Fashion Jewelry Cocktail Rings
Mid-20th Century German Modernist Cocktail Rings
Crystal, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal
Vintage 1980s French Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold
2010s Indian Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Moonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s French Cocktail Rings
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Emerald
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold
Made for Karl Lagerfeld by Ibu Poilane, the jeweler and owner of Ibu Gallery in the Palais Royale. The languid silk satin Chanel...
Early 2000s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Fluorite, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Indian Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Gold Plate
20th Century American Native American Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Zircon, Blue Zircon, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1980s American Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Topaz, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tsavorite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline
2010s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Vintage 1940s American Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Agate, Base Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Cocktail Rings
Zircon
21st Century and Contemporary American Retro Cocktail Rings
Crystal, Enamel
2010s African Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Ruby, Platinum, Sterling Silver, Silver
Mid-20th Century Retro Cocktail Rings
Morganite, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Blue Topaz, Topaz, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1970s Cocktail Rings
Marcasite, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s French Cluster Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Platinum, White Gold
Vintage 1940s American Cocktail Rings
Gilt Metal
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Zircon, Blue Zircon, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tanzanite
Antique 18th Century Unknown Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, Black Opal, Platinum
Early 2000s French Dome Rings
2010s African Modern Cocktail Rings
Garnet, Zircon, Platinum, Sterling Silver
2010s Cocktail Rings
Late 20th Century Cocktail Rings
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Moonstone, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century French Modernist Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Topaz, Diamond, Rhodium, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Marcasite, Pyrite, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s French Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1950s Cocktail Rings
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Gold Plate
2010s Thai Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Sapphire, Silver
2010s American Modern Cocktail Rings
2010s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Gold Plate
Early 20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Jade, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Fashion Jewelry: Antique and Vintage Cocktail Rings for Sale
Shopping for cocktail rings in the collection of fashion jewelry on 1stDibs?
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.
For enthusiasts of costume jewelry, which is typically designed to accessorize with current fashions and made of inexpensive materials, there has been no shortage of coveted cocktail rings created over the years by the likes of J Dauphin, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth Jay Lane, Elsa Schiaparelli and others. A range of fashion rings created in ceramic or embellished with rhinestones — the latter a source of instant, affordable glamour — have also been designed at Chanel. The founder of the internationally revered luxury house, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, loved costume jewelry but couldn’t resist designing jewelry with diamonds.
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.
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 in our collection of fashion jewelry, 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.