Flower Motif Rings: History, Meaning & Beautiful Examples
Flowers are one of the most common motifs used in art and design, and this is particularly true with jewelry. Jewelry designers have been crafting flower motif rings and jewelry for hundreds of years. It is no surprise either. Flowers are among nature’s most charming creations. We are naturally drawn to their ephemeral beauty.
At Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, floral designs, both for engagement rings and captivating statement rings, have a special place in our collection of jewelry. We have a wide range of flower inspired rings that will make any woman’s heart melt. So, for our love of flower rings, let’s take a closer look at the history and meaning behind them, as well as the options available to those with a kindred spirit.
HISTORY OF FLORAL RING DESIGNS
Jewelry has been crafted to look like flowers since pretty much the very beginning. However, since the classic jewelry eras are the most meaningful and influential in the modern day, let’s start there.
From the Georgian era to the modern era, flowers of all varieties have been a tremendously popular form of inspiration for jewelry and rings.
Georgian Jewelry (Circa 1715-1835)
In the late Georgian era, flower motifs became very fashionable for ring designs. Everything was handcrafted in gold or silver, and presenting a ring with a flower design was seen as a very romantic act. That said, flower rings of the Georgian era weren’t so refined, so they didn’t look too realistic.
Victorian Jewelry (Circa 1835-1900)
During the early Victorian era, jewelry designs became much more realistic, with intricate details. This era was known for their romantic, bold, feminine designs and exquisite craftsmanship. Nature-inspired designs of foliage and floral pattens were widespread. Lovers were deeply enlivened by secret languages assigned to their flower rings. Different flowers conveyed special messages of love and emotion. For example, a sunflower meant adoration, while a daisy declared innocence, and tulips expressed a declaration of love, while a violet represented loyalty and devotion. All different kinds of flowers were used in the designs of Victorian era jewelry and rings.
Early, Middle, Late Victorian Era
The Victorian era is separated into three time periods – early, middle, and late – and the styles were greatly impacted by the Queen’s taste. When her husband Prince Albert died in 1861, the Mid-Victorian era began and mourning jewelry became popular (the types of flowers used as motifs also represented this change).
What’s more, the Victorian era saw huge advancement in technology and manufacturing. Designs, precious metals, and diamond cuts became much more sophisticated over the course of the Victorian era. This is why there is such a big difference in the look of Early-Victorian era and Late-Victorian era flower motif rings and jewelry.
Art Nouveau Jewelry (Circa 1880-1910)
Jewelry designs of the Art Nouveau era are revered as some of the greatest artist of their time. During a time when hand fabricating was becoming passé thanks to incredible innovations in the field, designers of the Art Nouveau style held true to the meticulous workmanship. Art Nouveau jewelry was light, soft, and very romantic. They used silver and gold and gemstones like opals, sapphires, moonstones, vitrines, ambers, and pearls. They also experimented with stunning enameling techniques and unique settings.
While the late-Victorian era saw less rings and jewelry in the form of flowers, the Art Nouveau era kept it popular. However, they used flowers never before seen in jewelry, like water lilies, poppies, and fuchsias. The designs were curvy, feminine and whimsical. A lot of inspiration was pulled from Japanese art as well.
Edwardian Jewelry (Circa 1901-1915)
Over in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the death of Queen Victoria brought in the era of Edwardian jewelry. The designs can be characterized as light, graceful, and sophisticated. They were very intricate in their detailing. Platinum became popular, as designers were finally able to use heat high enough to work with it, and diamonds started becoming ubiquitous.
The favorites for floral designs were laurel wreaths and garlands of flowers. However, the Edwardian era is also recognized for creating some very unique flower motif rings using cluster settings.
Art Deco Jewelry (Circa 1915-1935)
The Art Deco era is probably the jewelry era with the most reverence. It inspires much of the modern jewelry you see today. The style of Art Deco jewelry and rings is fun and forward-thinking. The designs were bold, colorful, symmetrical and more masculine than previous eras. They used brighter colors, futuristic motifs, and a lot of geometric forms.
Floral motif rings of the Art Deco era took form in geometric shapes. White gold and platinum was the metal of choice, and diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies were the favored gemstones.
Another common theme of the Art Deco era is how they would carve floral designs directly into semi-precious soft gemstones.
You can almost instantly tell when a floral motif ring is from or inspired by the Art Deco era because it is perfectly uniform and consistent, both in colors and form. Even one of the most popular flower designs, the lotus blossom.
Retro Jewelry (Circa 1935-1950)
In the Retro era, flower motifs blossomed everywhere. However, they were vastly different. The Retro era did everything on a grander scale. Big chunky rings articulated petals and leaves. It was a bolder look for sure, yet somewhat less realistic.
Mid-Century to Modern Day (1950-Present)
After World War II ended, jewelry designs reverted back to their feminine beginnings. The style was open, airy, and textural.
Gemstones were the most common way to emphasize floral rings. For example, the pistil of the flower ring could be a round sapphire or ruby and the petals white diamonds with a pear or marquise cut. Overall, the designs for floral rings have really evolved over the last 50 years, becoming more realistic than ever.
Nowadays, you will see that jewelry designers pull inspiration from all of the classic jewelry eras, using their own progressive touch and contemporary thinking. Rings may even use aspects from multiple eras, in regards to settings, gemstone shapes, and colors. That’s the beauty of the modern era, we can take from all of the classic jewelry periods when designing jewelry, while putting our own flare and modern sophistication on it.
WHAT DOES A FLOWER RING SYMBOLIZE?
On the whole, a flower design is a very romantic and loving motif for a ring. It represents the beauty of nature. However, the meanings of flowers rings can also be very nuanced. Different flowers have unique meanings. Flowers have been a secret language for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. People are always looking for meaning in objects.
So, let’s have a look at the symbolism of specific flowers:
- Tulips and Roses declare “love”
- Lilies are for “purity” and “innocence of the soul”
- Violets mean “faith”.
- Orange blossoms symbolize “everlasting love”
- Forget-me-nots are, of course, for “remembrance”
- Lily of the Valley represents a “return to happiness”
- Pansies say “think of me”
- Ivy expresses “fidelity”.
- Sunflowers mean “good luck”, “adoration” and “lasting happiness”
- Daisies state “innocence” and “hope”
- Honeysuckles are “bands of love”
- Ivy flowers are for “friendship”, “fidelity”, and “marriage”
- Jasmine is “sweet love” and “amiability”
- Lilacs mean “joy of youth”
- Lotus express “purity” and “enlightenment”
- Morning Glories are “pure affection”
The list really goes on and on, but the above are probably the most common flowers to use as motifs for rings.
SIZE VS PRICE
One of the great things about flower rings is that they are big, but the price tag isn’t hefty because the total carat weight is dispersed over multiple stones rather than one large stone like a solitaire ring. Multiple small stones are far less expensive than one large stone of the same total carat weight. As such, you get a bigger bang for your buck with floral motif rings. This is why flower motif rings make for great cocktail and statement rings. They are also appealing for those who want a large engagement ring without breaking the bank.
Engagement Rings with Flower Designs
The most common settings for floral motif rings are halo and cluster settings. The halo setting has a center stone surrounded by smaller stones. This is already similar to a flower, with the center stone being the pistil and the halo being the petals. To make it look like a flower, designers can structure the shape of the halo setting with stronger bows, like this ring for example…
The above engagement ring uses a flower motif in a subtle, yet still obvious, way. It is a halo setting with a bevel-set round brilliant center stone. The edges of the halo, which contain small yet sizable round brilliants, is very curvaceous, giving the ring an instant appearance of a breathtaking flower.
This is another example of an engagement ring that uses a halo design to create a floral motif. At the center, there is a gorgeous oval ruby. Surrounding that are larger-than-normal (for halo settings, that is) round brilliants. The edges of the halo are more convex, giving it the appearance of petals. To add to the beauty of the ruby flower engagement ring, the band is wide, baguette-set, and it has details in the style of vines. All in all, this is a really gorgeous engagement ring for a woman who loves flowers and thinks outside of the box.
Cocktail Statement Rings with Flower Motifs
For cluster settings, the options are limitless. By using a different gemstone shapes and colors, you can create any flower.
This statement ring uses a cluster setting to create a very unique flower motif. The ring is 18K white gold and it has 5.43 carats of multi-shape diamonds. There’s round brilliants, pear shape diamonds and marquise cut diamonds surrounding baguette and round diamonds at the center. This is truly a one-of-a-kind ring and it is of exquisite quality. All of the diamonds are G or H in color and VS clarity. For a ring of this size, you’d think it would be extremely expensive. However, it is only $15,995. Again, that’s the beauty within the beauty of floral motif rings.
FLOWER MOTIF RINGS IN BOCA RATON
Whether you want a slight twist on a traditional engagement ring or you want a statement ring for a cocktail party or days when you really want to stand out in an extravagant way, a flower motif ring may be the perfect option for you. The gloriously feminine ring style is graceful, romantic and timeless in style. It even provides a slightly vintage look that we all cherish as jewelry fanatics.
Right now, floral rings are one of the most popular styles out and there are a ton of options to choose from. At Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers, we have flower motif cocktail and engagement rings at an unbeatable price. All of our flower motif rings use precious metals and gemstones, which are of the highest quality. If you have questions for us or you would like guidance in making a choice, we are here for you anytime you need us.
Contact us if you have any questions.
Have a specific flower motif ring in mind? Let us know and we will see if we have it in our inventory. And if we don’t, guess what? We can make it for you. We do custom ring designs so we can create any floral motif ring your heart desires!
Learn more about our custom ring design service
Let us know what your favorite flower is in the comments below.!
