Culture & Style
The Vintage Rings on Everyone’s Wish List
Your guide to the most stylish vintage
diamond rings in every budget.
Written by: Jill Newman
May 7, 2025
“I’m a big vintage ring lover,” professes fashion icon and editor Lynn Yaeger, who stacks them on every finger.
Yaeger is widely known for her love of vintage jewelry and fashion, and the stylish and quirky way she layers her antiques with unique, contemporary pieces. Each of her vintage rings has a personality and history that she’s happy to share; some were found at London’s Portobello Road market, others came from Les Puces and vintage jewelers in Paris, and several were purchased from her favorite dealers on 47th Street in New York. Unlike earrings or necklaces, the allure of vintage rings is that, as she says, “you can look at your hands all day and see your beautiful diamond rings.”
Meet the Experts
- Lynn Yaeger is a renowned fashion editor with over two decades of experience and a passionate antique and vintage jewelry collector.
- Randi Molofsky is a jewelry industry veteran and co-founder of For Future Reference, known for curating standout vintage pieces and supporting emerging fine jewelry designers.
While Yaeger has always collected vintage jewelry, more people today are discovering the wide range of fabulous vintage rings, from sweet and romantic to fun and fashionable. What’s more, you can find some of the best deals on vintage diamond rings compared to new diamond designs with similar carat weight. But this article is not about the size of the diamond, it’s about great style and design!
Ahead, discover the vintage rings that embody bold style, timeless design, and rich history—from sculptural gold statements to romantic Victorian treasures and sleek Art Deco classics.
Why Vintage Rings Appeal to a New Generation
“Vintage rings have a cool factor,” said Randi Molofsky, founder of For Future Reference, a showroom that offers both contemporary designer and vintage jewelry. “Younger people are getting interested in vintage because they can find something unique, something nobody else has and express their individuality.”
If you are like Yaeger, the best part of shopping for vintage jewelry is the hunt, but if that isn’t your thing, we have made it easy for you and have a list of more than 30 vintage rings in every budget below.
Vintage Rings in Bold Gold and Diamond Styles
One of the hottest vintage rings trends is chunky, gold and diamond statement designs from the ‘40s to the ‘80s. Think mid-century modern pieces, like Suzanne Belperron’s sculptural rings and unsigned bold gold ‘70s and ‘80s rings with varying shaped diamonds.
Stylish and modern, these pieces work for day or evening and easily stack with contemporary designs. “What sets these rings apart is their ability to make a statement as one piece of jewelry, as opposed to smaller rings layered together,” said Adam Patrick, Manager at A La Vieille Russie, the New York-based vintage jeweler, who noted there’s a strong demand for vintage rings from the ‘60s and ‘70s. “These large, bold designs from these two decades strike just the right balance of being highly wearable, stylish, and practical.”
Retro ring designs are versatile and very of the moment, says Molofsky, who specializes in jewelry from the ‘40s to the ‘80s. “These retro styles come in mixed metals and curvy bold styles, which are modern, current, and cool.”
Men are also turning to bold mid-century rings, says Matthew Imberman, co-president of Kentshire, the New York purveyor of vintage jewels with a salon in Bergdorf Goodman. “Men are looking for diamond rings to add to their sartorial edge,” he said. “People are feeling bold right now in terms of self-expression to balance some of the doldrums going around.”
Art Deco Vintage Rings With Timeless Appeal
Strong, sleek Art Deco rings are a perennial favorite. Signed pieces by the great heritage houses, like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Belperron, are always in demand, but you should also consider unsigned vintage rings for unique design and good value.
Art Deco design is also a great option for unique and timeless diamond engagement and wedding rings, especially in white metal settings.
Imberman says he looks for unusual designs over brand names. He noted that he recently sold a “fabulous” unsigned gold and diamond ring in the spirit of a Belperron or Fouquet design. For those who don’t need the name brand, he says these types of unsigned rings are a great find. Kentshire’s rings start $3,000 to $5,000.
There are two camps of people,” says Hillary Fogarty, an owner of Beladora, which offers a broad range of vintage pieces covering every era. “Those looking for Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier for authenticity and more trendy pieces, and people who just love vintage jewelry for the sake of jewelry and don’t care about the name.” She sells both.
“Deco style rings are especially more popular now that more people are wearing multiple rings, the way they wear multiple earrings, and they mix and match shapes and metal colors,” said Fogarty.
Expert advice: Shop for the Art Deco styles you love, and mix and match white, yellow, and rose gold. Consider different diamond cuts, like elongated shapes, which tend to be less expensive than other cuts. “You get more bang for your buck with elongated stones, which often look bigger and more flattering on the hand,” says Fogarty. “Older diamonds have personality and beauty and are typically less expensive than modern brilliant diamonds.”
Romantic Vintage Rings from the Edwardian, Victorian, and Art Nouveau Eras
Don’t shop by period, shop by design, advises Imberman. “It’s easy to wear jewelry across periods together and create a sense of individuality.”
“People seem to be looking for something that makes them smile and something they don’t see every day,” observed Imberman. Diamond jewelry has always been a great way to lift your spirits!
Yaeger favors smaller, delicate Victorian and Edwardian rings that she can stack with contemporary pieces that she says “have an old vibe” like her Anthony Lent and Brent Neale rings. “I’m going against the grain because the trend is signed post War ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s pieces from David Webb and Bulgari, but I’m a prewar girl and prefer 19th century. Jewelry.”
For the romantic type, popular Victorian diamond rings feature intricate craftsmanship, flower motifs, and symbolic elements, like hearts and intertwined hands, with old-cut diamonds with a soft sparkle.
Edwardian era rings also offer a range of diamond engagement and wedding rings in gold or platinum with beautiful filigree and fine details, and old European cut diamonds. You can often find good value in the old diamond compared to new stones of similar carat weight because you are buying these rings for the design and uniqueness of the stone, not the cut and color.
It’s never about what’s the trend or the signature, she says, “With antiques, it’s love at first sight. You have an emotional connection that you just can’t predict.”
Shop Vintage Rings
A savvy shopper, Yaeger says a budget of $2,000 can open doors to wonderful vintage rings. Now start shopping.
Beladora Art Deco Diamond Ring in Platinum, Circa 1920, with 0.85 carat and 0.65 carat old European cut diamonds, $5,950, beladora.com
Beladora Antique Edwardian Transitional Cut Diamond Cluster Ring in 18K Gold, Circa 1900, with a 1.25 carat transitional cut diamond within an old mine cut surround, $9,450, beladora.com
Beladora Edwardian Diamond Filigree Ring in Platinum, Circa 1910, with approximately 1.30 total carats of old European and old mine cut diamonds, $4,150, beladora.com
Antique 18ct Gold & Platinum Edwardian Diamond Upfinger Figure Eight Shaped Ring, $2,042.05, 1stdibs.com
Antique 18ct Yellow Gold Stamped, Victorian Diamond Marquise/Navette Ring, $2,995.01, 1stdibs.com
Vintage 1940’s 18ct Gold & Platinum Diamond Engagement, $2,042.05, 1stdibs.com
Tiffany Soleste Platinum Cushion-cut .34ct Diamond Double Halo Engagement Ring 6, $3,200, 1stdibs.com
Tiffany & Co. Harmony Platinum .53ct Diamond Engagement Ring 5, $3,500, 1stdibs.com
