Victorian Birmingham Ring
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Fashion Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 15k Gold
Antique 1880s English Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
Antique 1890s English Victorian Band Rings
Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Fashion Rings
Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Signet Rings
Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, 15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Fashion Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Band Rings
9k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s British Late Victorian Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Solitaire Rings
Garnet, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian Band Rings
Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s British Late Victorian Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s British Victorian Fashion Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian More Rings
Gold, Enamel
Antique Late 19th Century English Edwardian Signet Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s European Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s English Victorian More Rings
18k Gold
Antique 1850s British Victorian More Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold
Antique 1870s British Victorian More Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold
Antique 1880s British Victorian More Rings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold
Antique 1880s European Victorian Cluster Rings
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Cluster Rings
Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian Band Rings
Diamond, Gold
Mid-20th Century British Victorian Band Rings
Garnet, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s British More Rings
Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian More Rings
Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel, 22k Gold
Antique 1870s English Victorian Cocktail Rings
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1830s British Victorian More Rings
Garnet, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Gold
Antique 1870s English Victorian Signet Rings
Agate, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1850s English Victorian More Rings
18k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Band Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s Unknown Victorian Cluster Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s Unknown Cluster Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Dome Rings
Chrysoberyl, Diamond, 22k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire
Antique 1880s Victorian Signet Rings
Agate, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Cluster Rings
Diamond, 15k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s European Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s British Edwardian Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
Antique 1870s British Victorian Cluster Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Ruby, Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s English High Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Amethyst, 10k Gold, White Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Cluster Rings
Turquoise, Gold, 15k Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Late Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s British Cocktail Rings
Garnet, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s British Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Victorian Birmingham Ring For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Victorian Birmingham Ring?
A Close Look at Victorian Jewelry
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria & Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Rings for You
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 Bvlgari 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.
- What is a Victorian ring?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021Victorian rings are usually made with fine metals and feature impressive gemstones in ornate settings. The style of Victorian jewelry was defined during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901). Early Victorian rings were large, brightly colored, and boldly designed, with gemstones such as bloodstones, chalcedonies, garnets, moss agate, rubies, smoky quartz and topazes. During the mid-Victorian period, the designs were more sophisticated, using gemstones such as opals, crystals, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, black glass, jet, and rubies. In the late-Victorian period, platinum became widely used in the jewelry of the era and replaced gold and silver settings for the first time. Find a collection of antique and vintage Victorian rings on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 1, 2023Yes, many Victorians gave engagement rings to their fiancées. In fact, the tradition of giving engagement rings became more popular during the Victorian era due to the effects of the Industrial Revolution. The economic growth of the time led to the creation of a middle class that had the ability to save up for special purchases. At the same time, gemstones mined in South Africa began arriving in England, increasing the supply of precious stones and making prices more affordable. Explore an assortment of antique Victorian engagement rings on 1stDibs.
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Our Guide to Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco Engagement Rings
Learn about these antique jewelry styles, then choose a design that speaks to you.
How to Buy a Vintage or Antique Engagement Ring
Will your beloved be enchanted by an Edwardian ring or a trendy Art Deco piece? We clue you into period styles and tips for finding the perfect ring.