Garrards Ruby And Diamond Ring

The first official Crown Jeweler for the British royal family, Garrard & Co. Limited has crafted iconic and historically celebrated rings, watches, necklaces and other jewelry for centuries. 

Master silversmith George Wickes founded Garrard in 1735 and quickly gained a regal platform with patronage from Frederick, Prince of Wales. The company underwent a range of name changes and shifts in leadership over the years, with Robert Garrard becoming a partner in 1792. He assumed sole control of the firm a decade later and eventually passed the company down to his sons — James, Sebastian and Robert Garrard II — where it would remain in the Garrard family until 1946 with the death of Robert’s great-grandson. 

Garrard Co. Ltd registered its current name in 1909 and, despite a temporary merger and relocation with Asprey, the firm still operates out of its original location on Albermarle St. in London. It was acquired by American private equity firm Yucaipa Companies in 2006.

Garrard created silver, tableware and decorative objects for the royal family as well as the Crown Jewels for a range of coronations beginning with King Edward VII’s in 1902. The esteemed luxury house created Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown, which featured colorless stones and was suitable to be worn while she mourned the passing of her last husband, Prince Albert. Later, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Garrard provided a pair of gold armlets. The company’s 1893 Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara adorns Queen Elizabeth II on British banknotes.

Among Garrard’s best known works is undoubtedly Princess Diana’s engagement ring — a 12-carat blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, set in 18-karat white gold. Unlike most royal engagement rings, the one Princess Diana chose wasn’t a one-of-a-kind piece commissioned from the Crown Jeweler, but rather a catalog offering for anyone who could swing the $60,000 price tag. As a result, this was a matter of controversy within the royal family. It is now Kate Middleton’s ring.

Garrard is committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices. Today, its all-female design team — led by creative director Sara Prentice — continues to merge ageless techniques with modern technology to uphold the firm’s legacy in the creation of precious handcrafted engagement rings, brooches and other adornments. 

While Garrard and the royal family parted ways in 2007, the house still produces pieces that captivate new generations of jewelry wearers all over the world, just as it has for hundreds of years.

Find antique Garrard & Co. Ltd jewelry on 1stDibs.

Antique and vintage rings have long held a special place in the hearts of fine jewelry lovers all over the world.

No matter their origin or specific characteristics, rings are timeless, versatile accessories. They’ve carried deep meaning since at least the Middle Ages, when diamond rings symbolized strength and other kinds of rings were worn to signify romantic feelings or to denote an affiliation with a religious order. Rings have also forever been emblematic of eternity.

Over time, rings have frequently taken the form of serpents, which have long been associated with eternal life, health and renewal. Italian luxury jewelry house Bulgari has become famous for its widely loved Serpenti motif, for example, and its Serpenti ring, like the other accessories in the collection, began as an homage to jewelry of the Roman and Hellenistic eras. The serpent is now a popular motif in fine jewelry. Jewelry devotees have long pined for rings adorned with reptiles, thanks to antique Victorian rings — well, specifically, Queen Victoria’s illustrious engagement ring, which took the form of a gold snake set with rubies, diamonds and an emerald (her birthstone). Designs for Victorian-era engagement rings often featured repoussé work and chasing, in which patterns are hammered into the metal.

Engagement rings, which are reliably intimidating to shop for, are still widely recognized as symbols of love and commitment. On 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings. 

The most collectible antique engagement rings and vintage engagement rings are those from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco eras. Named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who in succession ruled England starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign), antique Georgian rings, be they engagement rings or otherwise, are also coveted by collectors. Pearls, along with colored gemstones like garnets, rubies and sapphires, were widely used in Georgian jewelry. The late-1700s paste jewelry was a predecessor to what we now call fashion or costume jewelry. 

The Art Nouveau movement (1880–1910) brought with it rings inspired by the natural world. Antique Art Nouveau rings might feature depictions of winged insects and fauna as well as women, who were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized, frequently with long flowing hair. Art Deco jewelry, on the other hand, which originated during the 1920s and ’30s, is by and large “white jewelry.” White metals, primarily platinum, were favored over yellow gold in the design of antique Art Deco rings and other accessories as well as geometric motifs, with women drawn to the era’s dazzling cocktail rings in particular.

Whether you’re hunting down a chunky classic for a Prohibition-themed cocktail party or seeking a clean contemporary design to complement your casual ensemble, find an exquisite collection of antique, new and vintage rings on 1stDibs.