Diamond Engagement Rings

Antique and vintage diamond engagement rings are timeless. Diamonds are the hardest gemstones and stand out for their extraordinary brilliance. They are usually thought of as being clear, with a dazzling sparkle that turns white light into flashes of color. One in 10,000 diamonds is colored, with hues ranging from yellow and pink to blue and black. The more intense the color, the higher the price of the diamond. 

Rings have long been signifiers of marriage and committed relationships. The modern diamond engagement ring can be traced back to 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria commissioned an expensive diamond ring for his betrothed. Diamond rings subsequently became extremely popular among the European aristocracy. Later, during the Victorian era, the popularity of diamond engagement rings had filtered down to the middle class, owing to the increasing accessibility — and affordability — of gold and diamonds.

Authentic antique Victorian-era engagement rings were frequently set in rose or yellow gold and they are highly collectible. Designs for Victorian engagement rings often featured repoussé work and chasing, in which patterns are hammered into the metal. Diamonds were likely to be small rose- or old-mine-cut (the ancestor of today’s cushion-cut) stones. The former are often associated with antique styles like Victorian or Georgian, as rose-cut diamonds are uncommon in modern jewelry. The diamonds were typically set in a group of five in a band or as a solitaire. Victorian-era engagement rings also saw other gemstones accompanying diamonds. Small seed pearls and moonstones were popular. Other sentimental and romantic motifs such as hearts and stars took hold as well. 

In 1886, esteemed American luxury firm Tiffany & Co. introduced its solitaire diamond design, which is still among the most popular styles of engagement rings. The Tiffany Setting raises the stone above the band on six prongs, allowing its facets to catch the light and reflect through the stone.

French jewelry house Cartier, which pioneered the use of platinum in fine jewelry and helped define Art Deco, ​​sought to render the diamonds in their engagement rings and other rings as brilliantly as possible. The brand’s timeless Solitaire 1895 engagement ring gave the impression of delicate lace.

Shopping for an engagement ring can be challenging — from stone to carat weight to cut to setting, jewelry lingo can feel like a foreign language, making the task of choosing a diamond feel even more daunting. Explore our buying guides for a close look at antique engagement rings, Art Deco engagement rings and vintage engagement rings, and shop an exquisite collection of antique and vintage diamond engagement rings on 1stDibs.