Antique engagement rings and wedding rings have had a long and colorful history.

Hearts were popular for engagement and wedding rings during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Such rings often combined rubies and diamonds together.

King George III introduced the tradition of the keeper or guard ring in 1761 when he presented a band encircled with diamonds to his bride. Today such a ring is popular as a wedding ring or anniversary band.

The discovery of large diamond deposits in South Africa during the nineteenth century brought diamond engagement rings into vogue. The Tiffany, or solitaire, jewelry setting was introduced in the late nineteenth century.

A type of English engagement ring called the princess ring had three to five diamonds in a row across the top. The princess ring was popular in the U.S. in the early twentieth century.

World War II took platinum off the market, making it unavailable to jewelers for engagement rings and wedding bands. As such, most rings made during the war years were of gold.

World War II also saw the revival of the two ring wedding ceremony, an old European custom, in which both the groom and the bride receive a wedding band. This custom continues today.

There are several distinct styles of antique engagement rings that correspond to the era or period in which they became popular. Check out some of the links below if you may be interested in buying antique ring jewelry.