Emerald Rings
20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Art Deco Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Modern Emerald Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
20th Century North American Art Deco Emerald Rings
Emerald, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Emerald Rings
Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century North American Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century German Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, White Gold
1980s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
1990s European Retro Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Italian Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
20th Century Japanese Modern Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1970s Italian Art Deco Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Italian Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s French Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold
20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Italian Contemporary Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Japanese Modern Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1980s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century North American Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
20th Century European Belle Époque Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Platinum
20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1970s Swiss Modernist Vintage Emerald Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Emerald Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1920s European Art Deco Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Sri Lankan Baroque Emerald Rings
Yellow Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Mid-20th Century English Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Art Deco Emerald Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Sterling Silver, Yellow Gold, 9k Gold
1980s Italian Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1970s Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s African Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Early 1900s European Late Victorian Antique Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold
20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Art Deco Emerald Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 9k Gold
20th Century Swiss Artisan Emerald Rings
Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Emerald Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Citrine, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century Art Deco Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
1910s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century English Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 9k Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Art Deco Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century English Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
1990s European Retro Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Italian Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century European Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Italian Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, 14k Gold, White Gold
1960s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 10k Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1960s Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s European Retro Vintage Emerald Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Art Nouveau Antique Emerald Rings
Opal, Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold
Shopping for Antique and Vintage Emerald Rings?
Do you have your heart set on a vintage emerald ring? That’s not surprising — emerald engagement rings, antique emerald cocktail rings and other rings set with the vibrant stone are sophisticated and glamorous, and that verdant color, and the cachet of wielding a gem beloved and worn by so many queens and princesses (hello, Cleopatra!), could seduce anyone.
Dorothy may have worn ruby slippers, but it was the Emerald City that she was trying to get to. Upon her arrival, she was advised to wear green-tinted eyeglasses to protect her eyes from all the “brightness and glory” in L. Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz. Jewelry lovers born in May can wear their beautiful birthstone, distinguished by its rich green color, on their way to see the Wizard or any other magical place.
While emeralds graced the engagement rings of style icons Wallis Simpson and Jackie Kennedy — and emeralds and yellow diamonds are adding boldness to today’s engagement rings — perhaps no one liked emeralds and emerald jewelry more than Elizabeth Taylor (or her alter ego, Cleopatra).
During the December 2011 auction of Taylor’s jewels that was held at Christie’s, there was a suite of emerald jewels that had been by Bulgari and gifted to the actress by Richard Burton to commemorate their engagement (no celebrity, or civilian for that matter, can rival Taylor in her fervor for Bvlgari). The suite consisted of an emerald and diamond ring, an emerald and flower diamond brooch, an emerald and diamond necklace, an emerald and diamond pendant brooch, a pair of emerald and diamond ear pendants and an emerald and diamond bracelet.
New York–based jewelry designer Nina Runsdorf, whose mother and grandmother both had emerald engagement rings, suggests that the stone’s color might appeal to those with an affinity for nature. “My parents left the city when I was 14 and raised us on a farm in upstate New York, so my mother’s love of nature was very strong,” she says. “I think emeralds reminded her of the wild grass and trees.”
Emeralds were first discovered in Egypt around 330 BC. The stone’s name originated from the ancient Greek word for green, “smaragdus.” According to the Gemological Institute of America, “Emeralds from what is now Colombia were part of the plunder when 16th-century Spanish explorers invaded the New World. The Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years. The Spaniards, who treasured gold and silver far more than gems, traded emeralds for precious metals. Their trades opened the eyes of European and Asian royalty to emerald’s majesty.”
There are many important (read: large) emeralds in museum collections around the world. The Patricia Emerald, named after the miner’s daughter, is a 632-carat dihexagonal (or 12-sided) crystal that was discovered in Colombia in 1920 and now resides at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington has in its possession the Hooker Emerald, a 75.47-carat Colombian stone. That emerald had been acquired in the 16th or 17th century by Spanish conquistadores and shipped to Europe. It later belonged to Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1876–1909), who wore it on his belt buckle. Purchased at auction by Tiffany & Co. in 1911, the Hooker Emerald was set into a tiara and featured in the New York World’s Fair “House of Jewels” exhibit in 1940. Today, it is part of a brooch, also designed by the legendary jewelry house.
Find a range of antique and vintage emerald rings on 1stDibs.
Read More
Our Guide to Engagement Ring Settings – And How to Choose One
There are many ways to showcase a diamond, from traditional prongs to a smooth, streamlined bezel. Here’s everything you need to consider.
Nothing Says Summer Heat Like This Ruby-Red Cartier Stunner
The vintage bombé ring is bursting with color and timeless style.
Zircon Rings: Our Guide to a Uniquely Colorful Natural Gemstone
Zircon is a magnificent and underrated natural gemstone that has been worn and adored for centuries.
[Survey] Two-Thirds of Jewelry Gift Recipients Don’t Want to Be Surprised
Givers of fine gems enjoy surprise more than receivers, and women more than men. Find out what else our survey of 3,000 Americans revealed.
Colorful Gemstones Are a Brilliant Choice for Engagement Rings
If diamonds don’t seem right, what about a magnificent sapphire, ruby or emerald?
Our Guide to Fancy-Colored Diamond Engagement Rings
Accounting for just 1 percent of all diamonds, these marvels of nature are exceedingly rare and gorgeously complex.
Our Guide to Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco Engagement Rings
Learn about these antique jewelry styles, then choose a design that speaks to you.
Talking Diamonds with the Jeweler Behind J. Lo’s Engagement Ring
Alon Ruschin, of Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry, channels his passion for gems into helping clients find just the right ring.