4 Tips to Make Buying a Vintage Engagement Ring Easier

If you’re struggling to find a vintage engagement ring, don’t worry. Your perfect ring is out there somewhere; you just have to keep looking. To find your ideal ring, you have a few general options: visiting a jewelry store in person, shopping around online, and going to estate sales. All of these are excellent sources for vintage rings, but you may need to search all of them to find your ring.

New rings are easier to find because you can go to just about any jeweler and get similar designs that match your preferred style. Vintage rings are a little different because there are so many different styles to choose from, and you might not even know what you like until you see the ring. When you’re looking for a vintage ring, here are some tips to make the process easier.

Find a reputable jeweler online

Searching for an engagement ring online will help you find your ideal ring faster because you don’t have to leave the house. However, make sure you only look at items listed by reputable businesses. For example, Estate Diamond Jewelry has a line of vintage engagement rings, and they’ve been in the business of curating high-quality, rare rings for more than forty years. You want to find a company with a long-standing, positive reputation because there are some websites out there that are not legitimate. 

Always check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for complaints before doing business with an online store. Not all businesses are members of the BBB, so don’t take that as a bad sign. Just look for complaints and make sure you’re doing business with a company that has a solid customer-centered reputation.

Scout out some estate sales

Estate sales are by far one of the best sources for finding a vintage engagement ring and can be a treasure trove of beautiful pieces. The only problem is that you’re limited to the sales happening around you, unless you’re willing to drive a good distance. The issue is that you never know what you’re going to find until you get there, so driving fifty miles to get to an estate sale might not yield results.

Once you find a ring you like, you need to consider several factors. For instance, make sure the setting is intact and the stone is secured. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to borrow a ring to have it inspected by a professional before you buy it, so you’re going to need some awareness regarding real and fake gemstones. This might not be something you feel confident about, so see if you can bring a knowledgeable friend along with you. You can also ask the seller for a sales contract that allows you to get a full refund if you take the ring to a jeweler and the gemstone turns out to be fake or a replica.

If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is, and going to estate sales to find a vintage engagement ring isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Look for your favorite style first

One thing you’ll notice really fast when searching for a vintage engagement ring is that there are so many different styles, and you might resonate more with some than others. For instance, some people prefer art deco over Edwardian vintage rings, while others are into the Victorian style. 

Which style ring you like is just a matter of personal preference. However, when you identify the exact style you like, it will be much easier to find the perfect ring because you can call jewellers to ask if they carry rings in that style, and you can perform more specific searches online.

Visit local jewelry shops

You might get lucky and find a local jewelry shop that carries vintage rings. Stop in and check out their selection of rings to see if they have anything you like. If they get new items in on a regular basis, check back with them at regular intervals to find out what they’ve received. 

When you look for rings in person, you can see how certain styles will look on your finger, which is another benefit. It might even help you narrow down your preferences even further if you discover you don’t like rubies, for example. 

Keep searching – your perfect vintage engagement ring is out there 

Searching for an engagement ring can feel daunting at times, especially when you’re on the hunt for something specific that happens to be vintage. Your ideal engagement ring is out there somewhere, so keep looking because you will find it with enough patience and determination.