As you have probably figured out we love recreating vintage inspired engagement rings. Actually, we are obsessed with them. Passionate about them. You may notice that the word milgrain is thrown about quite a bit when talking about antique or vintage inspired rings. What exactly is a Milgrain Engagement Ring and why is it so special? Well, we are happy to enlighten you since vintage detail engagement rings are our passion!
WHAT IS MILGRAIN?
Milgrain, or sometimes spelled millgrain is a delicate technique of engraving used on vintage rings in the early 20th century. It comes from a French word meaning “a thousand grains”. Tiny little round beads of gold are set side by side to form a boarder. You will see this most often on our rings featured around a center stone or on our tiny halo bezels. Because it was a technique that was so time consuming and intricate it was usually reserved for the very wealthy or most expensive pieces of jewelry from this time.
THE HISTORY OF MILGRAIN
Although milgrain edging and milgrain engraving enjoyed great popularity in the early 20th century Edwardian era as well as the Art Deco era of jewelry design, the technique of applying milgrain is actually thousands of years old and dates back to the Etruscans. They would fuse high carat gold granuals in rows and borders creating intricate patterns. The process was very lengthy and each tiny bead had to be placed just so in order for it to be perfectly set. They were masters of this and their jewelry lives on in museums today. Many of the ancient techniques of granulation were lost along the way and there really is only guesswork today on how they accomplished such intricate patterns without being able to solder.
THE LOVE OF MILGRAIN DETAILING IN ENGAGEMENT RINGS TODAY
Vintage, Art Deco and Antique inspired engagement rings are making a comeback. Who would have thought that what is old is what is new? At least for us it is. I adore adding sweet and delicate milgrain to almost every Rough Luxe ring. You can see an beautiful example of it in our Gwendolyn Vintage Halo Ring. It immediately gives the ring a custom vintage, heirloom look instead of looking mass manufactured and like “everyone elses”. We know you want your ring to be as unique as your love and to tell that story. Adding this beautiful detailing to you ring raises the bar and makes even a simple, classic engagement ring more exquisite.
MILGRAIN AND CUSTOM BESPOKE ENGAGEMENT RINGS
At Rough Luxe we can add custom milgrain detailing to your bespoke engagement ring. The best part about working with us is that we can provide you with detailed sketches and renderings so you can see your vintage inspired engagement ring with and without the milgrain engraving before it is even made. Isn’t technology great? We are all about options here. Our most important goal is to help you design the dream ring that is even better than you ever imagined.
Feel free to contact us to get started on your custom made milgrain engagement ring.
