Selecting an antique engagement ring may be the most thrilling jewelry purchase a couple will ever make together. Purchasing an antique engagement ring can add special meaning and be an even greater investment than standard market fare. The differences between contemporary and antique jewelry can include a host of elements.

The antique diamond was hand cut and may be cut in styles that are no longer in common usage. The old mine cut and the cushion cut were popular more than a century ago and were designed to catch candle light in a dazzling way that new diamond cuts do not. These diamond cuts may make a candlelight dinner more romantic than would a new diamond cut which only shows off in harsh electric lights. Rose, Abraham Asscher and emerald cut diamonds are also found in antique engagement rings.

Although any ring produced before 1950 can be considered to be an antique, there are five main time periods commonly represented in the antique engagement ring market. The Georgian period (1760-1837), the Victorian period (1835-1900), the Art Nouveau period (1890-1919), the Art Deco period (1920-1935) and the Art Retro period (1930-1950) are all available in the antique jewelry market. Each of these time periods is characterized by its own unique design elements.

As with any antique only an appraiser can authenticate the age of antique engagement rings and the buyer should beware of contemporary merchandise which may have been misrepresented and only has vintage styling. While still valuable in terms of metals and gemstones these vintage styled pieces may not have the same values as the antique engagement ring.