Interested in Art Deco Engagement Rings?

Art Deco was a fashion and design movement that were popular between the two World Wars. Unlike many other art movements it did not have a social or political message and is quite difficult to define as there were several trends within the Art Deco style. What unified it was possibly a love for beauty and luxury to the extreme, bordering with decadence and the use of expensive materials. Art Deco was influenced by the geometric art of ancient civilizations and their emphasis on decorations and ornaments and especially in the US by Native American art, at the same time Art Deco embraced the aero-dynamic lines found in cars, planes and ocean liners thus it did not reject modernity. Art Deco also liked any kind of contrast, by placing modernity side by side with antiquity but also by having strong colour contrasts in their designs. Art Deco influenced all types of product design including jewelry making and fashion, the visual arts and architecture. What is considered to be the best skyscraper in Manhattan, the Chrysler Building is a good example of architecture heavily influenced by Art Deco.

An Art Deco engagement ring can be an object of beauty but first you want to establish whether you would like an original Art Deco ring or you prefer a replica or a ring inspired by Art Deco. There are a few reasons to say this, firstly you will have an issue of cost, good vintage jewelry is expensive and proper Art Deco was expensive to start with, furthermore it was not created for the pleasure of the masses, most Art Deco objects were part of a limited edition of even unique. Therefore these would be very expensive now. A very expensive, delicate and intricate engagement ring might take away some of the pleasure of wearing it daily as she might be too afraid to lose it or break it. You will have to decide what you need: a ring as an investment to be shown off occasionally or a ring to be worn with pride most of the time. If you prefer the second option you will still have a choice of vintage Art Deco rings that were mass manufactured at the time copying the top end of the market. These are still fairly valuable but they will probably have less gold and diamonds and be less unique therefore the price will be considerably lower. If she does not want to wear second hand jewelry (and some women feel strongly against it, so make sure you know her feelings before you spend any money) but she likes older designs you will find a large range of Art Deco inspired jewelry which is actually new and contemporary.

Besides diamonds, other expensive gems are often found in Art Deco rings: jade, ruby, sapphire and emerald just to name a few. Contrast was important in Art Deco design and therefore gems with very bright colours such as emerald and ruby were used as contrast to diamonds. Gold and platinum are the most common metals used for Art Deco rings, platinum was a bit of novelty at the time so you will find that it was used a lot when making jewelry and rings. There are many jewellers and goldsmiths that specialize in making Art Deco engagement rings by keeping the spirit of Art Deco in a more modern setting. You will be able to choose an Art Deco ring according to your taste and budget, as you can achieve similar effects with less expensive gems than imperial  jade and large diamonds if you so desire while still having a very beautiful ring.