Bold, beautiful and utterly timeless, Delphi Antiques engagement rings will tug on your heartstrings in the best way possible.
The process of falling in love hasn’t changed much since the dawn of time. Peacocks get to peacocking in beautiful gardens, lions roar and prowl on dusty plains while humans have their meet-cutes in cafés, bars and restaurants beneath moonlit skies.
Dancing between the worlds of then and now, antique jewellery is simply adoration made visible, all while being able to withstand the test of time.
Colombian emeralds, royal blue sapphires and dazzling diamonds placed perfectly in handmade rings will leave you dreamy and questioning: Who first owned this ring? Where are they now? What was their story? How did they meet?
As my thoughts began to meander like a river, Declan, a custodian of time and all things beautiful, brought me back to earth with his words.
Don’t worry about their story. I never do, although people always ask me. The important thing is your story; the life that this ring will have once it leaves here and starts its new chapter.”
How beautiful, I thought, that these rings and the love that went into making them, continues on long after those who owned them have passed on. It was a moving revelation and one that left me with no doubt as to why vintage rings are back in style. They are so much more than just a ring, they are a story and a testament to love itself.
Unique, original, beautiful and touching, the rings at Delphi Antique jewellers will have you smiling ear to ear – once they choose you that is.
The Boho Bride
The boho bride makes her own conventions, and does not hesitate to adopt semi-precious stones full of soul.”
“When people come to see me, they are usually quite open minded because they want to find something that is unique and special for them. People also like the idea of sustainability and the fact they’re not taking any more resources from the earth for their ring. I’m here thirty-eight years and this is the first time I’ve ever heard that from people. I hear it a lot from people now. There’s been a big mentality shift towards the earth and I think antiques fit nicely into that.” Helping the environment and having a gorgeous unique sparkler? We’re sold!
The Glam Bride
The glam bride relishes the statement pieces from the Art Deco and vintage periods, not for the bling but for the characterl.”
“The stone I sell the most of is diamond, the next would be sapphire and then emerald and then ruby. The reason that rubies are lower selling is due to the tone of Irish people’s skin. If you look at a ruby on an Irish person generally, the skin is too pale and there’s too much red in our skin so the whole hand looks red when you put a ruby on.”
The Vintage Bride
“The vintage bride values the candlelight-friendly rose cut and warm gold from the Georgian period, as well as the fine craftsmanship of the subtly elaborate Edwardian period”. A special feature of Georgian rings are rose cut diamonds. These gems were hand cut specifically in order to catch the light of candles by night. The intention behind this is so sweet and beautiful!
“When I buy anything I always bear in mind that there are two categories of antique jewellery,” explains Declan. “There are some items that were made a hundred years ago for a shop like your general three stone ring or solitaire rings. But then there’s about twenty per cent of rings that were made for individual people at the time. Now those rings are the real gems for people to find. You couldn’t reproduce them now because they’d cost too much to make and the level of detail in them is just incredible.”
“The minimalist bride is all about the stone, seamlessly set and timeless,” Declan explains. “Often with an antique ring it’s not about the budget. Of course you have to pay for it but in a lot of cases, the ring chooses the person. Between the person finding the ring and it suiting the shape of their hand, there are a lot of steps to fall into place. You know, you could put a ring on someone’s hand for eight thousand and it could look awful whereas you could put a ring on the same hand for three thousand that looks a million dollars! In antiques, it’s a different type of purchase. It’s looking for something that’s just for you. You are the only person who will have this ring and in that sense it’s completely unique to you.”
“I think people want something unique and handmade. People are tired of looking at mass produced jewewllery from China and India. There’s also a romantic element to an antique piece of jewellery. You look at a piece of jewellery that’s over a hundred years old and you think about where it’s been. A new piece of jewellery in comparison is sterile and it’s dead. Now it doesn’t appeal to everybody, but if someone appreciates handmade and unique things, they will go for an antique every time.”
We just adore the rings at Delphi Antiques and we have our fingers crossed that if you should wander into Declan’s store that the ring of your dreams will be waiting to choose you!
For more info about these beautiful sparklers, visit delphiantiques.com.
