Victorian Cocktail Rings
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria & Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Sri Lankan Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 18th Century Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Pearl, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 10k Gold, Rose Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 10k Gold, Rose Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary European Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Victorian Cocktail Rings
Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Rhodium, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, 14k Gold
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
19th Century French Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold
2010s Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Tsavorite, Blue Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Sterling Silver, 1...
1830s Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, Gold
2010s British Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Victorian Cocktail Rings
Tsavorite, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
2010s Belgian Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Multi-gemstone, Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, Diamond, S...
2010s Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Aquamarine, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Aquamarine, Moonstone, Blue Sapphire, Sterling Silver, Silver
2010s North American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Bronze
2010s Hong Kong Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Black Diamond, ...
Late 20th Century Thai Victorian Cocktail Rings
Natural Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Pearl, Diamond, 10k Gold, White ...
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, White Gold
20th Century British Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Black Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
19th Century Burmese Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, Silver, Platinum
2010s American Victorian Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum, 18k Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
