Ultimate Guide to the Cocktail Ring (2024)

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by Suzanne Sachs • 5 min read

THE BASICS --

A cocktail ring can be a glamorous piece of jewelry, a signature accessory to one's fashionable flair, or simply an eye-catching accent for a particular outfit or occasion. Understanding everything about cocktail rings can help you better enjoy this type of jewelry and make the most of the sparkle it adds to your wardrobe.e to the rose cut diamond will answer all your questions about this vintage look.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW--

In this guide, we will explain the following:

• Origins of Cocktail Rings
• Cocktail Ring Designs
• Cost of Cocktail Rings
• Wearing a Cocktail Ring
• Rose Cut Care
• Choosing A Rose Cut Diamond Ring

Origins of Cocktail Rings

Cocktail rings first came into fashion during the United States prohibition era (1920-1933). These large, ostentatious rings were a bold and glittering fashion statement that not only showed wealth, but also caught the eye of bartenders at speakeasies, demonstrating that women were not only strong and independent enough to visit these bootleg establishments, but that they were of means to do so. Thus, the new flashy style of large, eye-catching rings were termed "cocktail rings" after their use to encourage bar service.

These rings continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1940s and 1950s, but gradually fell out of favor during the 1960s and 1970s, when more naturalist, simpler styles were preferred. When the big hair, big colors, and big attitudes of the 1980s resurged, however, cocktail rings quickly gained popularity again, and have remained fun and distinctive pieces of jewelry ever since.

Cocktail Ring Designs

Cocktail rings are deliberately big and flashy, defying traditional jewelry convention. These rings often feature an oversized center stone surrounded by even more bling, or else elaborate metalwork to enhance the size of the overall design. Halo designs are popular for cocktail rings, as are figural shapes such as bows, butterflies, fans, serpents, flowers, and other unique shapes. Art Deco styles are also popular in cocktail rings, with elaborate geometry and symmetrical embellishments, with smaller stones adding extra drama to the jewelry.

These rings are often colorful, featuring not only a colored center stone, but also colorful accents to show bold contrast. While brightly colored rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and sapphires are popular choices, any colored gem might be featured in a cocktail ring, as well as polished options like pearls, opals, and turquoise.

Cost of Cocktail Rings

Vintage cocktail rings are often exquisite pieces that come in a range of price points depending on the quality of the stones, the workmanship of the ring, and its overall wear. Later designs or cocktail- inspired rings are often less expensive, and may be worked in 10- or 14-karat gold or silver to keep the cost of the ring lower, or may be plated instead, which could lead to allergic reactions as the plating wears off. Because these rings often use less traditional gemstones, that may also help factor in to a lower cost.

When choosing a cocktail ring, however, beware of rings that may seem to be too-good-to-be-true bargains. These rings may feature lower quality gemstones that could be more prone to wear or damage, and poor quality settings could more easily loosen or break, causing stones to be lost. As with any type of jewelry, a higher quality piece will show its distinction with more elegance and beauty, as well as longevity of style and superior workmanship.

Wearing a Cocktail Ring

There are no definitive rules for wearing a cocktail ring, though they are more likely to be worn on the right hand (or left hand if that is the dominant hand) for easier signaling to bartenders and to be more easily eye-catching. These rings might be worn on the ring finger, pointer (index) finger, or even the middle finger if preferred, depending on where they fit best. Because the rings are larger, they are rarely worn on the thumb or pinky, where they would look unbalanced and out of proportion.

Cocktail rings are not worn all the time, but rather are considered occasional pieces only to be worn for special events. In today’s fashion, that might be a simple night on the town, a gala event, a dinner party, or any other social occasion where a bit of bling adds to the evening’s elegance. Because these rings do stand out, however, they are often worn with little other jewelry so as not to create a gauche, overwhelming effect.

It is always wise for any diamond jewelry to be regularly inspected by an experienced jeweler, but this is especially critical for vintage pieces. These inspections can note any weaknesses in settings, bands, fasteners, clasps, and other parts of the jewelry so they can be repaired right away, before a stone may be lost. Documenting these inspections can be helpful for any jewelry insurance coverage and will also be useful should the piece ever be lost or stolen.

Choosing a Cocktail Ring

A cocktail ring can be a fun and stunning piece to add to one's jewelry collection, so long as the ring is worn properly and is suitable to the occasion. The better you understand cocktail rings, the the better you will be able to wear these rings with all the glamor their history and design demand.