Victorian Engagement Rings

Those shopping for a Victorian engagement ring know that the style is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. Today, antique Victorian engagement rings and other examples of authentic Victorian jewelry are very coveted and highly collectible.

Initially, Victorian rings were made of gold and affordable only by the wealthy. Designs for Victorian engagement rings often featured repoussé work and chasing, in which patterns are hammered into the metal. Stones were secured by collets, settings similar to bezels, with prongs and a closed back. The collet was overlaid with silver to enhance the whiteness of the diamonds, which were likely to be small rose– or old-mine-cut (the ancestor of today’s cushion-cut) stones, arranged in clusters or lines and often accompanied by colored gemstones. Rose-cut diamonds are uncommon in modern jewelry and are often associated with antique styles like Victorian or Georgian.

Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile featured emerald eyes (her birthstone) and was considered a symbol of everlasting love. This initiated a craze for snake jewelry, joined by gems with other sentimental and romantic motifs favored by the queen, such as flowers, hearts, stars, insects and Gothic symbols. The popular and fashionable young royal was the style influencer of her era.

Early Victorian jewelry — which historians call Romantic period jewelry — tends to be feminine and ornate, and was a celebration of the young monarch’s love.

Find Victorian engagement rings and other antique engagement rings on 1stDibs now, and explore our antique engagement rings buying guide.