Chunky Rings Are Back: The Bold Revival of the Vintage-Style Engagement Ring
Chunky rings and Gypsy-style bands are making a comeback, with influencers and celebrities like Dua Lipa, Cressida Bonas (whose ring was designed by Bear Brooksbank) and other modern style icons reigniting interest in these bold, sculptural designs. Once associated with antique heirlooms and Victorian craftsmanship, designs like the Gypsy ring, characterised by smooth bands and stones set flush into the metal, are now finding fresh relevance among a new generation, and no one could be happier about this shift toward the vintage than Bear Brooksbank herself.
Bear Brooksbank is a self-proclaimed enthusiast of precious stones, and growing up around antique jewellery, vintage designs have been one of her earliest influences. Working with antique jewellery for many years, Bear has honed her craft, designing and creating vintage-inspired pieces with a modern twist. Her timeless contemporary rings are carefully crafted to blend history and heritage with modern innovation, resulting in stylish, sophisticated jewellery that is unique to the wearer’s story and substantial on the finger.
At our Shoreditch Studio, clients can experience the full breadth of Bear Brooksbank’s offerings. We cover everything from bespoke designs and heirloom remodelling to ready-to-wear signature rings and vintage collections. Our goal is to revive the tradition of having a family jeweller, fostering connections with clients that will last for generations.
In this brief read, we’ll be covering the resurgence of chunky, vintage-inspired engagement rings, why they’ve returned to the spotlight, what defines their enduring charm, and how designers like Bear Brooksbank are reinterpreting these historic forms for a modern audience.
Why Chunky, Vintage Rings Are Returning To The Mainstream
Vintage jewellery, especially stylish, chunky rings like the iconic Gypsy, Georgian cut-down, and Bombé designs, has seen a notable resurgence in recent years, driven in part by growing awareness of the environmental and ethical impacts of diamond and precious metal mining. These days, people are putting more thought into where their jewellery comes from and how the materials are sourced, with many opting to revamp pre-existing vintage jewellery to fit modern trends rather than settling for a standard design skimmed from a catalogue SKU.
Plenty of people are also rejecting lab-grown diamonds in favour of natural diamonds and heirloom stones. This is a shift to the vintage that Bear is wholly on board for; we source our stones through our trusted London partners over at Hatton Garden, prioritising the geological marvel that is natural diamond over stones cooked up in a lab.
Another reason why traditional engagement rings are falling out of favour, replaced by the cool, classy contours of vintage chunky rings, is the simple fact that vintage elements and odes to the past allow the wearer to demonstrate personality, unique style, and heaps of history on their finger. Now more than ever, people are looking for statement pieces and engagement rings that tell a story, with more detail, chunkiness, and usually more diamonds and heirloom stones, and Bear is here to deliver.
Bear’s Approach To Reinventing The Chunky, Vintage Ring
As we’ve mentioned many times before, history and heritage are the driving forces behind all of our unique ring designs, and Bear’s deep understanding and appreciation of vintage styles allow us to refresh classic elements for a modern audience.
For example, the Gypsy Ring, which first saw widespread popularity during the Victorian era. This ring design has been reinvented by Bear, while still retaining the style and setting that made it appealing in the first place. Weighty bands in warm, buttery gold, and flush-set stones are staples of the Bear Brooksbank brand, offering tactile, chunky rings that are as stylish as they are substantial.
Another notable ring design from a bygone era is the Bombé Ring, revised by Bear to be a commanding, tactile statement piece that resonates as both historic and contemporary. Bear embraces the Bombé as a celebration of form and weight, and her version of the iconic design captures the drama and glamour that made it so popular to begin with, while stripping away unnecessary excess and highlighting the bold metalwork and expressive proportions of this historic design.
Bear’s heirloom remodelling service takes things to the next level, melting down heirloom metals and resetting stones to create new, innovative rings that are still rife with personal history. By evoking the look and feel of a ring passed down through generations, chunky, vintage ring designs set with heirloom stones offer both aesthetic charm and moral substance.
Take, for example, the Three-Stone Ring. Variations of this three-stone design have been cherished for centuries, prized by those who value symbolism in their adornments. For Bear, the Three-Stone ring design offers an opportunity to showcase cherished heirloom stones in a revised, modern version of the historic Trilogy design.
Bear’s unique engagement rings are intended to be heirlooms in the making. In our drive to design and craft personalised pieces to mark important milestones, each of our signature designs draws on rich historical inspiration, reinterpreted for modern wearers.
Chunky Rings: Trend-Setters In The Celebrity Scene
The latest celebrity to hop onto the chunky, vintage ring trend is Dua Lipa, sporting a bold, round-brilliant cut diamond set in a wide, chunky 18ct yellow gold band. The diamond sits low and almost flush against the wide gold band, a statement in itself and a clear shift away from the delicate bands that have dominated celebrity engagement trends over the past several years.
Another notable mention, and a ring that sits close to Bear’s heart, is the octagonal ruby and diamond ring commissioned by Harry Wentworth-Stanley to propose to actress Cressida Bonas. Designed and handcrafted by Bear herself, this bespoke piece is a perfect example of Bear’s signature blend of bold design and timeless elegance. The design pays homage to antique artistry while remaining unmistakably modern. This ring is a hallmark of Bear’s work and a demonstration of her passion for bespoke vintage jewellery.
Our bespoke design process involves reinventing vintage rings to suit modern clientele and begins with an open conversation about your budget and personal style, followed by detailed sketches, stone selection, and mock-ups. All of these factors contribute to a finished ring crafted to the highest standard and demonstrating Bear’s deep understanding and appreciation of vintage styles.
In the spirit of refreshing vintage designs and updating heirloom settings, we should also mention Meghan Markle’s engagement ring, which has evolved gracefully over time while retaining its vintage soul. Originally featuring a trio of diamonds (two from Princess Diana’s personal collection and one sourced from Botswana), the ring was later refined with a more delicate, micro-pavé band. The most recent update to the vintage engagement ring modernised the piece without erasing its emotional or historical significance, striking that perfect balance between heirloom legacy and personal expression.
This is exactly what Bear Brooksbank strives to achieve for her clients with our heirloom remodelling option. If you have inherited a family heirloom or own a piece of jewellery that does not quite resonate with your personal style, our team is able to help you out. We can reset stones, melt down existing gold, or completely reimagine a design while still preserving its sentimental roots, allowing our clients to breathe new life into their jewellery with a modern take on the design while still honouring family history and preserving heirloom elements.
Through Bear’s years of experience, she has honed her skills to a fine point, knowing when to preserve, when to polish, and when to reimagine. The result is jewellery that resonates with the modern wearer while still retaining the history and heritage passed down through generations.
About Our Bespoke Process: Chunky Rings And Vintage Style
At Bear Brooksbank, every commissioned bespoke piece is designed in East London and handcrafted in Hatton Garden. This local, hands-on approach allows us to guarantee exceptional quality and a final ring design that is singular to your story and fits snug on your finger.
The bespoke journey starts with a complimentary consultation, either in person at our Shoreditch Showroom or over a Zoom call. This first step will help us understand your story, preferences, and innovative ideas. We want to know whether you’d prefer a classic solitaire or a more unusual shape, what kind of cut you’re considering, and your metal purity preferences. Once we have a good idea of what you’re looking for, the team will get to work developing sketches and reference visuals to refine your ideas before sourcing your desired stones from our friends at Hatton Garden.
Once a design direction and stones are confirmed, you’ll be invited back to review the final selection and approve all the elements of the design. At this stage, pricing and timelines will be discussed and finalised, with the entire process typically taking six to eight weeks from casting to polish. If you’re operating on a tighter deadline, don’t hesitate to let us know. Our team can often get the job done within stricter time constraints if this has been discussed beforehand.
The third stage in the bespoke process involves CAD (Computer Aided Design), where you will be able to view a detailed digital model of your chosen ring design and even test a 3D prototype to get a feel of the proportions and comfort of the piece on your finger before giving us the go-ahead to begin crafting the ring. After a 50% deposit, the ring then moves into production, entrusted to the master craftspeople of Hatton Garden.
Finally, the finished piece is unveiled at our Shoreditch Showroom. Each ring undergoes a meticulous inspection before collection, where we take the time to ensure that every detail rings true to the original vision. The result is a bespoke engagement ring that captures both personal meaning and timeless craftsmanship.
Chunky Rings From Bear Brooksbank: Everything You Need In One Place
Bear’s bespoke creations are the cornerstone of the Bear Brooksbank brand, but not our only offering. Our ready-to-wear signature rings and antique collections are equally appealing and accommodating for a variety of tastes and preferences.
Whether you're commissioning a new bespoke statement piece, remodelling a treasured heirloom, browsing our signature collection of vintage-inspired chunky rings, or hunting for an antique piece of jewellery that resonates with you, Bear Brooksbank promises a service that is as personal as it is seamless. Our goal is to serve as the go-to jeweller for our beloved clients, crafting chunky rings and upscaling heirloom jewellery for generations to come.
If you’re interested in what we do, would like to commission a bespoke piece imbued with vintage charm, or simply wish to browse our collection of iconic jewellery, don’t hesitate to get in contact, book a consultation, or pay a visit to our Shoreditch Showroom today!