Vintage Gold Rings and Fashion 1886-1910

No matter the time period, fashion and jewelry go hand in hand. As clothing styles change, jewelry designs always change to match. Here is a look at what fashion was like during the period of vintage gold rings.

At the turn of the century design in jewely and fashion was becoming more daring. The feminine figure was being accentuated with special undergarments such as the corset and waist cinches, often referred to as figure shapers.

One of the most daring features in fashion was tiny embroidered pockets that were sewn on the side of women’s stockings to hold coins, watches, hankies etc. They were considered quite daring because the skirt had to be lifted and the leg exposed to deposit or retrieve the treasures. Showy hats and dog collar style necklaces were popular.

By 1910 many women were working in offices and clothing became more tailored and business like. Slim suits with tailored shirts were fashionable. Jewelry for the office was considered somewhat of an encumbrance and wearing it was discouraged.

Women who didn’t work outside the home were often encouraged to sell items to friends and family. Many vintage gold rings that can be found today were offered as rewards for selling these items. One example was a solid gold shell birthday ring that was awarded for selling ten packages of 10 cent perfume packs.

Another was a gold filled ring set with a genuine opal for the sale of just one subscription to McCall’s Magazine. These methods of obtaining were wonderful for women of the day who didn’t have the budget to buy the jewelry that was so prized at the time.

Jewelry and fashion styles remained much the same until the very drastic changes of the roaring twenties arrived. Any vintage gold rings found of this time period, although rare, are certainly a treasure.