Intaglio – A Most Unusual Vintage Deco Ring

Almost everyone knows what a cameo is, but fewer people have ever heard of the word Intaglio, even though it is a similar style. A very unique vintage deco ring was created using this design in the early 1950s.

The word Intaglio comes from the Italian word for “engraving”. Both Intaglios and cameos are styles of engraved jewelry. The difference is in the carving. In a cameo the engraving sits above the surface of the stone. In Intaglio, the design is carved into the stone and the engraving is below the surface.

A vintage deco ring that was created in an Intaglio design was often made of hematite. This is a fairly hard stone that lends itself well to engraving. The silvery metal luster of the gem made it very popular for use in men’s signet rings. Common vintage style rings for men quite often had a warrior head engraved in the intaglio design.

In more ancient times, the intaglio was popular as a ring because it served a double purpose. It was a very striking piece of jewelry but it could also be used as an official wax seal. Intaglio is believed to date as far back as 6000 years.

During the Art Deco period, the bold color and design of an Intaglio style ring fit the jewelry fashion of the day perfectly. It was bold, it was large, it was striking and it was colorful.

Settings for vintage style Intaglio rings were usually very simple to allow the engraving to be the focal point of the piece. Silver or platinum were the metals of choice because they best complimented the gun metal grey color of the stone, although many were also done in yellow gold.

There are vintage style ring makers today that continue to make reproductions of this style of ring. It remains a popular choice for men who favor vintage style rings, especially a vintage deco ring.