Cocktail Rings
15th Century and Earlier Greek Classical Greek Antique Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Platinum
1950s French Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Spinel, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1950s Italian Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1950s French Vintage Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Coral, Silver, Rose Gold, 9k Gold
1950s Modern Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 14k Gold, White Gold
1670s French Antique Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Diamond, Coral, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
17th Century Burmese Byzantine Antique Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
18th Century Unknown Contemporary Antique Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Topaz, Tsavorite, 14k Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Diamond, Diamond, Silver, Rose Gold, 9k Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, Yellow Gold
15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Antique Cocktail Rings
18k Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, Black Opal, Platinum
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Garnet, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1770s French Napoleon III Antique Cocktail Rings
Gold, Silver
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Alexandrite, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Platinum
1950s American Post-War Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gol...
1950s Dutch Modern Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Art Deco Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 18th Century Victorian Antique Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1950s Greek Revival Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
Mid-17th Century British Art Deco Antique Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Cocktail Rings
Star Ruby, Ruby, Diamond, Gold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Modern Vintage Cocktail Rings
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Dutch Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Coral, 14k Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold
1950s European Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Moonstone, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Italian Artisan Vintage Cocktail Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
1640s Unknown Retro Antique Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1950s Dutch Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Gold
1950s Vintage Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Gold, Gold, 14k 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.