Early 1900s Wedding Diamond Cuts

The cut of diamonds used in antique bridal jewelry is one of many factors used to determine the approximate age of an antique bridal set, engagement ring or ladies estate wedding ring. The cut should never be used exclusively to date jewelry. Like today, many jewelers would use available old diamonds or diamonds from other jewelry to create new items or to replace lost or damaged diamonds.

During the Edwardian Jewelry Period of the early 1900s, old mine-cut diamonds would be the most popular diamond used as the center stone. This diamond cut originated in Brazil. Mine-cuts are recognized by their square girdle, high crown with 32 facets and 24 facets on the pavilion. This old diamond cut would have a cushion-shaped stone with a small table, high top facet or area called the crown, and an open or large flat facet at the bottom of the diamond called the cutlet. Even the finest of hand-cut old-mine cut diamonds are not symmetrical. Old mine-cut diamonds would eventually evolve into today’s brilliant-cut diamonds.

During most of the Art Deco Jewelry Period, the old European-cut diamond

would be used frequently in bridal jewelry. The old European cut would evolve from the old-mine cut. The old European-cut is very similar to the old-mine cut diamond, with the major change of a rounded, circular girdle. Around 1891, diamond cutters would begin to use bruting tools to get rounded, circular girdles. The old-European stone was used during most of the Art Deco Jewelry Period. The old-European cut of the early 1900s would be asymmetrical due to the hand-cut nature. After1920, the brilliant-cut diamond would begin being used. The old European-cut would be known as the transitional diamond, used between the old mine-cut diamond and today’s brilliant-cut diamonds.

In the late 1890s through the 1940s, single cut diamonds would be used to embellish the center or larger diamond cuts. Smaller diamonds would be cut into single or rounded single cut diamonds. They would be recognized by their simpler cut of eight cuts on top.

They would originally be cut by hand and would not have a symmetrical appearance.

Today’s brilliant-cut diamond may be recognized with its circular girdle and fifty-eight facets.

Ten Two Three is an online jewelry store specializing in antique and estate bridal jewelry.

For assistance: Info@tentwothree.com

Make Your Bride to be Happy Choose the Wedding Ring She Wants

IT ONLY MATTERS THAT SHE IS HAPPY

Old mine cut, European cut, brilliant cut, color, clarity, ladies antique filigree bridal sets. Details - it’s all a mystery!

What carat gold would she prefer? Does she like white gold? Is yellow gold better? Would she really prefer platinum? What is the difference between 14 carat gold and 18 carat gold?

So many people spend so much time trying to learn all about diamonds so that they can give the perfect ring to their perfect girl when marriage is proposed.

What is a filigree anyway? Does it have anything to do with blood lines?

And trillions. Isn’t that just more money than I could afford?

Green wedding rings? Are they really green?

Why do they use baguettes? Are you supposed to hide the ring in the bread?

So many questions and so little time to choose. You want to get engaged. You want to spend your time with the most wonderful person in the world. You are supposed to be out on dates, going to dinner, having a picnic, taking in a movie. Not trying to become an expert in something you know nothing about.

Yet all the research and study, the doubts, the fear that you will make a mistake and buy the wrong ring mean so little in the end. There is, after all, only one “right” ring for your lady love.

The “right” ring is the ring she wants.

Whatever ring you choose, she will love. Or she will attempt to love it. She will at least attempt to love it because it is the gift from you that is your ultimate expression of love for her.

But she will be wearing the wedding ring everyday for the rest of her life. She will be most appreciative of your thoughtfulness in picking out the ring of her dreams. Not the ring you think she should like. Or might like. Most girls have a decided preference for a particular style of ring.

So, find a way to figure out what she really likes in a ring. Find out whether the color and clarity of the diamond is more important to her than the size of the gem. Or if size no matter how poor the quality of the stone is all that matters. Does she prefer a modern setting or an antique? Or does she really prefer colored stones such as a sapphire over a diamond. Does she want an environmentally friendly ring?

Pay attention when she is looking through online estate jewelry photographs, send these photographs to her friends or pay attention to what she wants in bridal magazines. If there is a conversation about jewelry, which if the relationship is serious there will be, ask her what she likes about rings. She will tell you.

Then, when that magic moment comes and you propose, you will have chosen the perfect wedding ring.

Ten Two Three Estate Jewelry distributes our antique bridal sets through our online store worldwide to Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Seattle Washington, Portland Oregon, Montreal Canada, Toronto Canada, Melbourne Australia and Glasgow Scotland.

What are attributes of Art Deco Wedding Rings?

Antique Filigree Wedding Rings are sought today because of their quality of materials, exceptional craftsmanship and their intrinsic beauty. Questions often arise as to what are the attributes Art Deco Bridal Jewelry and how it is recognized.

The Art Deco Jewelry Period is considered to have occurred during the 1920s and 1930s. The term, Art Deco, was derived from the Parisian Exhibition of 1925, called the Exposition des Art Décoratifs et Industrials. It was during this exhibition that many renowned jewelry designers displayed their latest jewelry creations. These new jewelry selections showed a shift in design from the white, lightweight and lacy styles of the Edwardian Bridal Jewelry Period to designs influenced by current events of that era. Designers were inspired by Cubism, Modernism, The Russian Ballet and the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb.

Filigree Wedding Rings would be a prevalent style during the Art Deco years, however, the designs would be reinvented. 1920s wedding mountings would become more geometric in design and more abstract. Diamonds would be mounted in square, hexagonal or octagonal mountings. Beaded millegrain metalwork would continue to be used. Bridal rings would be have more formalized and stylized floral designs. Their filigree flower petals would show stiff curves and more angular leaves. Floral bouquet wedding rings, a cluster of smaller diamonds that appear to be a ribbon of flowers would be sought. Designers would often engrave flowers such as the orange blossom on the metal. Designs would have more spiral motifs and a greater use of sinuous curves. Rings might use the bows designs that from the Edwardian Jewelry Periods, but the deco bows would be more substantial. Often two metal colors would be used to in order to create a more linear, geometric design.

Platinum, or newly introduced white gold, would replace the use of yellow gold. In the late 1920s, the first matching bridal set would be marketed.

By the late 1920s, men’s wedding bands would be fashionable again. Many of the men's wedding bands would match the bride’s wedding set.

Gradually designs would shift towards simplicity. By the 1930s curves were more austere or would be converted into angles. Art Deco wedding rings would become bolder, heavier and place less significance on gemstones.

During this period diamonds cuts would transition from the squarish Old-Mine Cut to the rounded Old-European Cut. Diamond cutting equipment would be greatly improved, allowing for new diamond cut creations with far greater symmetry. Baguettes, emerald-cuts, trillions, trapeze-cut and calibre cuts would be used to embellish the center stone. The use of colored stones would be used for bridal jewelry. Synthetic gemstones began to replace natural gemstones when it became impossible to get sapphires and rubies out of India and Burma due to the start of World War II.

If you have any questions about any of our antique wedding rings we offer, do not hesitate to email us at Info@tentwothree.com. We are happy to answer your questions and help you choose the right wedding ring. Vintage Bridal Sets are available in a variety of designs to provide enjoyment for a lifetime.

Ten Two Three specializes in Antique Old Diamond Filigree Wedding Rings. Ten Two Three ships within the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.