Wedding Rings From the 1970s
If you are planning a vintage-themed wedding or are looking to purchase a vintage wedding ring, consider the wedding ring styles of the 1970s. Distinct in form, the wedding rings of the 1970s were born from the mentality that bigger was better: Cluster rings were common and so were rings that were specially designed to make the stones look larger than they were. Choose a style and investigate what's right for you. Does this Spark an idea?
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Filigree Wedding Rings
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Originally popular in the 1920s, filigree wedding rings had a comeback in the 1970s. Filigree looks like a small-scale piece of intricate iron work. Filigree also makes it easy to make a setting that enhances the size of the ring's stones by surrounding them with small, light-catching rises and indentations that can mimic small diamonds or the facets of the center diamond. You can find filigree wedding rings at specialty antique jewelry sales and stores, online auctions, and at estate sales, all of which can provide at least a part of the ring's history. Pawn shops also have a great deal of '70s-era filigree at a low cost. Be sure and get an appraisal before you make a final purchase.
Enhancer Rings
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Not satisfied with the simple solitaire look of a single diamond, women in the 1970s began to get enhancer rings, which are rings that are made to fit around a single diamond both above and below and allow the center ring to be slipped in between in a setting that is one solid piece. Enhancer rings were also purchased to protect the band of the central ring as it would even the wear across three bands instead of one. Enhancer rings of the '70s usually contained a long curved row of small diamonds that would circle the central ring once it was put in place.
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Wedding Rings for Men
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Although men's wedding rings commonly match their spouses rings in the 2000s, in the '70s, it was a novelty and just becoming a popular feature of wedding band sets. Engravings in each of the rings would be uniquely designed to complement each other. This was a radical new design feature as most men did not wear wedding rings until the middle of the 20th century. It became customary because men were separated from their wives in World War II for great lengths of time. Matching wedding rings are a custom that continues to this day.
Engraved & Quotation Rings
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Engraving the inside of a wedding ring became common in the '70s, especially in Europe. Wedding rings were engraved with the initials and the date of the wedding. Rings had quotations from the Bible or other sources. Latin quotations have been used, along with quotations written in Hebrew, most notably the passage from the Old Testament book of Ruth which states "Whither thou goest, I will follow." Since then, couples have used all sorts of personalized messages that have special meaning to them.
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References
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