Cocktail Rings
1990s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
19th Century Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum, 18k Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Opal, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1870s European Late Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Mid-19th Century Unknown Art Deco Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1840s Unknown Georgian Antique Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Pearl, Gold, Rose Gold
19th Century Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s European Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold
1990s French Artisan Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Topaz, Blue Topaz, White Gold
1990s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1990s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, Opal, Yellow Gold
1860s Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow ...
1990s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, White Gold
19th Century British Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Coral, 9k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century French Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1890s American Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, 10k Gold, Gold
1990s European Artist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Quartz, Ruby, Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Gold
1990s French Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s French Modern Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Gold
1990s French Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Gold
1890s Belle Époque Antique Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Diamond, Natural Pearl, Platinum
1990s Unknown Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold, White Gold
1990s Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Unknown Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Chalcedony, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Gold
1990s Retro Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, Platinum
1990s Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1870s Unknown Modern Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
1990s American Modern Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, White Gold, 14k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel, Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Modern Cocktail Rings
Kunzite, Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Onyx, Platinum
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
1990s Italian Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Chrysoberyl, White Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Opal, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Platinum
1890s Unknown Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Garnet, 10k Gold
1870s Unknown Late Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Diamond and Sapphire Cocktail Rings and Other Antique and Vintage Cocktail Rings
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.