Vintage and antique sapphire and ruby earrings from the best jewelry eras such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau as well gemstone jewelry from Georgian elegance and Victorian / Edwardian classics, to the vintage and retro pieces from the 1940’s and 50’s. Find unusual styles, genuine untreated African (not Burmese rubies) and sapphires as well as antique diamond creations at George Tarratt, the renowned jeweler of Leicester, who has been creating and trading gemstone jewellery (and silverware) since 1913.

Why Choose Vintage / Antique Ruby Jewellery

George Tarratt, still situated on Leicester’s Market Street offers the best of the classics as well as the bold geometric designs of vintage days. Even if you’re not interested in collecting historic ruby stud earrings or period gemstone jewellery, buying antique pieces, especially when it comes to rubies, is one way of getting items that are not controversial, without risking buying unethically sourced gems. The gems in antique pieces, such as those sold by dealers like George Tarratt and his son Ivan, are not funding corrupt regimes or supporting arms deals or wars – at least not current ones.

Take at look at some of the sapphire clusters and ruby stud earrings from the George Tarratt collections, available online and through their exclusive shop in Leicester.

1. Faceted Oval Ruby Stud Earrings

There’s nothing ordinary about these ruby stud earrings that are set in 18ct yellow gold. The rubies are faceted ovals delicately held in place with four prongs. If you’d like to buy them, their reference number is 1210020 and they’re reasonably priced at just £735.

2. Multicolored Antique Sapphire Earrings

Rubies and sapphires are the same stone. What separates a ruby from a sapphire is the rich red color, although a pink, lavender or purplish-blue-red ruby stone may be labeled either as a sapphire or a ruby depending on how much red there is in the hue. That’s why rubies and sapphires are classed together and sold in the same collections. In the George Tarratt collection called Antique and Period Colored Stone Earrings, there’s a singular pair of cluster studs that feature multicolored sapphires. The colors range from translucent blue to lavender and pink. This pair of earrings in an investment or at least a collector’s dream. The reference number for buying is 126002, and the price is set at £12,850.

3. Antique Ruby Stud Earrings Accented with Diamond Clusters

These Victorian ruby stud earrings are a bargain even at £8,500 because the large central stones are natural gems surrounded by almost a dozen dazzling white diamonds. This exclusive pair is available using the reference number 1252183 and can be found in the Antique and Period Earring collection through the George Tarratt shop.

4. More Than A Pair of Ruby Studs

The ruby stud plus diamond design of this extraordinary pair of gemstone earrings is not just elegant but affordable at just £3,500. The two ruby gems that make up the heart of this pair are untreated natural rubies mined from Malawi (therefore not Burmese rubies) and they’re each accented with more than a dozen white diamonds mounted in 18ct white gold. The rubies are faceted in the classic rectangular shape to highlight the vibrant red color of the stone. To purchase this pair of cluster diamond and ruby stud earrings, please use the reference number 1202963.

For more shopping suggestions, such as where to buy ethically sourced ruby bracelet designs, ruby diamond ring styles and ruby jewellery from exceptional UK designers, please browse related posts.

We promote ethical gemstone rings, fair trade ruby stone creations, and ruby necklace designers who are conscientious about environmental impact, and use ethically sourced precious metals and conflict free gems.

One of the mining companies that works in Tanzania, who we suggest are a good source for ruby gems, is called RubyFair. Many UK and international designers / fine jewellery houses are choosing RubyFair stones over others that may be tainted with unethical practices or may be used to fund corrupt governments.

If you’re looking for ethical ruby wedding rings, please see unique suggestions we have to offer such as the white gold ruby ring designs that do not use Burmese rubies.

If you’d like to understand why Burmese rubies are not a good choice, please read the articles about ruby gemstone mining issues in Asia, as well as the newest issues arising with the Greenland ruby gemstones, through True North Mining, which may or may not provide the world with conflict free gems.