Edwardian solitaire engagement rings were those made directly following the Victorian period, more specifically made between 1901 and 1910 during the reign in England of King Edward VII.  Solitaire engagement rings dating to thief brief era were known for their overall Victorian style but with a decidedly international flair.

Following the Edwardian era, solitaire engagement rings took on a whole new personality.  Between the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods of the early 1900s, solitaire engagement rings became much more than just jewellery, they were literally works of art.  Art Nouveau solitaire engagement rings were known for their organic nature.  Previously, solitaire engagement rings were a matter of metal and jewels, however, Art Nouveau solitaire engagement rings were about form and flow.  White metals, including white gold and silver, became increasing popular choices for solitaire engagement rings.  The stones used for solitaire engagement rings spanned much further than just diamonds, introducing new levels of colour and shine to solitaire engagement rings of the period.  Pastel colours were, in fact, in high demand for use in solitaire engagement rings.

Shortly following the height of Art Nouveau, the Art Deco movement came into effect.  Moving away from organic curves, Art Deco solitaire engagement rings turned to architecture and engineering for their structural influences.  Relying on sharp lines and clean angles, Art Deco solitaire engagement rings were truly beautiful pieces to behold, once again taking solitaire engagement rings closer to their status as pieces of art, as opposed to merely jewellery.  These solitaire engagement rings also utilized curves as well, but they were often incorporated in more geometric designs, creating a beautiful balance of soft edges and hard lines that made the solitaire engagement rings so popular.  Even the stones used in Art Deco solitaire engagement rings favoured sharp cuts, such as princess and emerald cut diamonds.  Black and white stone and metal combinations were also heavily used in Art Deco solitaire engagement rings as the colours provided an intense contrast to one another that further helped set the solitaire engagement rings apart form the rest.

While antique solitaire engagement rings can be found dating back to ancient history, these pieces are typically on display in museums or part of famous crown jewel sets.

Some of the earliest antique engagement rings on the buyers market tend to date back to the Georgian period, being made anywhere from 1714 to 1830 and named for the reign of the four Georges from the House of Hanover.  These particular solitaire engagement rings may feature a variety of stone types, including glass or paste stones which were often popular.  The general age of Georgian solitaire engagement rings tends to restrict them to special occasion wear, as they tended to be very delicate and dainty in nature, not a quality wanted in everyday wear solitaire engagement rings.  Ring sizing for Georgian rings also tended to run very small and, while it is possible for them to be resized, many jewellers prefer not to make alterations to solitaire engagement rings dating back that far.

The next major category of antique solitaire engagement rings comes from Victorian times, ranging from 1837 to 1901, named for the reign of Queen Victoria.  Victorian solitaire engagement rings are not only some of the most popular on the market, they are also some of the most elegant antique engagement rings to be found.  Almost always made from yellow gold, Victorian solitaire engagement rings are larger in comparison to Georgian solitaire engagement rings and, therefore, more suited for frequent wear under optimal conditions and with regular maintenance.  Like Georgian solitaire engagement rings, Victorian solitaire engagement rings are found with nearly any stone imaginable set into them and are sometimes noted for use of unusual accent designs, such as snakes and buckles.

A vintage diamond engagement is generally considered to be one that was made during the mid to late 1900s.  More specifically a true vintage diamond engagement ring was created between 1920 to 1970.  Eventually the range will extend to encompass a diamond engagement ring made in 1980s as well.

Vintage diamond rings were well constructed and can often be found in conditions today that make them stable enough for everyday wear.  As the vintage diamond engagement ring supply decreases, more and more jewellery houses and designers have dedicated a portion of their collections to the vintage inspired diamond engagement ring.  The most common metals used in constructing a vintage diamond engagement ring were gold or silver and other gemstones were often included in the diamond engagement ring alongside the diamond(s) in order to add more colour to the ring itself.  One of the most popular styles of a vintage diamond engagement ring often dates back to the art deco period, loved for its unique architectural quality when it came to designing a vintage diamond ring.

An antique diamond engagement ring, on the other hand, was one that was created pre 1900.  The most common time periods that an antique diamond engagement ring will date back to are the Victorian and Edwardian eras.  A Georgian period diamond engagement ring is also a possibility, but increasingly harder to find than the others.

Like the vintage diamond engagement ring, the most common metal used for an antique diamond engagement ring was gold and gemstones were a common addition to the antique diamond engagement ring as well.  Unlike a vintage ring, antique diamond engagement rings are often very fragile and not always intended for frequent wear.  Many women who have an antique diamond engagement ring will choose to only wear it for special occasions.  The cost of a true antique piece is also much higher than that of a vintage ring, as the supply of true antique pieces is much more limited.

While the price of diamonds per carat tends to remain fairly steady over the years, the price of precious metals commonly used in solitaire engagement rings tends to fluctuate greatly.  For the most part, the solitaire engagement rings diamond market is strategically controlled by the leading jewellers in the world who work to ensure that diamond supplies for solitaire engagement rings never fall below the current demand, which would cause the prices to increase dramatically, or rise above current demand for solitaire engagement rings, causing diamonds to lose their value rather quickly.

The precious metal market, on the other hand, is nowhere near as tightly controlled, creating variances in the prices of certain metals commonly used for solitaire engagement rings year after year.  Palladium solitaire engagement rings are one of the newest trends on the bridal jewellery market, primarily because palladium solitaire engagement rings are nearly identical to platinum engagement rings while also being a fraction of the cost.  As the demand for palladium solitaire engagement rings continues to grow, the stores of palladium may become somewhat depleted, causing its prince to increase, potentially making platinum solitaire engagement rings the cheaper option.

For the most part, a trained jewellery appraiser will determine the type and weight of the metal in the solitaire engagement rings  in order to determine the value.  If the particular metal in the solitaire engagement rings happens to be high at the time, most jewellers will typically use the increased rate to value the solitaire engagement rings.  If the metal happens to be at a low spot on the market, jewellers may choose to look at the historical prices of the metal to determine a higher value.  This is typically the case with solitaire engagement rings that are made of metals hitting an unusual low spot with the full belief that it will soon return to its typical worth.

Appraisals tend to focus on the diamonds in solitaire engagement rings first, primarily because that is where the majority of the ring’s value lies.  The colour of the stone in solitaire engagement rings can vary from colourless to yellow.  Naturally, the less amount of colour a diamond possesses, the more valuable it will be.  The clarity of the stone in the solitaire engagement rings describes how many internal or external flaws a diamond has, ranging anywhere from flawless to very visibly included or flawed.  Of course, the less flaws or inclusions the stone has, the more valuable it will be, in turn increasing the overall value of the solitaire engagement rings.  The cut of a stone often describes the number or complexity of the various cuts or facets in stones set in solitaire engagement rings.  While less faceted stones are still valuable, solitaire engagement rings with brilliant cut stones, or other complex designs, are valued higher due to the added labour time that has gone into the ring itself.  Finally, with regards to the four c’s,  the carat weight of the stones in solitaire engagement rings provides easiest factor to comprehend.  The larger the diamonds are in the solitaire engagement rings, the more costly overall they will be.  Also, the larger the stone, the higher the per carat value of the stone will be as well.  This is particularly true because of the fact that larger finished stones are much harder to come by for solitaire engagement rings than smaller stones.

The most common diamond engagement ring is a solitaire style.  As the name implies, a solitaire diamond engagement ring features a single stone.  While the thought of this style of diamond engagement ring may seem a bit too simple, there are a number of setting options and band designs that can make a solitaire diamond engagement ring just as luxurious as any other design.

Another popular choice when it comes to diamond engagement ring design is the shoulder stone style.  This diamond engagement ring feature the same single centre stone as the solitaire design, but also adds one or more accent stones on either side for extra sparkle.  The stones can be fairly large, as with a three stone diamond engagement ring design, or can be small accents, often set into the top and sides of the band itself.

The third choice for diamond engagement ring designs is a cluster set ring.  Similar to the shoulder stone diamond engagement ring, a cluster ring tends to feature one or more centre stones surrounded by smaller accent stones.  The accent stones in a cluster diamond engagement ring, however, are often situated in a halo effect around the centre stones, as opposed to being limited to placement on just the two sides of the band.  A cluster style diamond engagement ring is the perfect choice for a woman who wants a large amount of sparkle without necessarily having to spend a large amount of money.  The smaller accent stones used to create the majority of the sparkle in a cluster style diamond engagement ring are much cheaper on a per carat basis than larger stones.  From a distance, however, a cluster style diamond engagement ring will give just as much sparkle as a ring with a much larger stone.

One of the easiest ways to set the stones in solitaire engagement rings to best suit active lifestyles is with the bezel setting.  Bezel set solitaire engagement rings allow the stone to be set flush into the ring, surrounded on al sides by the precious metal.  These bezel set solitaire engagement rings are also typically open on the bottom of the stone, allowing light to pass through the stone from beneath to create the maximum sparkle and fire.

Another popular choice for settings in solitaire engagement rings is the channel setting.  This style of solitaire engagement rings use a trench or channel which has been cut into the ring band itself.  The stone is then set into the channel of the solitaire engagement rings, also lying flush on the upper surface of the band.  The stone in these solitaire engagement rings is secured by the fact that the channel has also been formed to overall the sides of the stones just enough to hold it securely in place.

Split shank solitaire engagement rings are also a very popular design, using two bands on the upper portion of the solitaire engagement rings that merge into a single band on the bottom of the solitaire engagement rings.  The stone is then set between the split on the upper band.  Unlike tension set solitaire engagement rings which rely on pressure to secure the stone, the stones in split shank solitaire engagement rings are held in place by notches created in the bands to secure either side of the stone.

Instead of looking at the benefits of buying solitaire engagement rings in sets, let’s look at the disadvantages of not doing so.  The most common downside to not buying solitaire engagement rings in sets is not being able to find a set of wedding rings that is physically compatible later down the road.  Solitaire engagement rings are particularly hard to match at times, especially when the diamond is not flush in the setting, as most wedding bands are straight in nature.  Matched solitaire engagement rings in set, on the other hand, will include custom crafted wedding rings designed to fit around the stone if it is not laying flush in the solitaire engagement rings.

Another pitfall of not buying solitaire engagement rings in sets is not being able to find wedding rings that visually match the solitaire engagement rings.  The thought of beautifully unique brushed platinum solitaire engagement rings may be a lovely one, but being able to find a corresponding brushed platinum wedding ring months later may prove to be a challenge.  Even if the collection you purchase your solitaire engagement rings has matching pieces available for purchase, not buying them at the same tine you purchase the solitaire engagement rings can be a big gamble.  Many people find out the hard way that the matching pieces to their solitaire engagement rings that they panned on buying later are part of bridal jewellery collections that the designer may only plan to sell for a few months before they are discontinued, and your matching pieces to the solitaire engagement rings are gone for good.

While appraisals are very important when buying a second hand diamond engagement ring, they become slightly trickier for a vintage diamond engagement ring.  As is most often the case, a vintage diamond engagement ring will tend to be made form lower quality gold, including 9kt and 10kt, reducing the overall metal value of the ring.  They also tend to be set with much smaller stones than those which are commonly used today, further minimizing the technical value of a vintage diamond engagement ring.  The true value of a vintage diamond engagement ring, however, lies in the fact that it is a vintage piece.  Its true value is based on a number of other details, including craftsmanship, level of detail, and the time period the ring was made during.  A vintage diamond engagement ring can also be worth significantly more if made by famous jewellery designers whose pieces are in high demand on the vintage diamond engagement ring market.  A vintage diamond engagement ring should, therefore, be appraised by someone with a great deal of vintage jewellery experience.

Other key items that should be done while the vintage diamond engagement ring is being appraised is verifying that the stones in the diamond engagement ring are, in fact, genuine and that the gold markings are accurate.

You should also be prepared to enter into a sale for a vintage diamond engagement ring knowing that repairs to the ring itself will often be inevitable.  While the quality of a vintage diamond engagement ring may often be better than the modern pieces, primarily due to the fact that they were often hand crafted, the age of the diamond engagement ring will typically lend to the fact that wear and tear over the years means some minor repairs may be needed to get the ring back into top shape.

A second hand diamond engagement ring is not only a great way to save some cash, it can also be one of the best ways to get the most valuable diamond engagement ring for your money.  Many reputable jewellers are beginning to reserve a portion of their sales for the certified used diamond engagement ring market.  There are, however, a few things you need to look out for when shopping for a second hand diamond engagement ring.

When you buy a new diamond engagement ring, you are always supposed to ensure it is accompanied by a valid third party appraisal.  This rule holds just as true when shopping for a second hand diamond engagement ring.  If the jeweller does not offer an appraisal with the diamond engagement ring, feel free to ask permission to have it appraised on your own.  This is the best way to ensure the ring is of adequate quality and any markings or hallmarks on the ring are, in fact, genuine.

The second thing to do is to make sure the diamond engagement ring has been properly inspected.  While some retailers only carry diamond engagement rings on an ‘as-is’ basis, most will gladly perform the inspection on the second hand diamond engagement ring to make sure the stone is set securely and that there are no imperfections in the stone that have not been previously disclosed.

Lastly, you need to make sure you are buying a second hand engagement ring from a reputable dealer.  Many thefts and burglaries that involve jewellery often end up with the jewellery being sold at extremely low prices to provide a fast turnaround.  In other words, if the price of the diamond engagement ring is too good to be true, it probably is.  Reputable dealers, on the other hand, take the proper steps to ensure that any jewellery they purchase intended for resale as a second hand diamond engagement ring is, in fact, legitimate.