Cocktail Rings
Mid-20th Century French Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Singaporean Modernist Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1940s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Platinum
1960s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Coral, Onyx, Pearl, Sterling Silver
1960s American Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold
1960s Swiss Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1930s German Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
1940s German Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Ruby, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Late Victorian Vintage Cocktail Rings
Garnet, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s French Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Zircon, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Coral, Silver, Rose Gold, 9k Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
1950s American Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
1960s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, Fire Opal, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Topaz, Tsavorite, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
1960s European Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold
1960s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1940s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Yellow Gold
1940s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1940s Unknown Contemporary Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1940s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
1960s German Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1960s American Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Spinel, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 9k Gold, Silver, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1940s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s European Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
1940s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Imperial Topaz, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18...
1950s European Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Garnet, Rhodolite, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Opal, Fire Opal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1940s Vintage Cocktail Rings
1940s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1930s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Post-War Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gol...
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k 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.