Cocktail rings first appeared in the 1920s during Prohibition, when cocktails themselves were invented to mask alcohol and make low-quality counterfeit concoctions drinkable. Anti-prohibition parties were a magnet for the upper class. They were associated with sociability and illicit drinking – glamorous qualities in particular.
During this time, women were given many rights and freedoms. In many countries, women won the right to vote, and with these new rights came new attitudes. Hair becomes shorter, dresses too, and women begin to attend cocktail parties, accompanied or not. They could smoke, drink and have fun like anyone else. Due to all these factors, women wanted to show that they were self-sufficient, and what better way to do that than to wear a huge lavish ring?
While Art Deco design centered on streamlining and clean geometric shapes; fashion was synonymous with glamour. Cocktail rings showcased the decadent style of the era, as this ruby red cocktail ring, circa 1920, shows. With cocktail rings, the bigger the better. The brighter the ring, the more interesting the wearer.
Cocktail rings continued to grow in popularity throughout this period, reaching their peak in the 1950s. A big economy and more visible consumerism drove people to buy homes, cars, and appliances, and with these materials came the need for fun. So cocktails have made a resurgence, as have matching rings. On the contrary, rings were more colorful and extravagant during this period, with stones as seen in this purple sapphire and diamond ring.
