Incredible Antique Engagement Ring – Perfect for a Fairytale Wedding in France
A french wedding castle is a perfect venue to show off an antique engagement ring. Feel like a princess from a bygone era at your fairytale french wedding. A destination french wedding castle is a wonderful venue for today’s discerning bride with refined taste and cultivation.
Antique or vintage engagement rings are those classic style rings that bring back the charm and history of an era gone by. Many couples enjoy the nostalgic feel of something their grandparents may have worn. Others simply like the idea of old-fashioned quality workmanship and styling.
An antique engagement ring is like a fine wine or work of art; it speaks of the cultivation and refined taste of its owner. Because it is too costly to reproduce such intricate detail nowadays, antique rings will continue to appreciate in value over time.
The most desirable estate engagement rings on the market today date from the late Victorian era (turn of the century) through the 1940s. Such rings reflect the popular tastes of their time; therefore, rings from different eras have very different characteristics.
Carat weight, clarity, color and cut apply when buying an antique engagement ring?
The size, or CARAT weight, of the diamond is still the main determinant of price; the larger the stone, the more expensive the ring. However, especially during the 1930s and 1940s, diamonds were set in white gold square-shaped boxes, which were in turn often elaborately carved and beaded to give the diamond a larger appearance (“illusion” settings). Such rings give the modern-day budget-minded consumer the “look” of a larger diamond for the price of a smaller one.
The CUT of an older diamond in particular should not be rated by modern standards. Over the last centry technicques and tastes have changed. Today’s diamonds are mainly cut by laser, to the *exact* standards which have been developed over the years to produce maximum “fire” or light reflection. Older stones were cut by hand; consequently, there is more variation in the proportions of individual facets. Whereas modern diamonds show assembly-line precision, older stones preserve the hand of the artist, and are often said to have a much “softer,” romantic look.
The COLOR of the diamond is more a matter of taste than the previous two C’s. Soft pink, yellow or greenish tingers were often seen in rings of this era as people wanted a diamond toreflect a rainbow of colours. Bright white diamonds are considered more valuable today because they are favored by modern tastes.
The CLARITY of the diamond, determined by the number, character, and visibility of natural inclusions in the stone, also has a significant effect on price. Some mid-century jewelry manufacturers, like Keepsake, built their reputations on using only high quality (VS) diamonds in their engagement rings.
A fifth C is CHARACTER. Look at the workmanship and detail of the ring. Imagine you wanted to have the same type of ring created for you today. Labor costs these days to design and make a ring would be extortionate! When you buy an antique ring, you essentially get the labor of the craftsman for free! This is best illustrated by determining how much you’d like to spend (say $500), and looking at both antique and modern rings to compare what your money will buy you.
Finding a vintage engagement ring is one thing, but making sure it is truly and antique is another. A reputable jewellery appraiser can help. Counterfeiters will try to replicate the marks, but other design features will let the appraiser know if this is the case in a particular antique. The appraiser can then give you a guarantee or certificate of authenticity to go with your vintage diamond engagement ring.
The setting and the diamonds will need to be examined separately. You may find a vintage setting with newer diamonds. This wont necessarily impact the value to you, but it would perhaps indicate that there were either several owners or that the person selling the rings as an antique may have changed stones.
The number one consideration in choosing antique jewellery is to make sure you really love it. There are usually no exchanges for vintage diamond engagement rings.
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Filed under Wedding Bands by on Apr 11th, 2009. 
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