Types Of Victorian Engagement Rings

Antique and modern reproduction Victorian engagement rings are available in a wide variety of styles. There are romantic rings, diamond cluster rings, snake rings, and half hoop rings.

Victorian engagement rings are typically very beautiful, with intricate workmanship and a delicate appearance. Unlike most of today's rings, rings from the Victorian era often had gemstones other than diamonds in them.

Indeed until the diamond mines were opened in South Africa in the 1870's, most diamond rings featured a cluster of smaller diamonds rather than one larger, single diamond. This was because diamonds were relatively scarce until that point.

The Victorian era lasted from 1837 to 1901. Their rings were made from either yellow or rose gold, not platinum. Whilst they did mine platinum, it was too hard to be worked with.

The scarcity in diamonds in the early part of the Victorian era may have been responsible for the popularity of stones other than diamonds as a centerpiece in engagement rings.

These stones were surrounded by small diamonds. Before the 1870's, when diamonds were used, they were used in clusters, without a large center stone.

Pearls were popular in Victorian engagement rings. Other stones used included emeralds, rubies, sapphires, garnet, and topaz. Opals were not used as to the Victorians they symbolized sorrow.

In fact, the romantic rings were designed with a selection of stones whose initials spelled out the word 'Dearest' or 'Regard'. For example, in a 'dearest' ring you could have the following stones:

D - diamond
E - emerald
A - amethyst
R - ruby
E - emerald
S - sapphire
T - topaz
 
The snake ring is an unusual engagement ring by today's standards, but it was quite popular in Victorian times - so popular that Queen Victoria chose it for her engagement ring. The snake ring, composed of two snakes intertwined, actually originated in Roman times.

Half hoop rings increased in popularity as engagement rings after the diamond mines were discovered in the 1870's in South Africa. Victorian diamond cluster rings also became more popular during as Victorian engagement rings at this time.