Engagement jewelry in the early 19th century in England was entirely hand made. Diamonds were either rose-cut, with a pointed top, or mine-cut, with a flat top. There was a lack of precision, but also each piece was completely unique. Not many of these antique engagement rings still exist today. Their rarity means that they

Chances are, for those of us living in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, strong traditions concerning life events still guide us – whether we follow those traditions or reject them.   Nowhere is this more momentous than observing customs and rituals surrounding betrothal and marriage. All of

Despite the moralizing tone epitomized by the French evolution and seen in Angelica Kauffman’s Cornelia Presenting Her Children as Her Treasures, from 1785, people still wanted to buy and wear jewelry. Until goldsmiths learned more sophisticated manufacturing techniques, bracelets continued to take previously known forms, like the famous gilt silver cuff bracelet from Thrace (an

Nothing says “forever after” as well as enduring past styles: clothing, architecture or jewelry. When shopping for a diamond engagement ring for our beloved, one of the most popular styles is the antique or vintage diamond engagement ring. People are drawn to different styles reflecting different times. Considering only the last 200 years, beginning with

Engagement jewelry in the early 19th century in England was entirely hand made. Diamonds were either rose-cut, with a pointed top, or mine-cut, with a flat top. There was a lack of precision, but also each piece was completely unique. Not many of these antique engagement rings still exist today. Their rarity means that they

You know you want an antique engagement ring but you aren’t sure about what it’s supposed to look like. Learning is definitely part of the process.   Here are three easy-to-understand traits to help identify antique engagement settings. First:Look for milgrain details. These are handmade raised rounded bumps around the shank and the stones and

Why do we keep going back to antique diamond engagement rings when there are oodles of other styles to choose from? Why are we convinced that nothing says love and commitment like vintage diamond jewelry? Why do our hearts beat a little faster when we are window shopping in front of a jewelry store? Are

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to appreciate a new mother or honoring a more experienced mother with a vintage diamond ring or an antique ring setting. The sun is shining, the sky is glorious, and the tulips are blooming. Spring is springing and the world seems new and bright–love is in the air! What

It is said that the Gothic Cross represents the intersection of Heaven – or the Spiritual World – and Earth – or the Material World. The four quadrants arms/quadrants of the cross are representative of either the four elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth) or the four main directions (West, East, North, South). Central to the

Perhaps because they are more intrusive than either earrings or necklaces, bracelet-wearing was confined to the upper arm for a very long time–at least, until humankind was able to sort itself into classes. There were the ones who served, and the others who moved little. Our knowledge of early jewelry comes from archeological investigations of