Bezel Set Ruby Ring
Late 20th Century Fashion Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
20th Century Fashion Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Dome Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dome Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Fashion Rings
Ruby, Rose Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Fashion Rings
Ruby, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Band Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Platinum
2010s North American Modern Fashion Rings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Band Rings
Ruby, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
White Gold
Early 2000s Signet Rings
Early 2000s Three-Stone Rings
21st Century and Contemporary Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
20th Century Thai Retro Fashion Rings
Chalcedony, Ruby, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Fashion Rings
10k Gold
Early 2000s Solitaire Rings
10k Gold
2010s American Fashion Rings
Ruby, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Fashion Rings
Ruby, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Solitaire Rings
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Retro Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, White Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Solitaire Rings
Ruby, Star Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Solitaire Rings
Ruby, Star Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s French Fashion Rings
Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Fashion Rings
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Band Rings
Star Ruby, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Cluster Rings
Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Band Rings
Ruby, Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Band Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Band Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Dome Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Fashion Rings
Ruby, White Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Fashion Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold
Bezel Set Ruby Ring For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Bezel Set Ruby Ring?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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 Rings for You
Antique and vintage rings have long held a special place in the hearts of fine jewelry lovers all over the world.
No matter their origin or specific characteristics, rings are timeless, versatile accessories. They’ve carried deep meaning since at least the Middle Ages, when diamond rings symbolized strength and other kinds of rings were worn to signify romantic feelings or to denote an affiliation with a religious order. Rings have also forever been emblematic of eternity.
Over time, rings have frequently taken the form of serpents, which have long been associated with eternal life, health and renewal. Italian luxury jewelry house Bulgari has become famous for its widely loved Serpenti motif, for example, and its Serpenti ring, like the other accessories in the collection, began as an homage to jewelry of the Roman and Hellenistic eras. The serpent is now a popular motif in fine jewelry. Jewelry devotees have long pined for rings adorned with reptiles, thanks to antique Victorian rings — well, specifically, Queen Victoria’s illustrious engagement ring, which took the form of a gold snake set with rubies, diamonds and an emerald (her birthstone). Designs for Victorian-era engagement rings often featured repoussé work and chasing, in which patterns are hammered into the metal.
Engagement rings, which are reliably intimidating to shop for, are still widely recognized as symbols of love and commitment. On 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings.
The most collectible antique engagement rings and vintage engagement rings are those from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco eras. Named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who in succession ruled England starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign), antique Georgian rings, be they engagement rings or otherwise, are also coveted by collectors. Pearls, along with colored gemstones like garnets, rubies and sapphires, were widely used in Georgian jewelry. The late-1700s paste jewelry was a predecessor to what we now call fashion or costume jewelry.
The Art Nouveau movement (1880–1910) brought with it rings inspired by the natural world. Antique Art Nouveau rings might feature depictions of winged insects and fauna as well as women, who were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized, frequently with long flowing hair. Art Deco jewelry, on the other hand, which originated during the 1920s and ’30s, is by and large “white jewelry.” White metals, primarily platinum, were favored over yellow gold in the design of antique Art Deco rings and other accessories as well as geometric motifs, with women drawn to the era’s dazzling cocktail rings in particular.
Whether you’re hunting down a chunky classic for a Prohibition-themed cocktail party or seeking a clean contemporary design to complement your casual ensemble, find an exquisite collection of antique, new and vintage rings on 1stDibs.
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