Diamond Engagement Rings
1970s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s American Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold
1940s Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold, Y...
1950s German Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1950s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, White Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Gold, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century Belgian Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
1960s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1940s American Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Jade, Diamond, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century American Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Gold
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1960s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1950s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1940s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
1940s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Rubelite, Platinum
1980s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1950s Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1940s Unknown Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1940s Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Brown Diamond, Platinum
1950s American Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Topaz, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1940s French Retro Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Retro Diamond Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Shop Antique and Vintage Diamond Engagement Rings on 1stDibs
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.