Vhernier Pirouette

Vhernier has a progressive approach to modern jewelry rooted in patience with meticulous attention to detail. The Italian brand was founded in 1984 in Valenza, a historic jewelry city, as a goldsmith’s workshop. It crafts timeless rings, earrings, bracelets and other fine pieces. 

Carlo Traglio, a former bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola, was a passionate collector of Vhernier jewelry before, in 2001, he acquired the company. Angela Camurati, Vhernier’s co-founder and design lead, insisted on two conditions: first, that the design philosophy could not change. The second condition was that the company would stay in Valenza.

Vhernier continues to be boldly different, and that is as true in their designs as their production methods. In the same town as jewelry giants BVLGARI, Fope and Damiani, Vhernier has workshops specializing in various aspects of its creations. Pieces travel from goldsmiths, to gem setters, to polishers before reaching a quality control headquarters.

Vhernier’s most iconic piece, the Calla necklace, took years of conceptualizing to perfect a cone-shaped design that has remained largely unchanged since its inception. The conical motif is adaptable and provides a consistency across necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Calla necklaces have been released in titanium, ebony and platinum, bringing this enduring favorite into the 21st century.

The exclusive Vhernier Bridge bracelet is another exemplary piece with smooth sides and precise edges which feature hidden diamonds and gemstones between sections. Each Bridge bracelet takes 45 days to create, with the company producing around eight per year.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Vhernier rings, bracelets, earrings and more.

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.