Virtual Appointment
Back10/04/2024
We already explained how during the 50s movie stars influenced fashions and determined what was in and what wasn´t. Women looked up to other women as role models and wanted to at least look like themselves in the jewellery they wore. But then the 60´s came stomping hard; young people became more and more empowered and the world vibrated with the cultural revolution that in the UK they called “The Swinging Sixties”, a hedonistic and modern movement that saw art, music and fashion flourish. Of course, there was also Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests, the assassinations of President John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the US, but they ended on a good note (if you believe) with the landing of the first man on the moon.
In terms of jewellery, things got better and better for couples. There were lots of rings to pick from and the diamonds got bigger and bigger as well. And once again, to represent the opulence of the decade, Elizabeth Taylor can´t be forgotten. It was in 1968 that Richard Burton bought the Krupp; a 33.19 carat Ascher-cut Krupp diamond and gave it to Liz. Is that big enough for you darling?
In order to match such colourful times, jewellery designers incorporated coloured gemstones into their rings, such as emerald and onyx. Even Jackie Kennedy, former first Lady of the United States had a coloured gemstone for an engagement ring and so did Lucille Ball. These two rings helped re-start the dying culture of coloured gemstone rings as the mainstay of wedding rings for women.
At first, the main metal used to make Art Deco rings was platinum. But white gold and sterling silver also became also very popular in the 60s. These metals were particularly used in simple silhouettes with beautiful lines to solidify a ring’s vintage elegance.
The pear-shaped diamond was especially popular in this decade, too. In fact, it was worn by celebrities like Mia Farrow -a 9-carat pear-shaped diamond solitaire ring from Frank Sinatra- and again Elizabeth Taylor, only this time as a necklace, not a ring due to its huge size.
