Nearly Two Centuries of Design Inspire Today’s Most Desired Bridal Jewelry
GIA pays tribute to the gemstones, cuts, and craftsmanship continuing to shape bridal jewelry today
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CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With peak wedding season underway, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reviewed nearly two centuries of bridal jewelry to reveal how gemstones, craftsmanship, and design from past eras continue to influence the pieces couples choose today.
According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, 35% of couples marry between September and November, making fall the most popular wedding season. As couples select jewelry to mark the occasion, many are drawing inspiration from designs, gemstones, and traditions with roots stretching back generations.
Two-stone rings and hidden messages appeared in the sentimental jewelry of the Victorian era. Delicate platinum and gemstones including sapphires, rubies, aquamarines, and pearls reflected Edwardian elegance. Art Deco introduced bold geometry and distinctive diamond cuts, while the Retro era embraced color and sculptural design. Understanding these periods offers a window into the evolution of bridal jewelry, knowledge that GIA preserves and shares through its research and education.
“Fall is one of the most popular times to marry, and dates like 09/26/26 give couples a unique way to commemorate the occasion, offering symmetry and symbolism where two and six add up to eight, a digit many associate with infinity and eternal love,” said Rebecca Boyajian, Senior Director, Jewelry Services Development at GIA. “At GIA, we teach students to consider the symbolism, craftsmanship, and gemological knowledge that informs bridal jewelry, so they can better understand the meaning a piece may hold for the person wearing it.”
Some of today’s most recognizable expressions of individuality have deep historical roots. Victorian jewelry used flowers, serpents, and gemstones to communicate love and commitment, while acrostic pieces spelled private messages through carefully selected gems. Toi et Moi rings represented two people through paired stones, an idea that continues to resonate with couples today.
Technical innovation has been just as influential as sentiment. Advances in metalworking around the turn of the 20th century allowed jewelers to use platinum to create increasingly intricate settings while securely holding diamonds. The Art Deco period that followed introduced a bold, geometric design language – clean lines, striking symmetry and step-cut diamonds – that remain immediately recognizable in contemporary jewelry.
Gemstones themselves have also provided generations with a way to depart from convention. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarines, citrines, and amethysts appeared throughout different periods of bridal and fine jewelry history. Today, colored gemstones can bring significance to a piece through a birthstone, anniversary or other personal connection.
Even diamond styles considered distinctive today can carry historical references. Old Mine-cut diamonds offered a softer appearance characteristic of the Victorian period, an aesthetic that continues to resonate in contemporary bridal jewelry. Their continued appeal illustrates how ideas in jewelry can be rediscovered and reinterpreted long after the period that first popularized them.
The renewed embrace of recognizably bridal style does not necessarily mean a return to convention. Jewelry history shows that romance, tradition, and individuality have evolved alongside one another for generations. By studying and teaching the gemstones, craftsmanship, and design that defined these eras, GIA preserves the history and knowledge behind bridal jewelry while preparing the next generation of gemologists and jewelers to carry it forward.
For press inquiries, contact Stephen Morisseau at smorisse@gia.edu or +1 760-603-4411.
ABOUT GIA
An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight and, in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which is recognized around the world as the standard for diamond quality.
Through research, education, gemological laboratory services and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring confidence in gems and jewelry. As an independent nonprofit organization, GIA upholds the highest standards of integrity, academics, science and professionalism while advancing knowledge and innovation in gemology.
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