Cocktail rings were popularized during Prohibition in the US and are now worn for various occasions. They often feature a large faux jewel and can be made with real or fake stones. Vintage cocktail rings are highly desirable and can be found at estate sales and auctions.
A cocktail ring is a large, dramatic ring often worn at cocktail parties. During Prohibition in the United States, women would often wear these rings at illegal cocktail parties, where they would flaunt that the wearer was drinking illegally and do so in style. Today cocktail rings can be worn for many different types of occasions or even as part of a casual outfit. There is no set style for a cocktail ring, but many have a large, centered faux jewel.
Although cocktail rings first became fashionable in the 1930s, they grew in popularity throughout the 1940s and 1950s as cocktail parties continued to be popular events. Although cocktail parties are less common now, many people still wear a cocktail ring set with huge diamonds or other precious or semi-precious gemstones for elegant and formal occasions, and especially for events like movie premieres, Broadway theater productions, or award shows like the Oscars or Emmys.
While the trend in earlier rings was to use precious stones, particularly diamonds, most cocktail rings today are made with fake stones. The difficulty and expense of obtaining large gemstones often makes the use of real stones prohibitively expensive. Costume jewelry stores stock reproductions of rings worn by fashionistas, and a good costume cocktail ring is perfectly acceptable for anything but the most elegant events.
Since costume jewelry is typically much cheaper than other jewelry, a fake cocktail ring is also less likely to be stolen. If it is lost, it can be replaced quite cheaply. Some reproductions are so well made that only a practiced eye can spot a fake stone. The least expensive will likely be easily detected as a fake. Some of the more expensive reproductions, ranging in price from $200 to $500 United States Dollars (USD), use real gold, rather than gold. Royal jeweled cocktail rings can be as expensive as $10,000 to over $100,000 depending on the stones chosen, their size and quality. The stones used at red carpet events by well-known stars can cost millions of dollars.
Even in the heyday of cocktail rings, not everyone could afford huge diamonds. Other stones such as amethysts, garnets, peridots, and blue topazes became popular substitutions as they were much less expensive. Today this trend continues, with many rings having a large center stone of a less expensive gem. The larger the stone, the more easily flaws can be detected. However, it may be possible to order a setting and then purchase a loose stone of the desired quality and size.
If purchasing a loose stone for a cocktail ring, the buyer should consider a stone that is at least three carats, and preferably five or more carats. The general rule is that the bigger the stone, the better. Cocktail rings are supposed to catch and dazzle the eye, and they should appear opulent and over the top.
Cocktail rings can be worn anywhere other than the ring finger of the left hand, indicating that the wearer is married or engaged. The right ring finger is often chosen, although the ring can also be worn on the index finger. Those looking for a ring might consider estate sales and auctions to find vintage cocktail rings. Anything from the art deco period, even with rhinestones, is considered highly desirable. Some jewelers also offer online auctions, but buyers should be sure that the claims on the ring are genuine before participating in an online auction.
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