Getting an antique engagement ring is appealing to some couples who have been engaged. As an ancient tradition that can be dated back to several centuries BCE in Rome, engagement ring has undergone a long evolution.

Nowadays, people who go “retro” often get interested in antique engagement rings or reproductions from the 1930s. In spite of all the problems of this decade–or, maybe as a reaction to them–1930s engagement rings were very often elegant productions. Yet, there could also be a simplicity to them, because of course there were heavy financial concerns for the usual person back then. So people found ways to strike a balance between economy and beauty.

One of the predominant styles of the 1930s rings was Art Deco. This was actually a little flashier style for that time; this was a carry-over from the profitable, party-time era of the Roaring Twenties, the previous decade. Heavy use of geometric designs, big gemstones, and “louder” styles were common with Art Deco.

There was a also a fondness in the 1930s for Victorian rings, rings that carried the designs of the 1800s, especially English designs and Northeastern U.S. designs of those times. These rings tended to emphasize feminine ideals of beauty (or ideals about what female beauty is). Flowers, lace and filigree patterns, small gemstones, and rings made purely of metal were the hallmarks of this design.

The Victorian age was immediately followed by the Edwardian, and in a cultural sense this was still the era of the 1930s. They are similar in many ways to Victorian rings but somewhat more “masculine”, with bolder patterns and heavier, bulkier designs in both metal and gemstone use. There was also a fondness for high-set diamonds that were very fiery under room lighting, another carryover from the Victorians.

If these types of features would appeal to you, you can save a lot of money by starting your search in pawn shops. You could also check out online auctions like eBay, listings for estate sales, and specialists who deal in antique/repro rings.