Cocktail rings by nature are colourful, and like birds with bright plumage, they are made to be seen. Originating in the days of Prohibition in the USA, cocktail rings originally provided a non-verbal expression of colourful defiance. The bigger, bolder and brasher the ring, the better it would convey the frisson of excitement produced by the illegally stocked speakeasy or the illicit cocktail party its wearer was frequenting. No defiance needed these days, in the bars and clubs of every city and town, but a cocktail ring is still a fun and flamboyant accessory.
A contemporary dress or cocktail ring, this one. It harks back to the Art Deco style of the late 1920s and 1930s, with its baguette-cut diamonds and overall contained, precise and geometric design.