Victorian Period Engagement Rings

Victorian engagement rings are those which were made during the reign of Queen Victoria of England.

In recent times, several celebrities have been seen wearing Victorian engagement rings. One of the favourite designs of engagement ring of this era is the 'You and Me' ring. This was French in style and was very popular in the 19th century. This type of ring has two stones set opposite each other and the pair is symbolic of the couple. These two gemstones may be surrounded with other gemstones, sometimes matching the pair. The pair of stones were often diamonds.

A different form of ring which became popular in the Victorian era was the REGARDS ring. Stones such as ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond and sapphire were used in the ring. The first letter of the name of each type of stone formed the word 'REGARDS'. Occasionally the stones would spell the name or initials of the person giving the ring.

Other rings would spell out the word LOVE using lapis lazuli, opal, vermarine and an emerald.

The 'dearest' ring was another type of popular ring. Diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz were all combined in a ring to make up the word DEAREST.

The serpent or snake ring was also very popular as an engagement ring in Victorian times. It had a pair of serpents which were entwined symbolizing bride and groom, and may be set with gemstones. Even Queen Victoria wore one of these rings after her engagement to Prince Albert.

The 3-stone Victorian engagement ring was quite widely-chosen by couples of that era. This design would often be made in the form of two entwined hearts and would be set with diamonds and pearls.

Victorian engagement rings were normally made from either rose gold or yellow gold, or sometimes platinum or silver.

Many Victorian traditions relating to engagement no longer exist. One tradition was that the man would ask his young lady's father for permission for them to marry. If his request was successful, a special dinner would be given.

In the Victorian era, gold was in short supply, as were diamonds. This meant that ring makers had to design rings which made the best use of the limited materials available. Thin sheets or plates of gold, and filigree or pierced designs all helped to make the materials go further without the rings appearance being sacrificed. These methods made the rings appear quite substantial.

by: Sarah Carter

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