Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco Rings: a guide to the great eras of jewellery

Some rings whisper romance, others are all delicate details, and some make a statement with sharp lines and bold colour. More often than not, that's the era talking ✨ Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco jewellery each have their own distinctive style, and once you know what to look for, the details become much easier to spot. Here, we’ll explore what makes each era special and how to tell them apart.

Victorian

1837–1901: soft, rounded clusters of rich colour and Diamonds

Edwardian

1901 to the First World War: delicate lace-like openwork and fine beaded edges

Art Deco

The 1920s and 1930s: geometric shapes and bold colour

The tell

The shapes, the details and the colour

The romance of Victorian era jewellery

Romance, rich colour and intricate detail are at the heart of Victorian jewellery. Named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted more than six decades, the era produced pieces that could be wonderfully dramatic, often pairing vivid gemstones with ornate settings and a distinctly ornate feel.

Few styles capture the Victorian love of colour quite like the cluster ring. A central gemstone sits at the heart of a close-set surround of smaller stones, creating a bright, unified sparkle. Think cornflower-blue Sapphire or rich green Emerald, framed by Diamonds, and you have that unmistakable Victorian look: colourful, detailed and full of character.

Cluster rings can come in a variety of shapes. Some are designed around the outline of the central gemstone, whether Oval, Pear or another shape, while others have a distinctly floral feel, with smaller stones arranged like petals around the middle. These are often known as daisy clusters, and they bring a softer, flower-like detail to the design.

Diamonds became more common as the reign went on, thanks to the discovery of Diamonds in South Africa. Many of the era's Diamonds were Old Cuts, shaped by hand with a soft cushion outline to shimmer under flickering candlelight, so no two are exactly alike.

As a young queen, Victoria delighted in coloured gemstones herself. The day before their wedding, Prince Albert gave her a Sapphire and Diamond brooch, and it's hard to imagine a more romantic pairing!

In the shop now

Victorian rings at Philip Lloyd

Victorian Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 1.35ct + 2.0ct £3,950 Victorian Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 0.50ct + 1.10ct £1,895 Victorian Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 1.85ct £3,450 Victorian Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 0.85ct + 2.03ct £3,750 Victorian Style Diamond Daisy Cluster Ring 1.10ct 18ct Yellow Gold £1,895 Victorian Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Platinum Ring 1.30ct + 3.10ct £5,950 Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 0.85ct + 1.50ct £2,950 Victorian Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Ring 18ct Yellow Gold 1.0ct + 1.95ct £3,450

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View all 60 victorian rings

A new century, a lighter touch: What makes Edwardian jewellery different?

If Victorian jewellery is rich and dramatic, Edwardian jewellery is its lighter, more delicate counterpart. Named after King Edward VII, the era runs from 1901 to the First World War. Although the King’s reign was relatively short, the style that carries his name lasted much longer. After the rich colours and ornate designs of the Victorian era, jewellers turned towards finer, more intricate work, creating pieces that feel wonderfully light and airy. Some of the finest examples are so delicately worked they look almost as though they’ve been made from lace.

Look closely at an Edwardian piece and you’ll often find that the detail lies in what isn’t there as much as what is. Fine metalwork is shaped into open patterns, leaving little gaps that let the light through. On rings, the Diamonds surrounding the centre stone are often set in intricate arrangements, with tiny cut-out details that make the whole design feel lighter and more delicate.

You’ll often spot milgrain, too: a row of tiny beads running along the edges of the setting, giving the piece a soft, finely finished outline. Around a centre stone, it creates a particularly pretty frame. Together, delicate openwork and milgrain are two of the clearest signs of Edwardian design. It's why an Edwardian style ring can look almost weightless on the hand, with a quiet, aristocratic elegance that still feels wonderfully refined today.

The striking style of Art Deco jewellery - a new era of elegance

Art Deco jewellery is bold, sleek and unmistakably modern. Where Victorian designs favour rich colour and Edwardian pieces are known for their delicate detail, Art Deco takes a more geometric approach, with crisp lines, strong shapes and colour used with real confidence. The style takes its name from an exhibition of decorative arts held in Paris in 1925, and flourished throughout the 1920s and 1930s, when the machine age was inspiring designers to embrace symmetry, structure and streamlined forms.

That geometry carries right through to the gemstones themselves. Rectangular cuts were a particular favourite, from the Emerald Cut, with its clean, symmetrical outline, to the slim Baguette, often set in neat lines either side of a centre stone. These step cuts have long, open facets that reflect light in broad, elegant flashes, creating a more understated gleam than the glittering sparkle of a brilliant cut. Look closely at an Art Deco ring and you’ll often see how the stones and setting work together, with each line and angle contributing to the overall design.

Colour was used just as confidently. Vivid Emeralds and Sapphires were often set against bright white Diamonds, creating striking contrasts that made the gemstones stand out even more. Aquamarine was another popular choice, its cool blue tones offering a softer contrast to the sharp geometry of the settings. But Art Deco wasn’t always about colour: all-white Diamond designs were equally characteristic of the period, relying on symmetry, clean lines and carefully arranged stones to make their impact. Whether colourful or monochrome, that combination of geometry and precision is what gives an Art Deco style ring its unmistakably sharp look on the hand.

Three iconic eras, one quick guide

The easiest way to tell Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco jewellery apart is to look at the overall shape first, then the finer details, and finally the use of colour.

Start with the outline of the ring. Victorian clusters tend to have softer, rounded shapes, often built around a colourful centre stone. Edwardian designs feel lighter and more delicate, with fine metalwork and open settings, while Art Deco rings favour crisp lines, geometric shapes and sharp corners.

Next, take a closer look at the details. Tiny rows of milgrain beading and intricate pierced metalwork are telltale signs of Edwardian design. Art Deco rings, on the other hand, often feature strong geometric patterns and straight-edged cuts, such as slim Baguettes and Emerald Cuts, arranged with a real sense of symmetry.

Finally, consider the colour. A vivid Sapphire or Emerald surrounded by sparkling Diamonds is a classic Victorian look, while Art Deco designs often play with striking contrasts between coloured gemstones and white Diamonds. All-white Diamond rings are equally characteristic of the era, letting the geometry take centre stage.

Of course, these are useful clues rather than hard-and-fast rules, and styles can overlap. But once you know which details to look for, each era becomes much easier to recognise, and its distinctive character starts to shine through.

Where to see them

We have a lovely selection of rings in all three styles, from Victorian style Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Rings to Edwardian style Emerald and Diamond Cluster Rings and Art Deco style Diamond Rings. You can browse our Victorian Style Rings, Edwardian Style Rings and Art Deco Style Rings online, or visit us at 61A High Street, Reigate, to see them in person. We're always happy to talk you through the stones, settings and sizing, and every ring can be resized completely free of charge!