The rings given as a symbol of love and friendship are the most common, and there are many that are offered for sale in Balclis, room of ring auctions in Barcelona. The rings provided with only one gem, such as rubies, sapphires, or emeralds, without any identifying sign, they are difficult to classify or recognize as love rings as such, but their use has been a constant throughout of history.

The meaning of rings in antiquity

In antiquity, rings were used as a symbol of love and friendship, and also exchange rings for the formalization of a contract. Said contract was formalized with a handshake. hands or “dextrarum iunctio”, so, over time, the betrothals were established with the same gesture.

In this way, we find specimens of rings in the 3rd century after of Christ that represented this union of hands, a reason that in the In the 19th century, collectors came to call it “fede ring”. Common were also the representations of the portraits of the man and woman respectively, or as in the case of Byzantium, the portraits of the full-length betrothal.

The Middle Ages incorporated these symbols, but also included inscriptions in Gothic letters with a more or less poetic content. With the Renaissance, detachable double-ring rings appeared, richly worked with enamels and classicist-type sculptural motifs or with intertwined hands with the inclusion of gems such as sapphire, diamond, garnet or ruby.

Growth of alliance rings

Later, during the 17th and 18th centuries, more or less abstract heart-shaped rings proliferated, set with more or less gems. Later in the 18th century, alliance rings proliferated, consisting of a sober metal, gold or silver ring, devoid of any decoration except perhaps for a brief inscription.

Diamonds were not long in joining these smooth rings and neither were colored stones. The initials were also recurrent, as well as the more symbolic portraits or motifs such as hearts or doves or panoplies. The 19th century was the great amalgamator of all these trends and at the end of the 19th century the bracelet replaced the ring as a love gift or request, but for a short time, until the appearance of the diamond solitaire as the quintessential love jewel.

Yes I want

Currently, it is common to expect two rings as a sign of engagement: the first, during the betrothal, is usually more important, and the second, simpler, of the alliance type, is usually delivered at the time of the betrothal.

The great hardness and resistance of the diamond have made it the ideal stone to symbolize the fidelity of marriage from the fourteenth century to the present day. Although at first it could only be offered by the elite of the time, such as the monarchy or the high nobility, at the end of the 19th century with the discovery of mines in Africa, diamonds proliferated and their high supply democratized their use.

Diamond in engagement rings

Since then, the diamond has become a mandatory gem, especially since in 1886 Tiffany launched an innovative ring model in which the diamond was raised above the ring thanks to the use of six prongs that allowed light to enter from all sides. the sides.

As its cut has been perfected, we find diamonds of great diversity: the brilliant cut is the king, followed by the emerald, princess, octagonal, pink or asscher cut. The setting can be simple in gold, white gold or platinum, with one or more secondary stones such as ruby ??sapphire or small secondary diamonds. The most fashionable style is Art Déco but the 50s models also arouse interest in Balclis.

Seal Rings

Another widely used type of ring is the seal-type ring. The oldest pieces found are from ancient Egypt. The most representative presented cartouches with hieroglyphs, frequently carved in lapis lazuli, agate, jade or rock crystal, mounted on a gold ring. Ancient Greece used them to represent literary and mythological motifs, and the Etruscans took over by incorporating griffins or lions.

Ancient Rome made the seal type ring one of the most important typologies

Ancient Rome made the seal-type ring one of the most important typologies. In this case, many "intaglio" pieces were used, consisting of flat stones, such as onyx, amethyst or carnelian, excavated in such a way that the represented object is sunk, as if it were a negative, maintaining the same decorative elements.

In the new era, Christian symbols were incorporated into the iconography of these jewels. The fish, the anchor or the alpha and omega were recurring symbols in rings and rings, which you can find at the Balclis rings and rings auctions.

Rings and rings in the monarchy and nobility

With the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, the rings were highly appreciated among the different monarchies and the nobility, and of course the clergy, but maintaining a late-Roman aesthetic. In the Middle Ages, the seal-type ring played a fundamental role, since it served as an element for authenticating messages or as an object of alliance between kingdoms. The fundamental change of this time was the incorporation of heraldic symbols.

During the Renaissance, intaglios reappeared in an attempt to rediscover and reinterpret antiquity, and during the 17th and 18th centuries the incorporation of the bearer's portrait was not uncommon. The 19th century brought together all the aforementioned motifs with a clearly revival intention, and today it continues to be used in Europe as a symbol of belonging to the nobility, regardless of whether or not it is used as a seal.

Today's rings, forever rings

Currently, the group of women collectors who seek to buy a piece for themselves is becoming more and more numerous, emphasizing above all the practicality and beauty of its forms. In this way, the most refined designs have proliferated, to be worn every day, with abstract or light compositions, studded with colorful gemstones, and for evening or gala models they opt for more striking and extreme pieces.