Jewellery Trends for Summer 2026 — and Why Vintage is Right at the Heart of Them
Summer 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons for jewellery in years — and for those of us who love antique and vintage pieces, the timing couldn't be better. The trends dominating this summer aren't just compatible with vintage jewellery — in many cases, they're actively driving people toward it. Here's what's happening, and how to wear it.
What Are the Key Jewellery Trends for Summer 2026?
The overarching mood for summer 2026 is what fashion editors are calling curated maximalism — pieces with personality, colour and character. Bold coloured gemstones, statement rings and layered necklaces are all having a significant moment. Alongside this, there's a strong and growing appetite for pieces that feel individual, sustainable and rooted in history — which is exactly where vintage jewellery comes in.
Coloured Gemstones — the Bigger and Bolder the Better
If there's one theme running through every jewellery forecast for summer 2026, it's colour. Deep sapphires, vivid emeralds, warm rubies and aquamarines are all having a significant moment, with designers and trend forecasters alike pointing to a growing appetite for something expressive, personal and full of character. Coloured gemstone rings from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco periods were made with exactly the kind of deeply saturated, hand-selected stones that are so sought-after right now — stones chosen for their individual character rather than produced to a standardised commercial grade. A vintage sapphire cluster from the 1970s, an Edwardian emerald and diamond ring, or an Art Deco ruby three-stone are all precisely the kind of pieces the current mood is pointing toward.
Ocean blues are particularly on trend for the warmer months — sapphire and aquamarine are both cited as standout colours for summer 2026, sitting beautifully against summer dressing in linen and white.
Antique-Cut Diamonds — Having Their Biggest Moment in Years
Old cut diamonds — old mine cuts, old European cuts, and rose cuts — are genuinely trending in 2026 in a way that even a few years ago would have been surprising. Experts at Sotheby's have pointed to the antique cushion cut in particular as one of the engagement ring stories of the year, driven in part by high-profile celebrity choices and in part by a growing appreciation for the romantic, deep flash of a hand-cut stone. Old cut diamonds have a warmth and individuality that is entirely their own — a quality found almost exclusively in vintage and antique jewellery. If you are looking for an engagement ring or a diamond piece this summer, an old cut diamond set in a period ring gives you something that is genuinely on trend and genuinely unique at the same time.
Gorgeous vintage platinum diamond three stone ring, set with three lovely old cut diamonds with a combined weight of approximately 2.1ct. Three-stone rings carry a well-known symbolism — past, present, and future. The ring features three old cut diamonds, well-matched in size and totalling approximately 2.10 carats, set in a clean platinum mount with no distractions.
The three stones are beautifully matched — graduating slightly from the centre outward in the classic trilogy arrangement — and all display the good white colour. At 2.10 carats total across three stones, the ring has genuine presence on the finger — broad, brilliant, and immediately striking.
The setting is classic and unfussy: individual claw mounts in platinum, allowing maximum light into each stone from above and below, with no gallery work or decorative detail to compete with the diamonds themselves.
The mount is platinum throughout, tested and confirmed, though unmarked — consistent with vintage pieces from the mid-twentieth century where hallmarking of platinum was not always required. Platinum remains the ideal metal for diamond rings: harder than gold, naturally white, and holding claw settings more securely over decades of wear.
Store Location: Hungerford
Ring Size: M
Gemstones: Old cut diamonds approximately 2.1cts total.
Hallmarks: Unmarked, tested for platinum.
Measurements: 7mm top to bottom.
Item Code: LD13
Ring Resizing: Please choose the size you require once adding your item to your cart.
Gorgeous early Victorian 18ct gold rose and old cut diamond solitaire ring, set with a large central rose cut diamond and surrounded by old cut diamonds. Dating from the early Victorian period — most likely the 1840s to 1860s — it carries with it nearly two centuries of history.
The central stone is a rose cut diamond measuring 5.4 × 6.5mm — an oval rose cut of appreciable size, bezel set in gold collet at the heart of the ring. The rose cut is the oldest diamond cut you are likely to encounter in wearable jewellery: a flat-based, domed stone covered with triangular facets, with no pavilion beneath. It was the cut of choice before electric light existed, designed to catch and reflect candlelight with a soft, diffuse glow that is entirely unlike the intense brilliance of a modern diamond. In daylight it glows; in candlelight it comes alive. It is a stone with personality rather than performance, and increasingly it is exactly what a discerning buyer is looking for.
Surrounding the central rose cut is a scalloped halo of old cut diamonds totalling approximately 0.24 carats — smaller stones set in individual collets that follow the oval outline of the mount and echo the hand-made quality of the central stone.
The shoulders of the shank are hand-engraved with foliate decoration — a detail that is clearly visible and that places the ring firmly in the early Victorian tradition of richly decorated gold work. Engraving of this quality and delicacy was done entirely by hand, and it gives the ring a warmth and individuality that no modern piece can replicate. The shank is tested and confirmed as 18ct gold throughout.
Store Location: Hungerford
Ring Size: O 1/2
Gemstones: Approximately 0.24cts old cut diamonds, central rose cut diamond measuring 5.4 × 6.5mm.
Hallmarks: Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold.
Measurements: 13mm top to bottom
Item Code: LA96
Ring Resizing: Please choose the size you require once adding your item to your cart.
Gorgeous vintage 18ct gold & platinum pink tourmaline and diamond trilogy ring, set with a lovely oval cut pink tourmaline and set with a diamond to each side.
Store Location: Hungerford
Ring Size: O
Gemstones: Approximately 0.7cts diamonds, pink tourmaline approximately 2.5ct.
Hallmarks: Stamped 18ct and PLAT for platinum.
Measurements: 10mm top to bottom, 15mm wide
Item Code: KZ21
Ring Resizing: Please choose the size you require once adding your item to your cart.
Very pretty vintage 18ct gold and platinum old cut diamond three stone ring, set with three old cut diamonds and an overall approximate diamond weight of 1.28ct.
Store Location: Hungerford
Ring Size: L
Gemstones: Three old mine cut diamonds weighing approximately 0.45ct, 0.43ct and 0.40ct each, with a total weight of approximately 1.28ct.
Hallmarks: Stamped 18c and PLATINUM
Measurements: 4.8mm top to bottom.
Item Code: KZ14
Ring Resizing: Please choose the size you require once adding your item to your cart
Stunning platinum Art Deco old cut diamond solitaire ring, set with a gorgeous, clear old cut diamond, with further diamonds to each shoulder. The centre stone is an old cut diamond of approximately 1.35 carats, set in a classic eight-claw platinum mount that holds the stone high and allows light to reach it from every angle. Old cut diamonds of this size have a character that modern brilliant cuts simply do not replicate — cut by hand before the age of machine precision, they have a larger culet (visible as the characteristic circle at the centre of the stone when viewed from above), a higher crown, and a play of light that is softer and more romantic than the intense flash of a contemporary diamond. In platinum, under any light, this stone is genuinely beautiful.
The shoulders are set with single cut diamonds — small, early-cut stones with fewer facets than a modern brilliant, entirely in keeping with the period and adding a continuous line of sparkle along both sides of the band without drawing attention away from the centre stone. Total diamond weight is approximately 1.44 carats.
Store Location: Hungerford
Ring Size:N
Gemstones: Central old cut diamond approximately 1.35ct, approximately 1.44ct diamonds total.
Hallmarks: Unmarked, tested as platinum.
Measurements: 7.2mm top to bottom
Item Code: LC1
Ring Resizing: Please contact us to view this item.
Layering and Stacking — the Vintage Advantage
Ring stacking and necklace layering continue to be central to how jewellery is worn this summer, and vintage pieces have a particular advantage here. Because each vintage ring or necklace was made individually, often with slight variations in width, tone and detail, a stack of vintage pieces has a natural, collected quality that a stack of matching new rings can't quite replicate. Mixing eras — an Edwardian ring alongside a 1970s cluster, for example — is very much encouraged by the current mood, which prizes personal curation over perfectly matched sets.
Yellow Gold is Back
After years of white gold and platinum dominance, yellow gold is firmly back for 2026. Warmer, richer and more distinctive than its cooler counterparts, yellow gold suits the summer palette beautifully and pairs particularly well with the coloured gemstones that are trending this season.
Why Vintage Jewellery is the Smartest Response to 2026's Trends
The deeper story underneath all of these specific trends is a broader cultural shift toward individuality, sustainability and meaning in the things people buy. The appetite for pieces that feel personal and that carry history rather than simply a price tag, is stronger than it has been for a generation. Vintage, second hand and antique jewellery answers all of those desires at once. Every piece has been worn and loved before, which means it carries no new environmental cost.
Summer 2026's trends didn't create the appeal of vintage jewellery — but they have made it more visible, more relevant and more sought-after than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jewellery is trending for summer 2026? The key themes for summer 2026 are coloured gemstones — particularly sapphires, emeralds and rubies — antique-cut diamonds, the return of the brooch, yellow gold, and a general move toward bold, individual pieces with personality and history. Vintage and antique jewellery is particularly well-placed to meet all of these trends.
Are vintage engagement rings on trend in 2026? Yes — antique-cut diamonds, coloured gemstone centres and individually handmade settings are all central to 2026's engagement ring conversation. Old mine cut and old European cut diamonds are specifically being cited as some of the most sought-after stones of the year.
What coloured gemstones are popular in summer 2026? Sapphires, emeralds and rubies are all strongly trending, with ocean blues — sapphire and aquamarine in particular — highlighted as standout colours for the warmer months. Deep, saturated stones with strong natural colour are most in demand.
Why is vintage jewellery particularly suited to 2026's trends? Vintage jewellery offers exactly what 2026's mood is asking for: individual pieces with genuine character, hand-selected gemstones, antique cuts, yellow gold settings and a sustainability story. No two vintage pieces are alike, which suits a trend cycle that prizes personal curation over mass-produced uniformity.
What is curated maximalism in jewellery? Curated maximalism is the styling approach dominating 2026 — wearing pieces with colour, character and personality, but with intention and care rather than excess. It favours interesting, individual pieces layered or stacked together, which suits vintage jewellery beautifully.