A wedding ring is a lasting symbol of a couple’s commitment to one another, and should reflect the individual style of those who wear the rings. While most women would generally agree that more diamonds are better than less, you may be a little unsure about just how you want those diamonds arranged, or what time period you want your ring to be reminiscent of. Antique wedding rings are a wonderful way to ensure that your ring is unique and to preserve family history. Here are a few antique wedding ring ideas that may suit your preferences, traditions and even budget.

What are My Choices?

Mid century-style wedding rings have very elaborate design, are fairly medium-sized as far as wedding rings go, and the diamond has more of an angular shape to it. Most of the bands on mid-century wedding rings are made of gold, but more modern models use white gold, which goes well with the diamonds in the ring. The ring may have one large diamond, or many smaller diamonds surrounding the largest stone. Modern models of the ring have diamond accents around the square-shaped central diamond. You can find this style of wedding ring at most jewelry stores, or you can choose the stones you want and have a ring created for you. You could also order a Mid Century-style ring online at most antique jewelry websites, or you can purchase the ring from an antique jewelry mall in your area.

Which Style is Right for Me?

Antique wedding rings from the Art Deco period (1920s and 1930s) also come in a variety of beautiful designs. The main stone on these rings can be round or angular, and the most popular styles include the princess cut, filigree cut, and solitaire. The princess cut Art Deco ring has a very angular, square-shaped diamond, with three or four much smaller diamonds on each side of the main stone. These rings usually come in platinum, but if you’re building the ring yourself, you can request that the band be in white gold or traditional gold. The filigree-style wedding ring contains a much rounder stone, with four smaller stones encrusted in the four corners of the stone, slightly lifting the main stone up above the band. There are smaller diamonds (usually two or three) on each side of the central stone; the band is fairly thick near the front of the ring, and thins out as it rounds the finger. Solitaire Art Deco wedding rings are simple and elegant. The platinum, fairly thin band is pleasantly interrupted by a large, round stone in the front of the ring, enclosed by platinum or white gold.

Should I Always Choose Diamonds?

While diamonds are the traditional stone used for wedding and engagement rings, other precious stones, like sapphire and rubies, make beautiful wedding rings as well. You can select any type of stone to be the centerpiece of your ring, and if you’re using the ring of a family member, you can add stones or replace the main stone with a colored stone or your birth stone to make the ring original and still maintain tradition.