Is an heirloom ring right for you?

I’ve started collecting legacy stories from readers related to weddings, marriage and love, and it brought to mind heirloom rings. As I sit here writing this post, my mother’s wedding ring is on my finger. I always thought I’d pass it on to another, like when mom’s first great-grandchild was married, but so far, I haven’t found the person who wants it. If you have an heirloom ring available, you are fortunate, but if you come from a large family you may find yourself in competition for who gets the ring. Before I talk about whether or not an heirloom ring is right for you, let’s take a look at what it is along with the pros and cons of going with an heirloom engagement or wedding ring.

What is an heirloom ring?

An heirloom ring is an engagement or wedding ring passed on to another member of the family getting married or a ring with an interesting backstory that you bring into your family. Knowing the backstory, how the ring came into your family can make the wedding proposal even more special for people with close family ties or an interest in their families’ genealogies. 

The story of the ring is a way to keep family history alive for another generation. And when you wear an heirloom ring, your story is added to it. For instance, I only have mom’s wedding ring because her engagement ring was smashed when she was trying to move a refrigerator to clean under it. The ring saved her finger. They brought it to a jeweler who happened to lose it diamond and all (which I never believed) and she never got it back. When my father passed away, Mom gave the ring to me. It goes with my white gold set which I picked because I liked what Mom wore—white gold.

Benefits and drawbacks of an heirloom ring

One of the benefits of choosing an heirloom engagement ring or wedding ring is that they are unique. If you are a person who likes that one-of-a-kind sense of style, an heirloom ring offers that. Some vintage styles, like the halo engagement ring, are back in style, but not everyone likes the vintage look. If you’re partner isn’t keen on an heirloom ring because of its style, that can be an issue, but it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. If the family doesn’t mind, the ring can be broken up and made into a new ring or rings with the vintage elements included. However, don’t assume you can reset or modify the ring without talking with the family about it.

Another drawback occurs if more than one person wants the ring. Again, as I just mentioned, the ring can be broken up and made into a new ring or rings to satisfy everyone. The trick is to figure out who gets what part of the ring(s) for resetting purposes. BUT before you decide to do this, know that often the original setting has value that may be lost when/if you redesign. Instead of redesigning, you might want to set up a consultation with a jeweler to get ideas for modernizing the ring without redesigning the setting. Just saying, once you change it, you can’t go back.

What to do with an heirloom ring

Before I finish up here, let me say that if you are the one giving up the heirloom ring, you must realize that it no longer belongs to you. Let it go once it is on another’s finger. With that said, if you are the one who has received an heirloom ring you have several choices:

• Wear it. This is a great way honor the original owner of the ring.
• Put it away for a time
• Redesign it
• Share it with others by breaking it up

If the ring has no sentimental value to anyone in the family feel free to:

• Trade it for something else
• Sell it

If you inherited the ring you have the freedom to do what you want with it, but I suggest if other family members care about the ring that you take their feelings into consideration if you’re thinking of modifying it. If you do want to sell it, offer it to family members first.

In closing, let me talk to people who wish they had an heirloom ring and don’t. You can buy one you like. Learn it’s backstory and bring it into your family. It’s a great way to get the ring you want with a backstory all its own that can be added to your family history.

Photo credits:pxfuel, piqsels, pxfuel, pxfuel

Popular 1950s engagement ring syles

By the 1950s, the world had started to move beyond the trauma imposed on many different markets from World War II, including the jewelry trade. Metals like platinum which had been scarce during the war were once again available, and white metals including platinum and white gold became the popular choice for 1950s engagement ring styles. This is still a popular choice for engagement rings today because diamonds reflect better in white metals than yellow making a lower grade diamond have the preferred appearance of a lower color. This along with a greater access to diamonds influenced engagement ring styles in the 50s.

 

 

 

Popular 1950s stylistic elements

Stylistic elements found in engagement rings from the 1950s include engravings or braid details in the setting. They also featured progressively larger stones. One of the most popular styles representative of the 50s were engagement rings featuring a large center diamond nestled among symmetrical smaller diamonds or baguettes, on either side of it. Popular cuts included round cuts, Asscher cuts, emerald Cuts and marquise Cuts. The diamond’s cut is what gives it the ability to reflect light.

 

 

Engagement rings of 1950s Hollywood stars

The 50s enjoyed the excitement of being a decade with its own royal wedding when Hollywood star Grace Kelly, whose dress inspired Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, married Prince Rainer of Monaco. She wore a 10.15 karat Cartier emerald cut solitaire engagement ring. 

Princess Grace wore 10.15 karat Cartier emerald cut ring.

If you think that’s big, Elizabeth Taylor was given a 29.4 karat emerald cut Cartier engagement ring by Mike Todd. But while these rings where topics of conversation, one of the biggest engagement/wedding band trends of the ‘50s still going on today was started by Hollywood’s Audrey Hepburn − stackable rings. Her fiancé Mel Ferrer presented her with three rings, a baguette cut white gold eternity band along with two wedding bands, one yellow gold and the other rose gold. He figured she could mix and match them to suit her mood and outfit. 

 

 Audrey Hepburn − stackable rings

 

The fun thing about engagement rings of the 1950s is that many of the ring trends popular then are still popular today. So if you’d like to wear a vintage ring that looks current or rather buy a vintage-inspired ring, the 50s offer a nice selection with options you’re sure to love. 

Photo credits: wikimedia.org, glamor magazine, British Pathe, grandrapidsbride

Courtship and marriage customs in the Georgian Era

Yesterday we looked at vintage wedding rings from England’s Georgian era. These handcrafted rings offer a variety of styles influenced by world events and more over 100 plus years (1714 to 1837). Today, these vintage rings offer classic craftsmanship with a romantic feel from yesteryear if you are lucky enough to find one, but courtship and marriage in the Georgian era often had nothing to do with romance or even love.

 

Don’t get me wrong, love was one reason a couple might have gotten married, but often marriage was a matter of convenience, like making a deal, for reasons like producing heirs, combining finances and families, or to get out of poverty or escape a life of loneliness. Author Jane Austen sums it up the reality of the times in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice when she wrote “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.”

Courtship

It may surprise some to know that the age of consent for courtship for girls was age 12 and for boys was age 14. However, even if they were betrothed at such a young age, minors under the age of 21 needed parental consent to marry.

Class prejudice

The Georgian era is known for rigid class prejudice and this played into choosing who you could marry. Choosing someone from the same class made things easier to marry. For instance, if the woman’s family didn’t have a adequate dowry she wouldn’t be likely to see male suitors from “good families” showing interest in pursuing her. However, a socially acceptable double standard allowed well-to-do men to keep a lower-class mistress without criticism, but if they married that same woman they faced condemnation and could even be shunned.

Sex before marriage

Back then, sex before marriage wasn’t illegal, but if the girl became pregnant, she would be pressed to name the father under the Bastardy Act, and such couples could be forced to wed. However, young men who served as apprentices were often committed to their role for seven years from age 14, and were not allowed to “commit Fornication, nor contract Matrimony.”

Marriage

Most couples didn’t get married until they reached their early 20s, once the man finished his apprenticeship and became financially stable. No matter the age, choosing the right companion was a huge decision because marriage was a lifelong commitment with "till death us do part" of their wedding vows taken seriously.

Superstitions related to marriage

Some people depended on superstitions to help find a spouse. One practice was to take place on St. Agnes’ Eve. In this case, the woman took a row of pins and stuck them in her sleeve one at a time, and with each pin she was to say the Lord’s Prayer. With this done, she expected to dream of man she would marry. Another superstition held at this time included the bad luck of walking under a ladder believing it could prevent you from being married that year!

 

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Photo credits: wikimedia.org, wikimedia.org