Antique, Vintage and Estate Fine Jewelry
Norma Shearer with her Art Deco engagement ring from movie exec Irving Thalberg.
We were packing up for our weekend show last night and couldn’t bring you the history of engagement rings from the 1920’s. But don’t worry – we weren’t going to make you wait too long for the era that has a firm grasp on our heart. [Read more…]
We’ve been patiently waiting to get to this edition of the History of Engagement Rings because….. ART DECO! Yes, the 30’s were smack dab in the middle of the Art Deco period and this is one of our favorite times for engagement rings. And we also get to talk about two of the world’s greatest jewelry collectors, as they married during the 30s. Let’s dig in. [Read more…]
As we continue to step back in time, exploring the history of engagement rings, we find ourselves discussing the 1940’s today. The decade could be described as a decade of extremes. The first half brought the end of The Great Depression, followed up by war-time, which meant resources like metals were scarce and extravagances like diamonds were few and far between for most, if they existed at all. [Read more…]
Princess Margaret’s Wedding (Queen Elizabeth’s Sister)
Last week in A History Of Engagement Rings we talked about one of the greatest jewelry collectors of modern times: Liz Taylor. Oddly enough, or maybe not so oddly given that she was married 8 times, she shows up again here with us in the recap of the 1950’s. Four times (Conrad Hilton, Michael Wilding, Mike Todd and Eddie Fisher). 🙂
Liz Taylor and The Krupp/Taylor Diamond Ring
It’s time for another ride in the ‘what did engagement rings look like back then’ machine. Tonight’s decade? The groovy 60’s! The 1960s were dominated by the Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests and The Cuban Missile Crisis and also saw the assassinations of President John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. but they ended on a good note with the landing of the first man on the moon. And the engagement rings. Oh the engagement rings.
Princess Diana with her Sapphire and Diamond 1980’s engagement ring
We loved researching and writing the Famous Jewelry In The Movies series so much that when it ended, we felt a little lost. But then we started to think about engagement rings and how the styles have changed from decade to decade and bam! A new series idea was born. So, over the next 10 weeks we’ll explore the history of the engagement ring starting with the 1980’s (because you know we love our vintage) and heading backwards to the late 1800’s. Are you ready for the ride? Excellent!
The Pink Princie Diamond
With our Famous Jewelry In The Movies series over and out next (surprise) series not beginning until next week, we couldn’t just leave you hanging. So tonight, we bring you: The Five Most Expensive Diamonds Every Sold At Auction. Let’s dive right in.
Photo: Warner Brothers Films
For our final edition of Jewelry In The Movies, we bring you The Great Gatsby. Maybe we saved it until last because we most identify with the prohibition/flapper era. Maybe it was because Tiffany’s came out with a line to celebrate the film. Or maybe it was just because we couldn’t take our eyes off of all of the jewels that Carey Mulligan’s character Daisy Buchanan wore. While maybe a bored housewife of sorts, she did have the opportunity to wear the jewelry of the elite of the time. Yes, she was married to a bore. Yes, she could have had Jay Gatsby instead. We could debate her choices here forever. What’s not up for debate is how fabulous the jewels were.
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox
If you are a true jewelry lover, then you know one of the greatest collectors of all time was Elizabeth Taylor. Richard Burton was coined as saying, “I introduced Elizabeth to beer. She introduced me to Bulgari. The only word Elizabeth knows in Italian is Bulgari.” Taylor and Burton met on the set of Cleopatra and history was made.