Art Deco Emerald Rings

Art Deco is said to have begun at the 1925 Parisian Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. This new style moved away from the flowery and organic forms of the old Art Nouveau and embraced influences from many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, and Futurism.

The influence of Cubism is apparent in the strong symmetry, geometry and streamlined shapes of Art Deco jewelry, as exhibited by the rings to the right. You can see the unusual square and rectangle shapes of the stones and how they are set in these rings. This was very appealing to a new age that was embracing a more streamlined approach to just about everything.

Art Deco engagement rings are not the diamond solitaires that we are used to seeing. Rather, a larger central stone was often surrounded by smaller contrasting stones set at geometric angles. On average, Art Deco engagement rings were larger than today’s engagement rings and more comparable to modern bridal sets.

During the Great Depression however, the emphasis was on the ring’s overall design rather than a large center stone, since designing an elaborate ring with many smaller and less expensive gems was more practical than using larger, less affordable stones. See the lower two of the rings to the right for examples of Depression-era Art Deco engagement rings.

Platinum bands were especially popular in Art Deco rings, as evidenced by the rings to the right. As you can see, the bright white luster of the platinum band beautifully compliments the brightly colored gemstones. White gold or silver could also be used to this effect, but Art Deco jewelry was considered ultra-modern and platinum was a modern metal that was being used in lots of jewelry at the time. It was stronger than silver and lighter than steel, which made it a very popular choice for ring bands.

The Art Deco style changed from extravagant jewels in outrageous cocktail rings in the 1920s to a more conservative, but no less stunning engagement ring style in the 1930s. However, even though the size of the jewels changed, the basic style stayed the same - a larger gem in the center that was surrounded by smaller gems of a contrasting color and usually set in severe geometric and platinum settings. The style is still so distinctive that they are easy to spot, even today. Expect to pay a large premium for this style of ring - the jewels are usually of high quality and they are getting harder to find!