Historical Wedding Traditions

The antique wedding band has a long tradition dating as far as 860 A. D. Wedding traditions varied greatly between “cultures, ethnic groups, religions and countries”, according to Wikipedia – Wedding.

Roman wedding customs gave way to the engagement ring as a gift. Today, an antique engagement ring would be looked at in the same way. It was worn on the third finger of the left hand, as it is today. It was believed that a nerve ran from the finger directly to the heart.

In Scottish weddings, the custom was to marry just outside the church with a ceremony in the Scottish language. The wedding party and guest then went inside the church for a ceremony in Latin where wedding bands were exchanged believing that the rings symbolically had no beginning or end. Of course, the event was followed by a marriage kiss.

In Hawaii, very little is known about the old marriage tradition as there is no language of old Hawaii. However, we do know that they exchanged wedding bands symbolizing the sun, the earth, and the heavens.

Pope Nicholas, in 860 A. D, told all that the engagement ring was required to seal the marriage. The ring was considered a ring of gold. It wasn’t until 617 years later that adding a diamond to the ring of gold as an engagement ring became popular.

In old England, the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, started. Although these customs are used today, few know anything of their relevance.

Something old is symbolic of continuity, usually a piece of lace or an old piece of jewelry. Today, an antique wedding band or vintage wedding band could be used for something old. Something new could even be an antique wedding band and would be considered that something new. It is a new gift to the bride-to-be. Something borrowed would be symbolic of future happiness and that was given to the bride by a friend. Something blue meant purity and a band of blue cloth was worn on the bottom of the bride and groom’s wedding attire.

During the time of the knights, the knight would go into a tournament wearing a single flower or a handkerchief from the bride. That has turned into the custom of the groom wearing a flower from the bride’s bouquet.

The white gown was not a symbol of purity but rather, of joy. In 1499, Ann of Brittany started the tradition of the white gown being fashionable wedding attire.

Today, some traditions have changed but many are the same. The diamond engagement ring, the wedding band symbolizing the never-ending love between the husband and wife, the white wedding dress, the something blue, and the single flower are still popular traditions today.

This Article is originally posted here: https://www.gesner.com/blog/historical-wedding-traditions/

Antique Wedding Bands: https://gesner.com/antique-vintage-jewelry/wedding-bands

Antique Engagement Rings: https://gesner.com/antique-vintage-jewelry/engagement-rings

Gesner Estate Jewelry: https://gesner.com/

Edwardian Engagement Rings

 When it comes to Edwardian Jewelry, engagement rings have become some of the most coveted items with brides-to-be.  Ladies that value the elegance of the era can truly appreciate the design and attention to detail that distinguishes Edwardian rings from today’s more contemporary jewelry.   These neo-classical styles of the early 20th century make Edwardian engagement rings some of the most exciting pieces of jewelry for any woman to appreciate.

Value of Edwardian Style Engagement Rings

Whether you are looking to buy or sell an Edwardian engagement ring, you can be sure that you are dealing with something that is very special.  Gesner Estate Jewelry specializes in early 20th century Edwardian and Art Deco platinum and has a very large inventory to choose from.

If you are interested in selling your jewelry, you will definitely want to consider bringing it into one of our two locations in the Tampa Bay area.  Our associates will be very happy to evaluate your jewelry and make you a very fair offer. 

Types of Edwardian Engagement Rings

Even though Edwardian rings are hard to find, there are still many options when it comes to the various styles that one has to choose from.  Many of these elegantly hand-crafted rings offer a variety of settings and stones which make them extremely unique.  These Edwardian rings later become heirlooms due to their amazing detail and beauty.   Many hours of design and craftsmanship went into this jewelry and those efforts will be appreciated for years to come.

The value of a natural pearl & Edwardian antique pearl ring

A large natural pearl is considered the oldest and most valuable gemstone. When found, a single perfectly round natural pearl would be sold as a collector’s item because of its scarcity and considerable value. The larger the pearl, the more it is worth.

In 1520 B.C., a portion of a rare natural pearl was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess. This information is not surprising because natural pearls are not only considered extremely valuable but have been known to symbolize humility and purity. 

Another example of the value of a single pearl is the historical fact that the Roman general, Vitellius, sold one of his mother’s pearls to fund an entire war. Hard to believe, but true!

This dainty and feminine natural Antique pearl and diamond ring is from the Edwardian time period, circa 1901-1914. It has a 3.8mm pearl and is surrounded by .33ct. T.W. of Rose Cut diamonds with SI clarity and G-H color. Furthermore, the shoulders of this ring have a leaf design with prong set diamonds. Crafted in Platinum and 14 karat yellow gold, this is a classic and elegant Antique Vintage pearl ring. A perfect addition to any woman’s jewelry wardrobe.

This article is Originally Posted here : 

https://www.gesner.com/blog/the-value-of-a-natural-pearl-edwardian-antique-pearl-ring/ &

https://www.gesner.com/blog/edwardian-engagement-rings/

Our Website: https://gesner.com/

Checkout our Antique & Vintage Jewelry : https://gesner.com/antique-vintage-jewelry

Types of Antique Engagement Rings

There are various styles of Antique Engagement Rings that people can choose from.  Making the proper selection will depend on the particular look  that one is attracted to and, of course, establishing budget parameters.  Here are some examples of great styles of engagements rings that Gesner Estate Jewelry can offer.

Edwardian Engagement Rings

Edwardian Engagement Rings

Edwardian Engagement Rings were some of the most popular rings of the early 1900’s.  These rings offer a lace-like detail filigree that was cherished by ladies of the Edwardian era.  These classical rings offer a sense of diversity and special appeal that is unique to the era.  The Edwardian rings were usually delicate and very feminine.

Art Deco Engagement Rings

Art Deco Engagement Rings

Art Deco Engagement Rings cover the time period between the 1920’s and 1930’s.  Emeralds, Sapphires and Rubies became very popular and were often used with diamonds to create the “look” of the Art Deco era.  The Art Deco “look” often combines influences of cubism, geometric and angular design.  They are equally popular with the Edwardian look and certain to be cherished for years to come.   These rings are very hard to find and are still very much in high demand.

Platinum Engagement Rings

Antique Platinum Engagement Rings

Antique Platinum Engagement Rings are what we specialize in and our collection features a very large inventory of breathtaking craftsmanship, style and design. 

Gesner Estate Jewelry offers the finest selection of quality antique engagement rings at great prices.  Take the time to view all the options that we offer on our site and please contact us if you have any questions.  Visit us at https://gesner.com/ for a true visual experience!  We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your needs. (813)282-1008 or (727)586-6000

Vintage Jewelry from the Edwardian Period and the Victorian Period

 Vintage jewelry is jewelry that dates from 1950 or before. Estate jewelry includes vintage jewelry and contemporary jewelry. To add to your jewelry wardrobe, you might want to consider a little something from the Edwardian Period or the Victorian Period.

One way you can find vintage jewelry is to look for an estate jewelry store in your area. Look on the internet for an estate jewelry store near you. If you are lucky, you will find an estate jewelry store that sells from their website as well as in person. You are sure to find something you are looking for there.

The Edwardian period dated from 1901-1914. Platinum was the metal that was used primarily. Vintage diamonds from that time period were either Old Mine cut or European cut diamonds. These diamonds had amazing brilliance and fire and were almost always inclusion-free to the unaided eye.

The designs you would find from the Edwardian period would be little pieces of art. Bows, honeycomb patterns, flower garland, and scalloped edges were the major patterns created for vintage engagement rings and platinum jewelry of all kinds. Colored gemstones such as all colors of sapphire, emerald, and ruby were used to accent the jewelry design. Long strands of pearls were popular then as they are today.

The Victorian Period dated from 1837-1901. You will find Queen Victoria’s personal jewelry preferences in everything from that period of time. She loved floral designs, fine scrollwork, and animal themes. Much of her jewelry interest, from the mid-Victorian era, was in heavy yellow gold and colored gemstones as well. Later on, jewelry became more modest. A woman’s jewelry wardrobe might include a strand of pearls, a gold necklace, and a carved or hand-painted brooch with seed pearls.

Historical Wedding Traditions

The antique wedding band has a long tradition dating as far as 860 A. D. Wedding traditions varied greatly between “cultures, ethnic groups, religions and countries”, according to Wikipedia – Wedding.

Roman wedding customs gave way to the engagement ring as a gift. Today, an antique engagement ring would be looked at in the same way. It was worn on the third finger of the left hand, as it is today. It was believed that a nerve ran from the finger directly to the heart.

In Scottish weddings, the custom was to marry just outside the church with a ceremony in the Scottish language. The wedding party and guest then went inside the church for a ceremony in Latin where wedding bands were exchanged believing that the rings symbolically had no beginning or ending. Of course, the event was followed with a marriage kiss.

In Hawaii, very little is known about the old marriage tradition as there is no language of old Hawaii. However, we do know that they exchanged wedding bands symbolizing the sun, the earth and the heavens.

Pope Nicholas, in 860 A. D, told all that the engagement ring was required to seal the marriage. The ring was considered a ring of gold. It wasn’t until 617 years later that adding a diamond to the ring of gold as an engagement ring became popular.

In old England, the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, started. Although these customs are used today, few know anything of its relevance.

Something old is symbolic of continuity, usually a piece of lace or an old piece of jewelry. Today, an antique wedding band or vintage wedding band could be used for something old. Something new could even be an antique wedding band and would be considered that something new. It is a new gift to the bride to be. Something borrowed would be symbolic of the future happiness and that was given to the bride by a friend. Something blue meant purity and a band of blue cloth was worn on the bottom of the bride and groom’s wedding attire.

During the time of the knights, the knight would go into a tournament wearing a single flower or a handkerchief from the bride. That has turned into the custom of the groom wearing a flower from the bride’s bouquet.

The white gown was not a symbol of purity but rather, of joy. In 1499, Ann of Brittany started the tradition of the white gown being fashionable wedding attire.

Today, some traditions have changed but many are the same. The diamond engagement ring, the wedding band symbolizing the never ending love between the husband and wife, the white wedding dress, the something blue and the single flower are still a popular tradition today.

The 4 C’s – Carat Weight, Color, Clarity and Cut

 When considering your purchase of an antique engagement ring or vintage style engagement rings, there are four things to take into consideration-carat weight, color, clarity and cut.

Carat is a measure of weight for a diamond. The European Cut diamond as compared to a Round Brilliant of the same millimetre size can weigh as much as 10-15% more because of cut.  Most diamonds are under one carat and are measured in points.  One hundred points are equal to one carat, (1.00ct) whereas three-quarters of a carat is equal to, (.75ct).  Diamonds are usually purchased in “magic” numbers according to The Gemological Institute of America.  Those “magic” numbers are .25ct, .50ct, .75ct and 1.00ct. As it relates to size, a 1.00ct engagement ring vs. a .90ct is not discernable to the naked eye, but its cost is considerably more expensive.  When purchasing your diamond ring, just stay under the carat mark and you will save quite a bit of money.

Color is graded from D-F which is colorless to Z which is light yellow.

D-F              Colorless

G-J              Near Colorless

K-M             Faint Yellow

N-Z              Very Light to Light Yellow

After Z        Fancy Yellow

A great place to be when purchasing your diamond is in the Near Colorless range because the eye can hardly differentiate between Colorless to Near Colorless.  Your European Cut vintage style engagement ring can easily go to the M in the color range because the cut of this diamond camouflages its color beautifully and it will face up white.

Clarity ranges from Flawless to highly Imperfect according to The Gemological Institute of America and the grading takes into consideration the size of the inclusion, crystals or blemishes and its location. Grading is done with 10x magnification and assumes it is graded by a trained diamond specialist.  The grading is as follows:

FL                Flawless

IF                 Internally Flawless

VVS             Extremely difficult to see

VS                Slightly difficult to somewhat easy to see

SI                 Easy to see or eye visible

I                   Imperfect diamonds, heavily included and can affect durability

A great place to be all things considered is in the VS to SI1 range.

Cut refers to the faceting and not to shape – oval and princess cut, for example. Basically, when referring to the cut of a diamond, we can focus our thoughts on two different styles, the Round Brilliant and the European Cut diamond. The European Cut diamond, from the 19th century and earlier, is characteristically different from the 20th century Round Brilliant Cut. It has fewer facets and is hand cut in a way that enhances color and gives beautiful brilliance. 

The table of a European Cut is smaller than the Round Brilliant. The crown angles are higher making it heavier on top than the Round Brilliant of the same millimeter size. The thicker girdle is not  faceted. The pavilion is deeper and the culet is open.  It does not come to a point as it does today. It was designed to bring light in from the top and reflect back if looking at the diamond from the top. All of these factors taken into consideration improve the color. The European Cut is very popular now, as the Round Brilliant Cut diamonds cannot replace the unique and romantic antique diamond rings in vintage settings today.

Round Brilliant Cut diamonds were created by Marcel Tolkowsky and are cut to very specific calculations. They are more cone-shaped than the European Cut diamonds and have 58 or more facets.  The table is larger and the girdle, which is the section that separates the table from the pavilion, is faceted. The pavilion is not as high and it does not have a culet.  It comes to a point on the bottom. Polish and symmetry are also taken into consideration and every facet has the potential to change the rays of light giving it a lot of brilliance.