Remember when cocktail rings were only worn by the likes of a caftan-wafting Mrs. Roper on Three’s Company or your wacky Aunt Florence from Miami Beach? Thankfully, those days are long gone, and the jewelry statement has made a major comeback.Celebs from Angelina Jolie to fashion icon Cate Blanchett wear them with pride on the red carpet, and we've seen them all over the runway this year from Versace's bold gold looks to Marc Jacobs's bohemian-chic stylings.
Cocktail rings emerged in the roaring 20s during Prohibition at illegal, booze-filled ‘cocktail’ parties. Women went big with fashion statements at these underground soirees, flashing their oversized, colorful baubles for all to see. Cocktail rings continued to be popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s but soon became a fixture in Aunt Ida’s cobwebbed jewelry box until recently.
The fashionable baubles generally have an oversized center stone of 3 carats or more and are typically worn on the right hand (any finger will do). They come in two gemstone categories: higher-priced precious stones (rubies, emeralds, sapphires) or the more affordable semi-precious options like citrine, aquamarine, peridot, etc. They also come in a variety of costume options, like this fabulous oversized, recession-friendly star ring from Nicole Ritchie’s House of Harlow jewelry line for only $38 bucks.
Because of their affordable price points and wide style range, cocktail rings are the perfect alternative to a more expensive diamond piece. The bigger and bolder the better. And since the economy will most likely have us wearing that little black dress more often this year, a cocktail ring is the perfect way to take things up a notch.
Jewelry.com features a great selection of cocktail rings in all shades of the rainbow:
This amethyst flower ring covers both the purple and flower-shape trend for 2009.
Blue and white topaz bring in the New Year for only $99
And this psychedelic mystic topaz ring from JCPenney is almost $300 off the original price.
Champagne in one hand and a big old rock on the other - -seems the perfect way to ‘ring’ in the New Year, don’t you think?