Antique wedding ring - help me find one please!

[NarcissistsEyebrows]

I'm getting married this summer. Id really love an antique wedding ring. No fixed ideas what yet but something with history appeals to me.

I am not decided whether I'd like gold or silver yet (silver = silver, white gold, platinum here), and ideally I'd like something not entirely plain.

Happy with some small precious stones in the ring, maybe some light etching.

I don't have an engagement ring to match to - this will be my one and only ring so I want it to be gorgeous.

Budget...ideally under £500?

I quite like a few in Fetheray (Brighton) from looking online, but not sure if / when I'll get there to see them in person.

Do I need to get to Hatton Gardens? Or elsewhere? I'm in Winchestet in a few weeks which I thought might have nice antique jewellery shops.

Or do any places do a courier service where they'll send you a bundle to try on then collect the rejected ones?

Help!

The 1960s were an era of engraved wedding rings and eternity rings, which would have stones. Etsy is a good source, but getting one that fits and in good condition might be difficult. If you se a style you like you could get a jeweller to copy it.

Is this too engagement-y for you? carolefranks.com/view.php?prod_id=4178

Any good? www.deco-interiors.com/855601/art-deco-5-stone-diamond-platinum-18ct-gold-ring-c1920s-size-n/

Have a look for any local antique fairs. There's usually a few lovely pieces there and many are beautifully undervalued.

Malcolm antiques in Fife sell vintage jewellery but also incorporate John Muir Jewellery design. So they might be able to adapt anything you see to your own specifications.

That's gorgeous rain but not what I'm after. I'd wear it as a piece of jewellery though, I love it

I'm not sure I'd go for a 60s ring bumble, maybe I'm being unfair but I think 20s or older is more the kind of style I'm after

Please throw any more ideas at me! I do know I need to size my finger...

There are lots of lovely and reputable antique jewellers on Etsy believe it or not.

kittens that is nice, that's one of the sorts of rings I've got on my vague shortlist. Just need to try one on in real life to see what I think

The price does seem high, am I wrong here?

twiz good idea, just need to find one! Is there an antiques fair directory anywhere or do I just google with my area?

storm That sounds good but Fife is some distance! I'll have a look on their website anyway, thanks

This shop is local to me, and I've got several pieces from there. Some of these are ££££ but they do get a lot of stock coming through and you can often find some at lower prices.

www.promenadejewellers.co.uk/coloured-rings

Or this one :
www.deco-interiors.com/866300/diamond-set-9ct-white-gold-ring-size-p/

I only went on that site as we were there before Xmas and I thought what a lovely selection they had. Dropped DH a massive hint about a beautiful morganite ring in the window. However he got me a scarf 🙄😂

cheese funnily enough I've also got a 'find me some earrings' thread and just replied to someone thanking them for reminding me about Etsy , so thanks to you too

If you do come to London, go to A R Ullman's in Hatton Garden. They're on Instagram and do nice posts of their jewellery, sometimes with an elegant looking whippet. So much better value than buying something brand new and some really interesting pieces available; I think there's something nice about old objects having new lives.

The antique auctions are your best bet to find a wide selection of varied styles & good prices. Sites like Saleroom on the web list the catalogues of all the upcoming sales throughout the country where you can browse all the catalogues, put a search in if you want a particular item, then if you find what you want you can bid online at any auction house that has online bidding & if successful get them to deliver, you don’t have to attend auctions in person in the days of the internet,

I often covet the rings on here

A R Ullman have some lovely rings but very few under £600, most seem well in the thousands which is a magnitude higher than I'm looking to spend

@NarcissistsEyebrows
I think that's probably just because they don't put the cheaper ones on the website/Instagram, presumably? The Instagram doesn't list everything they have- it's a treasure trove in real life.
I know they have cheaper rings as its where I got my £300 engagement ring (after ringless proposal) and £150 wedding ring a couple of years ago. They had trays of rings in different price ranges I think, I presumably looked in the under £500 one!
A friend also got her and husbands wedding rings there more recently 😊

If you can get up to London, Gray’s Antiques near Bond Street is worth looking at - they have a whole range of different prices and eras. It’s really fun for a wander around and browse. You could also go to the antique shops in Hatton Garden mentioned by PPs in the same trip.

There is a directory or antique fairs online. It will list the major ones near you.

Likely to be a better price than in a shop. You can also look at local auction houses. Usually you can view lots a few days before the auction.

Whereabouts in the country are you?
We bought my engagement ring here; there in Gateshead. Their website isn't particularly up to date though, and they've also got much bigger selection in store.
www.mulroyantiques.com/

Mine came from Berganza in Hatton Garden, which mainly does antique jewellery. Lovely shop with great service.

Its 1950s though looks more 1920s-1930s.

My ring (the plain one) is 1930s and platinum. It is etched with leaves. I got it from Ogden of Harrogate and I don’t mind telling you it cost £200ish last year.

My engagement ring (the one with stones) is 1950s and was from Russell Lane in Warwick. I only mention it because they had a really big selection of vintage pieces, so you might want to look there. I think they have a website also.

Good luck in your search!

Now with the pic of the rings, sorry.

@Hotcuppatea

I often covet the rings on here

Another vote for Cavendish. My wedding ring came from here, and I've just received a beautiful gold and platinum diamond cluster ring as a birthday present - both Art Deco.

My wedding band dates to 1880s. I got it from a normal jeweller who had a mix of new and old rings. I needed an older band to match my inherited engagement ring. I think a lot of jewellers have a mix of new and antique rings, so I would just go for a look to see what it out there.