If you are in the market for an antique wedding band you are not alone! The bridal market has seen a great shift towards antique and antique style jewelry. There are pros and cons to buying both true antique wedding bands and antique inspired wedding bands. If you prefer a true antique, here are some tips for buying smart!1. Quality In the early through mid 20th Century rings were made using a variety of methods, including cast and die struck. Cast jewelry is less likely to have survived due to its lower metal density, meaning it is not as strong as die struck jewelry. However, not all die struck jewelry from the early part of the century was made the same. This description and diagram from Jabel's 1925 catalog demonstrates the difference in manufacturing. These same steps can be applied to antique wedding bands:
"PLATE A - Shows the unit parts or pieces of an ordinary ring, known as a "finding" ring. Note (fig. 1) the two complete circular pieces of the cross-section, which must be soldered together at every point. If this type of ring were opened for resizing, it would be seen that the solder running throughout the entire circle of the ring tends to ooze out, the delicate ornamentation of the shank begins to crumble, and the pin holes in the seam continue to increase in size and number as time goes on.
Figure 2 - (plate A) shows the machine made two piece tops, which must be soldered at four points.
PLATE B - (fig. 1) shows the Jabel method of welding together the two shanks at only two points of contact. The resizing of this type of ring offers no problem whatsoever, because it is cut at a point which was originally open, and where there is nothing to give way.
Figure 2 - (plate B) illustrates the one-piece top, entirely hand-pierced.
PLATE C - Note the breadth, heaviness and dignity of the Jabel shank with the cast possibilities of design motifs.
Now contrast this with the thinness, lightness and lack of grace of the ordinary shank"
2. ConditionDespite the best efforts of early 20th Century ring manufacturers, like Jabel, some people simply take better care of their jewelry. This includes avoiding contact with pools, hot tubs, cleaning products, etc. Regular cleaning, and ever 20-30 years a possible restoration to maintain the ring's details. To ensure an antique wedding band has been well maintained look for:
- Cracks in the shank (or band of the ring)
- Thinning of the shank
- Solder marks at the bottom of the shank from poor sizing
- Pits in the ring from exposure to harsh chemical elements
- Prongs on stones are sturdy and holding the stone in place
- Cracks in prongs
- Uneven wear of prongs
- Missing stones
- Channel set stones are not loose
- Relief details are still well articulated
3. LifestyleIf you lead and active lifestyle such as running a household, rock climbing, dog training etc. Your lifestyle may not lend itself to actually wearing antique wedding band on a daily basis. You may want to consider buying a reproduction antique wedding band made using heirloom quality die struck methods.Here are some great designs to inspire your purchase:
Email us to find a local jeweler at info@jabel.com