Antique Rings

Antique rings — pieces over 100 years old — spanning the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods. This collection brings together the full breadth of antique ring styles: from Georgian rose-cut diamond clusters in silver-topped gold through Victorian mourning bands and serpent rings to Edwardian platinum filigree set with old European-cut diamonds.

What unites these pieces across their different eras is hand craftsmanship and materials that modern production does not replicate. Pre-Victorian rings use exclusively high-carat gold (18ct and 22ct) with hand-cut gemstones in closed-back settings. Victorian rings introduced a wider range of gold purities after the 1854 Act and saw the transition from collet to claw settings. Edwardian pieces brought platinum and delicate openwork construction to the fore. British hallmarks — assay office marks, date letters, and fineness stamps — allow precise dating for the vast majority of pieces in this collection.

Buying antique means acquiring rings from a fixed and diminishing supply, each carrying the evidence of hand construction that distinguishes it from any modern reproduction. The 100-year threshold — rooted in the US Tariff Act of 1930 and adopted by British trade bodies including BADA and LAPADA — is a rolling boundary that advances each year, steadily adding pieces to the antique category. For a guide to understanding the distinction, see our article on antique versus vintage rings.