Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
1910s Art Nouveau Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
1810s Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, White Diamond, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 19th Century Thai Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 20th Century Italian Contemporary Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Platinum
1910s Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Late Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
White Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1800s British Georgian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Natural Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold
1880s Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-19th Century Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1910s Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum
19th Century Unknown Egyptian Revival Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
1880s Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Yellow Gold
1880s Austrian Artisan Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Emerald, Diamond, 14k Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Star Ruby, Yellow Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
1920s Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1860s Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
1920s Unknown Romantic Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Spinel, 14k Gold
Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
1910s Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Diamond, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Renaissance Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 10k Gold
17th Century Burmese Byzantine Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 19th Century Unknown Anglo-Indian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Opal, Ruby, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s Late Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
1910s Late Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-19th Century Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Sapphire, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Art Nouveau Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Platinum
1860s Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Opal, Ruby, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Early 1900s French Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Edwardian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Early 1900s European Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Silver
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, Star Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1920s French Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1890s Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, Ruby, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
1880s English Victorian Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Gold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring
Ruby, Diamond, Amethyst, Rose Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
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Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Antique Ruby Cocktail Ring?
The Legacy of Ruby in Jewelry Design
This deep red gem is the color of heat and passion — vintage and antique ruby jewelry is perfect for those born in the middle of summer.
Rubies are one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money. Just consider the Van Cleef Arpels “scarf” necklace the Duke of Windsor presented to the Duchess on her 40th birthday, in 1936 — set with diamonds and dripping with rubies, a testament to the deep-red gemstone’s power — or the slippers encrusted with 4,600 rubies that Harry Winston made to commemorate The Wizard of Oz’s golden anniversary. July babies have permission to adorn themselves with this beautiful red stone even when it’s not their birthday.
Rubies are considered precious stones — along with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds — and have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs Scale, surpassed only by Moissanite and diamonds. They are composed of corundum, a colorless mineral that is also the basic material of sapphires. In the July birthstone, the red of the gemstone — and the various hues seen in sapphires — are produced by the presence of trace elements. In the case of a ruby, this element is chromium. Rubies range in color from vermilion to a violet red. They are also pleochroic, which means that a stone’s hue can vary depending on the direction of viewing. The most sought-after color is pigeon’s blood: pure red with a hint of blue.
Rubies that are hosted in dolomite marble are the most prized: Because the marble is low in iron, so are the rubies, resulting in a more intense color. Rubies found in basalt, which has a higher iron content, are generally darker and less intense.
When shopping for antique and vintage ruby jewelry, remember that the 4Cs of selecting the perfect diamond — color, clarity, cut and carat — also apply to rubies.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, the color of the July birthstone should be a vibrant to slightly purplish red, and the stone should be clear and inclusion-free. Accordingly, the cut should show off its color and clarity. As for the last criterion, fine rubies more than a carat in weight are rare. Often, large rubies are more expensive than diamonds of comparable weights.
Find a collection of ruby necklaces, ruby rings and other accessories on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Cocktail-rings for You
A flashy symbol of wealth during the early 20th century, antique and vintage cocktail rings have gained broader appeal in the decades since for the hefty dose of glamour they bring to any ensemble.
Cocktail rings earned their name for their frequent appearances during glitzy cocktail parties at the height of the Prohibition era. Back then, these accessories were seen not only as statement pieces but as statements in and of themselves. They openly represented a sense of freedom and independence as well as a demonstration of opulence. After all, the 1920s heralded the Harlem Renaissance and Art Deco design, and a slew of social and cultural shifts meant that women in particular were breaking from pre–World War I conventions and embracing newfound freedoms to express themselves as individuals.
Women expressly wore cocktail rings on the fingers of their right hand versus the left, which was “reserved” for an engagement ring or wedding band, accessories definitely paid for by a suitor. And for cocktail rings, the bigger the colored gem at the center — which is usually mounted in a high setting — and the more elaborate the design, the stronger the likelihood of being noticed.
Cocktail rings remained a popular piece of jewelry for women until the 1930s, when the Great Depression and the onset of war marked a change in behaviors nationwide. While the 1960s and ’70s saw a return in visibility for the accessory, it wasn’t until the 1980s that cocktail rings once again assumed their position as a beacon of luxury and glitz.
During the 20th century, the range of dazzling cocktail rings seems to have been limitless, from glimmering gold rings set with carved jade diamonds designed by David Webb to Pomellato’s pink quartz confections to striking Gucci butterfly rings with accent diamonds set in a pavé fashion.
So, how do you wear a cocktail ring? Cocktail rings “can be worn for almost anything — dinners, date nights, parties, special events, on the red carpet,” explains David Joseph of New York-based jewelry brand Bochic.
Can you wear cocktail rings with other rings? “In my opinion, cocktail rings should stand on their own since they showcase a large gem in the center,” says Joseph.
These glamorous jewels can be worn inside or outside crowded taverns, in either daytime or nighttime with casual or dressy attire. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage cocktail rings, including those offered by Chanel, whose elegant cocktail rings often feature pearls and, of course, diamonds, and sometimes were styled after showy flowers like the camellia, and Van Cleef Arpels, whose detailed and intricate designs are viewed as miniature pieces of wearable art.
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Learn about these antique jewelry styles, then choose a design that speaks to you.