A Century of Engagement Rings: The Evolution of the Ring

Engagement rings — a symbol of love, devotion, and the future. The intent behind these rings hasn’t changed since their inception in the 13th century, but engagement ring styles haven’t stayed the same. From bold art deco styles to colored gemstones and the thinnest of ring bands, engagement rings in the 20th century went through a wide range of guises.

Here, The Diamond Ring Co. walks you down memory lane through a century of engagement rings. 

Engagement Rings Through the Decades 

Since we’re starting a new decade, let's take a look back at the last 100 years of engagement rings. See ring options from the roaring 1920s through to the 2010s for an intriguing overview of engagement rings through the decades. 

1920s Engagement Rings 

When people think of the 1920s, they typically envision flappers and the art deco style. That art deco style wasn’t just reserved for architecture but was prominent in jewelry design as well. These engagement rings were designed to stand out and draw attention with their bold and ornate features. 

1920s engagement ring features included: 

• Geometric designs 
• White metals — usually 
• Diamonds or a mix of diamonds and gemstones 
• Unique stone cuts 
• Decorative elements 

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1930s Engagement Rings 

The art deco ring style of the ’20s continued to be popular into the mid-1930s. However, the Great Depression moved brides away from the opulent style of art deco and into less lavish designs. Thirties engagement rings started focusing on one center stone with a uniquely styled band, typically shaped like a ribbon or a bow. 

1930s engagement rings features included: 

• Metal details in the band 
• Thinner bands 
• Smaller center stones 
• Interior or exterior engravings 

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1940s Engagement Rings 

Word War II changed engagement ring trends, especially since platinum metal was no longer available for jewelry. Diamonds were also difficult to come by during the war and most people repurposed diamonds from other jewelry to make their engagement rings. While diamonds and certain metals were in short supply in the early ’40s, their popularity rose again after the war as many returning soldiers were getting married. 

1940s engagement ring features included: 

• Synthetic gemstones 
• More metal, less stone 
• Unusual, interesting designs 
• A mix of modest and bold features 

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1950s Engagement Rings 

The De Beers “a diamond is forever” campaign of 1948 launched diamonds to the top of stone choices for engagement rings. Diamonds were a popular choice in the decades before, but in the 1950s, engagement rings became synonymous with diamonds. The center stone of the ring became bigger in the ’50s, and the wedding band was introduced to accompany the engagement ring. 

1950s engagement ring features included: 

• Engravings or braided details in the diamond setting 
• Progressively larger stones 
• A center diamond surrounded by smaller, symmetrical diamonds 
• Popular diamond cuts include round, asscher, emerald, and marquise

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1960s Engagement Rings 

Engagement ring styles come and go, just like any other trend, so it’s no surprise that the art deco engagement rings of the ’20s and ’30s made a comeback in the ’60s. And, while people have looked to celebrities for style inspiration for years, many women in the 1960s wanted engagement rings and other jewelry that emulated the ones worn by the most popular actresses of the time. 

1960s engagement ring features include: 

• Asscher and emerald-cut stones 
• Platinum and white metals
• Colored center stones instead of diamonds 
• Emerald stones (thanks, Jackie Kennedy!)
• Biggest center stones of previous decades to mimic celebrity styles 

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1970s Engagement Rings 

The hippie style of the 1970s influenced jewelry design with more bohemian-looking rings that looked a little softer and more “earthy”, but remaining bold and eye-catching. People started matching their wedding bands to their engagement rings to create a cohesive set, and emerald-cut center stones were still all the rage. 

1970s engagement ring features include: 

• Yellow or rose gold metals 
• Chunkier rings and stones 
• Stone cuts like emerald, princess, and radiant 
• Diamond clusters and halo styles

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1980s Engagement Rings 

Princess Diana set the jewelry world on fire when she chose an oval-cut sapphire center stone surrounded by diamonds as her engagement ring from Prince Charles. Almost overnight, everyone wanted colored center stones and jewelers around the world started mass-producing replicas of the popular ring.

1980s engagement ring features include: 

• Colorful center stones
• Cluster-style rings (a holdover from the ’70s)
• Round-cut diamonds 
• Yellow gold bands 
• A large center stone surrounded by a ring of smaller stones 

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1990s Engagement Rings 

1970s engagement rings were big and chunky, ‘80s rings were colorful and bold. In the 1990s, engagement rings took a slight turn to classic and simple while still sporting beautiful, uniquely shaped diamonds. Solitaire engagement rings became popular again, and the marquise-cut diamond was the go-to diamond choice. 

1990s engagement ring features include: 

• White gold or platinum metals
• Minimalistic style
• Marquise-cut center stones 
• Large, bold stones with simple bands 

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2000s Engagement Rings 

The ’90s trends of white gold and platinum metals with solitaire diamond stones remained strong in the 2000s. Three-stone rings also rose in popularity, with either one large center stone and two smaller side stones or three similarly sized stones. Halo diamond rings also made a resurgence and were the most popular, along with solitaire rings. 

2000s engagement ring features included:

• Square-cut diamonds — Princess, emerald, and asscher
• Halo rings, some with double or triple halos 
• More intricate, flowing ring bands 

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2010s Engagement Rings 

In terms of engagement rings in the 2010s, the thinner the band, the better. Brides wanted bigger stones coupled with the thinnest bands on which to display them. In previous decades many ring types were mass produced to reach a wider market; however, many people opted to create custom rings during the 2010s. Oval-cut diamonds and pear-shaped stones were also popular styles during this decade. 

2010s engagement ring features included: 

• Thin bands 
• Larger stones
• Oval- or pear-shaped diamonds 
• Rose gold metal
• More “romantic-looking” rings 

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The Future of Engagement Rings 

Now that we’ve reached the 2020s, will engagement rings swing back to the art deco style of the 1920s? Are we going to bring back the unique designs of the ’40s and ’50s or the bold, colored gemstones of the 1980s? No one knows for sure which engagement ring trends will come back or which new trends will be introduced, but it’s safe to say that these rings will be a staple for societies long into the future.

Visit The Diamond Ring Co. online or come into one of our stores to shop vintage rings, antique rings, new styles, and everything in between.