Our love for diamond rings, luxury watches and other antique and vintage fine jewelry and estate jewelry goes back thousands of years.
Jewelry has long been a symbol of spiritual strength, wealth or power and, of course, a means of personal expression. While materials and processes employed by the world’s most popular jewelry houses — Tiffany & Co., Cartier, BVLGARI and others — have evolved over time, humans still gravitate toward many of the same accessories that our ancestors wore.
Ancient Egyptians were often hard at work designing jewelry and adorning themselves with an array of necklaces, rings and other items, and nearly every Egyptian, rich or poor, was buried with some kind of jewelry. When King Tut’s burial chamber was excavated, it revealed a sense of style that inspired Art Deco jewelry designs.
Brooches and pins remain essentials in our jewelry boxes, although we no longer require them to fasten our garments, as was once their primary use. Rings, which have always been signifiers of eternity, still serve as romantic gifts and tokens of affection.
Engagement rings are still widely recognized as symbols of love and commitment — and as it can be difficult to choose the right one, explore our buying guides for a close look at antique engagement rings, Art Deco engagement rings and vintage engagement rings. [Fun fact: It wasn’t until the 14th century that we learned how to effectively cut diamonds, a critical step in revealing the stone’s brilliance.]
Hoop earrings are imbued with symbolism and cultural significance for many, and on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery is a pair of simple gold hoops from Mesopotamia dating to between 2600 and 2500 B.C. We’ve even created our own new, sacred symbols — the Cartier Love bracelet, for example, with its distinctive locking mechanism, is an understated and modernist symbol of love’s promise (with its own captivating history to boot). And, crafted by French jeweler Jacques Arpels of Van Cleef & Arpels, the Magic Alhambra necklace channels luck for the wearer with its universally adored design, which is informed by four-leaf clovers, a plant synonymous with good fortune.
Whether it’s our sentimental charm jewelry, costume jewelry, chunky retro bracelets or minimalist earrings created by contemporary designers, luxurious jewels can elevate any outfit, regardless of your personal style.
Find a wide-ranging collection of authentic antique, new and vintage jewelry today on 1stDibs.
