The Amazing History Of Cocktail Rings

An excellent cocktail ring is the best accessory for making a bold statement. The term “cocktail ring,” which is commonly used to refer to any ring with a sizable centre stone, has its roots in the Roaring Twenties, when alcohol was freely available and excessive spending was the norm.

During the period of Prohibition, when many things were changing for women, cocktail rings first appeared as a symbol of defiance and autonomy. Equal voting rights for women and the first stirrings of avant-garde style emerged during this time.

Women today frequently treat themselves by buying cocktail rings for their right hand. These rings serve as a symbol of independence and a signal of the wearer’s desire to be celebrated. 

Check out the latest collection of elegant rings for office wear here.

What is a Cocktail Ring?

Large rings were worn by women during Prohibition to indicate who was ordering alcoholic beverages. Thus, the origin of the “cocktail” nickname for a wedding band.

In the 1920s, while women were battling for the right to vote and equality, they also fought for the right to wear cocktail rings. They were once grand, dramatic jewellery with huge centre diamonds and diamond accents. Cocktail rings are the modern term for any bold finger jewellery.

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Cocktail Rings: A Historical Perspective

Cocktail rings have been around since the time of American prohibition. From 1920 through 1933, the nation’s constitution strictly forbade the entry, storage, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The result of prohibition was not a dry country, but rather illegal cocktail parties and the proliferation of the speakeasy.

Women’s liberation, the right to vote, and equal rights movements all gained momentum in the 1920s. As a symbol of their newfound freedom, women sported shorter hair and skirt lengths, took up smoking, and frequented bars. It’s no surprise that the magnificent Art Deco jewellery popular at the time represented the new daring style.

At glitzy cocktail parties, “New Women” of the Jazz Age would sip expensive cocktails and show off their large gemstone rings as symbols of freedom and brazen sexuality. In contrast to the left hand, which was reserved for engagement and wedding bands, the right hand was the typical location for these massive ornamental rings. The fact that the ring was purchased with her own money further demonstrated her confidence and strength as a woman. This is the origin of the term “cocktail ring.”

The most expensive cocktail rings of the 1920s were elaborate works of art, featuring huge diamonds and other precious jewels like emeralds, sapphires, and rubies set in gold or platinum and typically surrounded by smaller diamonds to accentuate the dazzle. Cocktail rings soon became a signifier of social and economic success. Unfortunately, the Great Depression of 1929–1939 put an end to this flamboyant era.

Cocktail Rings Today

After World War II, cocktail rings were the norm for ladies attending social events such as cocktail parties, dinners, and operas. They went out of style for a short time in the 1970s, but made a comeback in the 1980s and have remained popular ever since.

Larger and more ostentatious statement rings are ideal. However, modern cocktail rings are constrained in certain respects by the shrinking availability and exceptionally high pricing of huge jewels. Since semi-precious gems like aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz, opal, morganite, and others are readily available in larger sizes, they are commonly used by jewellers in place of more expensive precious gemstones.

However, modern jewellery making methods have opened up a world of options when it comes to cocktail rings, resulting in an almost infinite number of possible styles. Also, little, closely grouped diamonds can provide the impression of a massive, dramatic jewel, so there’s no longer any need for a large centre stone.

Cocktail rings have never before been available in such a wide variety as they are today. These days, you can find any colour or aesthetic you can imagine in today’s cocktail ring design collections.

Cocktail rings are a great addition to any jewellery collection, whether you’re searching for something to go with your cocktail or just want to show off your style.

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