Cocktail Rings
1940s American Edwardian Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Coral, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 9k Gold, Rose...
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Gold, White Gold
1940s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Spinel, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
1960s Swiss Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
1960s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Gold
1960s Swedish Modern Vintage Cocktail Rings
1960s French Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
1960s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Sri Lankan Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1960s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century American Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Platinum, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cocktail Rings
Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, Rock Crystal, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1960s British Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold
1960s Swiss Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century English Modern Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Mexican Modernist Cocktail Rings
Silver, Britannia Standard Silver
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1940s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Opal, White Diamond, Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Star Ruby, Ruby, Diamond, Gold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s French Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1960s Unknown Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1940s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1950s American Modern Vintage Cocktail Rings
1930s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1940s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Mexican Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Cocktail Rings
Moonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Yellow Gold
1960s British Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1940s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Peridot, Sapphire, Gold, 10k Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Coral, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Retro Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Diamond, Coral, Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, Garnet, Peridot, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
1960s French Modernist Vintage Cocktail Rings
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.