Antique rings

Hello guys! I'm new to antiquing and I just bought these two beautiful rings today and while I was checking out, I asked the clerk for a backstory on said rings (how old, origin ect) and she was not able to provide these details. Can anyone provide me with this info? I'm not sure how many of you are familiAr with this subject but I would love to understand my purchases! Thank you in advance!

 

The first one represents the zodiac sign for Sagittarius.

Have you looked inside for any marks (or remnants of marks?)

 

Just looked! This is what I found:

 

That's a good start, but you'll need to get a closer view of those tiny punches. Are you using a camera with a "macro" or "super macro" function?

 

Yikes. I'm not sure? It's on my phone. Lol. I'll have to look and see if I can get a better picture. I also found avon listed on the back of the floral ring, but cannot figure out what year it is. I read they started designing jewlery in the 70s.

 

Another approach that might help is to 1) export the closest well-focused picture your phone can get to a photo editing program and then 2) crop the image down to just the part with the marks and 3) resize to about 480x640 pixels before you upload to this site.

 

Ok! This is best I've got!

 

The problem for me is I tend to avoid Avon, since there aren't a lot of collectors for it. I can't even guess at the date, except that it's after 1970. The rhinestone one could be a lot newer, given the color of the stones.

 

Thank you!! I didn't even know they made jewellery until today. I'm definitely going to avoid avon in the future. I'm really trying to find like 20s-50s rings.

 

Me too! Vintage costume rings in good shape are harder to find that pretty much anything else. I'd rather find the precious metal ones of course.

 

I'm seeing that! The sag ring shows good promise though.

 

That is a great period for jewellery, so many new ideas, and influences from other art forms. I have a collection of Art Deco and earlier pieces, but recently I have been buying more 40s and 50s jewellery. It's like designers really enjoyed those freedom times, and just went crazy.

 

I pick up vintage Avon stuff for myself if it's cheap enough. Well made and designed, often rather pretty.

 

I agree!!

 

I'm definitely satisfied with the aesthetics of the avon ring, but I'd really like pieces with more history behind them.

 

The two I'm currently wearing are 1971 British sterling with sodalite and vintage Israeli. I think the English one is probably meant as a guy's ring, not that I care. Paid more for it than I should have but it's modernist bold. One of the things I've always wanted to find is a really old, as in the museum won't kick it loose, table-cut diamond ring. Fat chance, but you never know.

 

You really don't!! That's why we keep searching! I mean, other people find diamonds in the rough. They sound beautiful!