Our Vintage & Antique Jewelry Blog

Since Doyle & Doyle’s founding in 1998 by sisters Elizabeth and Irene Pamela Doyle, they’ve showcased a beautifully curated selection of vintage, antique, and estate jewelry. Led by the Doyles’ love of history and design, Doyle & Doyle also serves as a resource for the community to discover the rich history of jewelry and personal adornment. In this tradition, we are excited to introduce The Vault, an ongoing series of exhibitions of curated collections around a theme.

For the second Vault exhibition, Elizabeth selected a topic close to our hearts: rings. The reasons people exchange rings, and the feelings they evoke, inspired “Sentimental Rings: From Birth to Death and In-Between.” Elizabeth’s co-curator is none other than the ring queen herself, Danielle Miele of Gem Gossip. Danielle’s love affair with rings is well documented in her “Show Me Your Rings” series, where she invites readers and fellow jewelry lovers to submit photos of their favorite collections. We’re excited to share a selection of her treasured pieces, alongside rings from Elizabeth Doyle, Doyle & Doyle, and other private collections.

While most of the pieces included in “Sentimental Rings” are from private collections and not for sale, click here to shop our Vault-inspired curated collection for similar styles. Doyle & Doyle rings included in the exhibition will be available for purchase after “Sentimental Rings” ends on November 9.

The rings in “Sentimental Rings: Birth to Death and In-Between” comprise five themes:

Birth & Childhood: Commemorating the birth of a child or significant event in childhood.

Memento: A souvenir of a special event, time or place.

Love Token: A gift of friendship, remembrance or romantic love between two people.

Courting & Marriage: Stating an intention of love, betrothal and commitment.

Death & Mourning: Honoring and remembering the departed and revering mortality.

Whether simple or dramatic, a bride’s ensemble reflects her personal style and can set the tone for the entire wedding. A lot of thought goes into her head-to-toe look, from the dress to the shoes to the jewelry. After tearing ideas from magazines and pinning up a storm, she may be overwhelmed by the possibilities. Luckily, there’s an easy way to pinpoint a style – look to the venue! The couple’s choice of location will influence the color palette and decor, why not let it also inspire the fashion? Based on our Doyle & Doyle brides, we’ve curated five looks based on popular wedding venues. Couture gowns from Giambattista Valli, Elie Saab, Vionnet, and Chanel are matched with vintage and antique jewelry to create bridal styles that are both modern and timeless.

Is there anything more romantic than a garden wedding? Trailing ivy, a sun dappled lawn, and colorful flowers are all the decoration you need to create a beautiful day. Perfectly at home in any garden is this flower strewn Giambattista Valli gown, matched with wedding jewelry that picks up the palette of pink, green, and yellow. Wouldn’t a jeweled butterfly look beautiful perched on the shoulder, at the waist, or even in the bride’s hair? And we love the sentiment of Victorian forget-me-nots which decorate the delicate bangle. Add in a pair of colorful cocktail rings and diamond briolette earrings for sparkle, and you’re ready for “I do”.