester and Birmingham recur most in hallmarked titles on Sellingantiques, with London appearing less often. Those dated titles sit higher in the range than ones given only as vintage or Victorian.

Do antique rings come with gem certificates?

Only a handful of titles cite one, using phrases like with Gem Lab Report or with Gem Report. Where they appear, those rings sit high in the range. The great majority of listings describe the stone from the dealer's own reading, with weight, cut and sometimes origin given in the title.

How large do the stones get?

Diamonds run to just over four carats at the top, with 2.62ct, 3.67ct, 4.05ct and 4.27ct among the largest recorded. Coloured stones go further. A 37.60ct aquamarine dress ring is the biggest of all, followed by a 15.33ct cabochon sapphire, a 15.20ct Ceylon yellow sapphire and a 12.00ct star sapphire.

Is there anything unusual in the category?

A thin seam of novelty and sentimental forms runs through it: double serpents, horseshoes, buckles, padlock hearts, evil eye, lover's knot, and acrostic rings whose stones spell a word. Uncommon gems surface now and then too, among them jadeite, alexandrite, demantoid garnet, black opal, chrysoberyl cat's eye, blue zircon and morganite, each represented only a few times.

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Antique Rings

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A gem-set finger ring in gold or platinum, made for betrothal, mourning or simple dress wear, and here running from the early 18th century to the 1960s.