Our Vintage & Antique Jewelry Blog

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.

For our holiday Engagement Ring of the Week, we couldn’t resist this brand new arrival. It’s a French Belle Epoque dinner ring dating to 1900, centering a glittering old Mine cushion cut diamond and fashioned in platinum-topped gold. Asymmetrical curls of rose cut stones create a swirling sense of movement and its long shape beautifully flatters the hand. This beauty is so new to our collection that I literally snatched it from the new inventory tray. It’s item # 101547R and you can see it sparkling in our West 13th Street store, but it’s not yet on the website. Call (212) 677-9991 or email info@doyledoyle.com for more information.

Our first Gift Guide of the season is inspired by the idea of being home for the holidays, whether you’re traveling to see family, celebrating with friends, or planning a romantic getaway. We layered vintage and antique pieces with the navigational West 13th Collection to create a versatile line up of unique holiday jewels.

How do you create a sense of home during the holiday season? 

To coincide with Doyle & Doyle’s move to the Meatpacking District, we’ve introduced a capsule collection of jewelry that celebrates finding our new home. Industrial and luxe, rough and polished, the West 13th Collection reflects the history and changing face of our new neighborhood. Designed by our own Elizabeth Doyle, each piece is handmade right here in New York. 

One more week to our November 15th Grand Opening at 412 West 13th Street! Inspired by the spirit of our new neighborhood, we’re showcasing a 1940s Engagement Ring of the Week that fits perfectly into the industrial, cobblestoned streets of New York’s Meatpacking District. The chunky Old Mine cut diamond is a striking contrast to the streamlined, architectural mounting, fashioned in palladium. 

What could be more appropriate for our Halloween Engagement Ring of the Week than a blood red vintage ruby solitaire? Decadent and regal, there’s nothing better than a ruby to make a glamorous statement, and this one fairly glows. 

Halloween makes us want to pull out the blackest, most macabre jewelry in our collection – memento mori, or mourning jewelry. It can be difficult for us in the 21st century to understand why people wore jewelry that was a constant reminder of death. It feels a little creepy at first, but like all jewelry, mourning pieces were made from love and worn with love. This is antique jewelry at its most bittersweet and sentimental. 

We love it, our couples love it, Stone Fox Bride loves it… we think it’s high time we feature our Heirloom cushion cut gemstone ring as the Engagement Ring of the Week. A Doyle & Doyle original, this cushion cut ring is a fusion of antique and modern, evoking inspiration from ancient Egypt, India, and Renaissance Italy.

Choose between lapis lazuli, turquoise, or hematite, which can be set in 18k yellow, rose, or white gold. A trio of diamonds adorns the shank on either side for sparkle. Try pairing it with a vintage gold wedding band highlighted by black enamel, or a vintage diamond band. 

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! Share your photos with me at juliet@doyledoyle.com, I can’t wait to hear from you!

Today we’re sharing the late summer wedding of Michael Dahan and Kristin Burns, who surprised their family and friends with an intimate sunset celebration in the Hamptons. Michael and Kristin are both professional photographers, and along with their guests, captured these beautiful images. 

We’re packing up our treasure chest of jewels! If you’ve been following along with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you may have seen our big news – Doyle & Doyle is moving to THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT!!  We’ll share more details on the new location and a special announcement tomorrow – watch this space!

Thinking about our new home in the chic Meatpacking District, we realize that the streets of New York are like so many Fashion Week catwalks. Stroll through any neighborhood and you’ll see an endless parade of different looks. Fashion magazines and blogs have caught on and they love to showcase New York’s unique brand of street style. 

This week is our celebration of October’s birthstones, opal and tourmaline, and you may be wondering why we’re featuring a diamond engagement ring. We always love a colored stone engagement ring, and both opal and tourmaline are some of the most colorful out there! However, both are soft stones, especially opals, and we don’t recommend them for hard, everyday wear.