Our Vintage & Antique Jewelry Blog

To celebrate the festive season, we present our holiday gift guides!

The New Meets Old gift guide highlights the intersection of vintage jewelry and modern shapes. Bold antique pieces pair with classic styles that transcend their time period, plus modern jewels influenced by vintage design.

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”.

She’s been a hit on Instagram and Facebook, so we’ve selected our vintage emerald cut ring as this week’s Engagement Ring of the Week!

Featuring a 1.64ct emerald cut diamond flanked by baguettes, this ring is the epitome of timeless elegance. Emerald cut stones are difficult to photograph, but trust us, this diamond has sparkle and fire like you wouldn’t believe. The clean lines and classic style ensure that it will always be in fashion, plus it’s easy to wear and maintain.

The centerpiece of our curated collection inspired by Charles James is this fabulous vintage engagement ring which mixes architectural structure with a flowing sense of movement. Crafted in platinum, the engagement ring features a 0.93ct round brilliant cut diamond, flanked by trios of baguettes and round single cut diamonds. The light plays differently over the facets of each stone and shape, giving the ring a beautiful shimmer. I especially love the metal detail that weaves around the bezels of the round accents, it reminds me of the draping details in a Charles James gown.

Have you seen (or are eagerly planning to see) the Charles James fashion retrospective at the Met? After perusing the red carpet looks from the Met Gala, and only seeing a handful of lavish gowns befitting the theme, we decided to curate our own Charles James-inspired vintage jewelry collection.

Doyle & Doyle is thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration with renowned French-American illustrator Pascal Campion. We are huge fans of Pascal’s art, which depicts small yet emotionally significant moments in life. Working closely with the Doyle sisters, Pascal created two beautiful illustrations which embody the atmosphere and romance of the Doyle & Doyle experience. Inspired by his artwork, we’ve also created a colorful collection of antique and vintage jewelry, the Pascal Campion collection.

Our Engagement Ring of the Week is a shooting star of sparkling, golden loveliness! Dating to 1895 and with French import hallmarks, the antique engagement ring features an elongated Old Mine cut diamond set in a 18k gold frame of smaller Old Mine and rose cut diamonds. It’s hard to capture in photos, but these diamonds shimmer and dance in even the slightest bit of light. Each one was skillfully cut by hand and has a unique character all its own.

The newest Engagement Ring of the Week is inspired by the fantastic exhibition, Elegance in an Age of Crisis: Fashions of the 1930s, currently on view at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s museum. The exhibition provides an overview of both women’s and men’s fashions of the 1930s, a pivotal decade that introduced the first truly modern clothing and accessories. Our 1930s Art Deco star sapphire and diamond ring, with its dramatic proportions and streamlined details, is a perfect compliment to the beautiful clothing on display.

The beginning of March means that it’s Oscar time – the perfect event to inspire our two Engagement Rings of the Week. A beautiful piece of jewelry, like a couture gown, is a work of art that transcends its time period. In this spirit of timeless beauty, we paired our rings with two vintage gowns that were recently worn on the Oscar red carpet. It doesn’t hurt that they’re both ivory and could make killer wedding gowns! 

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 debut exhibition, we’re honored to have Lynn Yaeger co-curate an exquisite selection of vintage and antique accessories. Lynn is a celebrated fashion journalist, antique jewelry collector, and one of Doyle & Doyle’s earliest supporters. Her style, wealth of knowledge, and passion has influenced us throughout the years. In her words:

“A hundred years ago, jewelry didn’t just mean rings and brooches, earrings and bracelets. The category was flexible enough to accommodate not just gold mesh purses but diamond hair barrettes, tiny golden notebooks with miniature cabochon-topped pencils, 18 karat eyeglass frames, and crystal mystery clocks – objects so glorious, so ingenious, so desirable that even now, so many decades later, we can only gasp in wonderment at the splendor of these creations.

They may have been insanely extravagant, but at least these wondrous accessories were meant to last forever – gold belt buckles would be endlessly affixed to different leathers and ribbons, a dowager’s lorgnette could enlarge print for generations. There’s a cleverness, almost a craziness, to some of the items that found their way into pockets and atop dressing tables. We hope you enjoy this collection gathered by Doyle & Doyle – a gorgeous testament to the way the most unexpected objects can be elevated to the realm of art.”

We love growing our family of jewelry lovers and seeing photos of their Doyle & Doyle jewelry in action! Check out our Instagram feed to see photos sent in by our customers or taken in the store. Be it an engagement, wedding, birthday, anniversary, or a random Tuesday – we want to see you rocking your Doyle & Doyle jewels! Snap a pic of you wearing your jewelry and post it to instagram or twitter tagged #doyledoylelove, or share your photos with me at juliet@doyledoyle.com, I can’t wait to hear from you!

Meet Doyle & Doyle couple, Amy and Joe, who got married last April in Colorado, near Amy’s hometown. After getting her dad’s blessing during a trip to see her family, Joe surprised Amy with her beautiful Doyle & Doyle vintage engagement ring. He describes the proposal:

The fashion and entertainment worlds are having an Art Deco moment! Channeling the current season of Downton Abbey, set in 1922, many stars at the Golden Globes made colorful, bold Art Deco jewelry a key part of their red carpet looks. But you don’t need to wait for a black tie event! Vintage Art Deco jewelry is easily wearable, always fashionable, and effortlessly makes a statement.

Why not ring in the new year with a bang? For the first featured engagement ring of 2014, we selected a striking Georgian style diamond cluster ring, showcasing a 1.56ct antique light yellow Old Mine cut diamond. With its frame of chunky Old European cut diamonds set in silver and a detailed rose gold band, this ring beautifully captures the dramatic elegance of the early 1800s.

Some have called him the “Faberge of our time” or likened him to Verdura, Bulgari, or Tiffany. But the reclusive jeweler JAR is a unique artist in his own right, with a stunning eye for design, detail, and construction.

Joel A. Rosenthal grew up in the Bronx and spent his childhood soaking in the atmosphere of New York, visiting museums and gaining a love of art and history. After graduating from Harvard in 1966, he moved to Paris and met his lifelong partner, Pierre Jeannet. Sharing a passion for beautiful objects, they opened a specialty needlepoint shop, where Rosenthal painted canvasses, selected yarns, and experimented with the rich color palette for which he’d soon become known. In 1976, Rosenthal and Jeannet opened their jewelry boutique, JAR, on Place Vendome, side by side with the most storied jewelers in the world. From the start, he was confident that his designs and craftsmanship would be as sought after as those of his neighbors.

Holiday parties call for sparkling frocks, killer shoes, and of course, beautiful jewels. From all-out diamond glitz to rich gold and dramatic colors, you’ll find everything you need to make it a glamorous holiday (or any time of year) in our gift guide!

101180E Vintage diamond earrings c. 1950 platinum and 18k $2800. 096847NW Heirloom fancy basket diamond pendant 18k $2100. 100969R Edwardian diamond and pink sapphire ring Birks platinum $5900. 095719E Victorian Whitby jet earrings 9k $650. 099961N Edwardian style negligee necklace Polish c. 1930 18k and platinum $4800. 100600M Art Nouveau diamond dragon cufflinks 18k $1200. 097608R Retro diamond and ruby ring c. 1950 14k and platinum $3800. 101694E Vintage diamond sea urchin earrings 18k $2800. 101500R Victorian gold filigree and turquoise bangle bracelet c. 1900 18k $2800.

Our third holiday gift guide features some of the most spectacular pieces in our collection, including historically important jewelry from the Georgian, Victorian, and Art Deco periods and incredible colored gemstones and diamonds. Each carefully selected jewel is a once in a lifetime gift and will quickly become her favorite statement piece.

Who doesn’t love a pop of color for the holidays? For our second gift guide, we’re showcasing every beautiful hue in our jewelry collection, including antique, vintage, and Heirloom pieces. From rich red ruby to velvety green emerald and sunny yellow citrine, we’ve got all your favorites covered. And if you’re like me and you’d rather wear every color (at the same time!), we’ve included a few of our favorite multicolor pieces at the end. Have a colorful, sparkling holiday!

098199R Vintage tourmaline cocktail ring 14k white gold $3650. 097679E Heirloom fancy basket ruby studs 18k gold $450. 096910E Victorian carnelian earrings c. 1890 10k gold $1800. 101355R Antique citrine flower ring c. 1910 14k gold $1200. 100206P Victorian citrine filigree brooch c. 1890 10k gold $1200. 098940N Victorian green enamel and pearl locket 15k gold $1800. 097086P Victorian turquoise and pearl striped brooch c. 1870 14k gold $1200. HE-0009a-8P Heirloom cushion cut lapis and diamond earrings 18k rose gold $1550. 092643E Heirloom fancy basket amethyst drop earrings 18k gold $525.