Mid Century Modern 18k Cocktail Ring
Mid-20th Century Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Diamond, Platinum, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Zircon, Blue Zircon, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century English Modern Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century French Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Swiss Modernist Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Sapphire, Coral, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Diamond, Coral, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Cocktail Rings
Jade, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Swiss Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Jade, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Ruby, Jade, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k ...
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Jade, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Coral, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Rock Crystal, White Diamond, Diamond, Crystal, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century German Modernist Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century French Modern Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Platinum, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Opal, Fire Opal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Diamond, Amethyst, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1960s Italian Retro Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Modern Cocktail Rings
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Modern Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Belgian Modern Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Lebanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, White Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Diamond, Enamel, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Star Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century French Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White ...
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Mid Century Modern 18k Cocktail Ring For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Mid Century Modern 18k Cocktail Ring?
A Close Look at modern Jewelry
Rooted in centuries of history of adornment dating back to the ancient world, modern jewelry reimagines traditional techniques, forms and materials for expressive new pieces. As opposed to contemporary jewelry, which responds to the moment in which it was created, modern jewelry often describes designs from the 20th to 21st centuries that reflect movements and trends in visual culture.
Modern jewelry emerged from the 19th-century shift away from jewelry indicating rank or social status. The Industrial Revolution allowed machine-made jewelry using electric gold plating, metal alloys and imitation stones, making beautiful jewelry widely accessible. Although mass production deemphasized the materials of the jewelry, the vision of the designer remained important, something that would be furthered in the 1960s with what’s known as the “critique of preciousness.”
A design fair called the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” brought global attention to the Art Deco style in 1925 and gathered a mix of jewelry artists alongside master jewelers like Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin and Boucheron. Art Deco designs from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels unconventionally mixed gemstones like placing rock crystals next to diamonds while borrowing motifs from eclectic sources including Asian lacquer and Persian carpets. Among Cartier’s foremost design preoccupations at the time were high-contrast color combinations and crisp, geometric forms and patterns. In the early 20th century, modernist jewelers like Margaret De Patta and artists such as Alexander Calder — who is better known for his kinetic sculptures than his provocative jewelry — explored sculptural metalwork in which geometric shapes and lines were preferred over elaborate ornamentation.
Many of the innovations in modern jewelry were propelled by women designers such as Wendy Ramshaw, who used paper to craft her accessories in the 1960s. During the 1970s, Elsa Peretti created day-to-night pieces for Tiffany & Co. while designers like Lea Stein experimented with layering plastic, a material that had been employed in jewelry since the mid-19th century and had expanded into Bakelite, acrylics and other unique materials.
Find a collection of modern watches, bracelets, engagement rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right cocktail-rings for You
A flashy symbol of wealth during the early 20th century, antique and vintage cocktail rings have gained broader appeal in the decades since for the hefty dose of glamour they bring to any ensemble.
Cocktail rings earned their name for their frequent appearances during glitzy cocktail parties at the height of the Prohibition era. Back then, these accessories were seen not only as statement pieces but as statements in and of themselves. They openly represented a sense of freedom and independence as well as a demonstration of opulence. After all, the 1920s heralded the Harlem Renaissance and Art Deco design, and a slew of social and cultural shifts meant that women in particular were breaking from pre–World War I conventions and embracing newfound freedoms to express themselves as individuals.
Women expressly wore cocktail rings on the fingers of their right hand versus the left, which was “reserved” for an engagement ring or wedding band, accessories definitely paid for by a suitor. And for cocktail rings, the bigger the colored gem at the center — which is usually mounted in a high setting — and the more elaborate the design, the stronger the likelihood of being noticed.
Cocktail rings remained a popular piece of jewelry for women until the 1930s, when the Great Depression and the onset of war marked a change in behaviors nationwide. While the 1960s and ’70s saw a return in visibility for the accessory, it wasn’t until the 1980s that cocktail rings once again assumed their position as a beacon of luxury and glitz.
During the 20th century, the range of dazzling cocktail rings seems to have been limitless, from glimmering gold rings set with carved jade diamonds designed by David Webb to Pomellato’s pink quartz confections to striking Gucci butterfly rings with accent diamonds set in a pavé fashion.
So, how do you wear a cocktail ring? Cocktail rings “can be worn for almost anything — dinners, date nights, parties, special events, on the red carpet,” explains David Joseph of New York-based jewelry brand Bochic.
Can you wear cocktail rings with other rings? “In my opinion, cocktail rings should stand on their own since they showcase a large gem in the center,” says Joseph.
These glamorous jewels can be worn inside or outside crowded taverns, in either daytime or nighttime with casual or dressy attire. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage cocktail rings, including those offered by Chanel, whose elegant cocktail rings often feature pearls and, of course, diamonds, and sometimes were styled after showy flowers like the camellia, and Van Cleef & Arpels, whose detailed and intricate designs are viewed as miniature pieces of wearable art.