100 years of yes and 10 decades of engagement ring styles
The year was 1921, and the movies to watch were the Three Musketeers, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and The Kid starring Charlie Chaplin. New York Yankee pitcher Babe Ruth hit his 138th home run, Guccio Gucci started selling his handbags, Coco Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5, and the price of a dozen eggs was 47 cents. Long before Seattle companies like Starbucks and Amazon were famous for their customer experience, the Robbins Brothers lineage began with a single location and the desire to treat shoppers more like family than customers.
The Platinum 20s
In our first location, our passion for quality made us the must-visit spot for rings, fine jewelry, and gifts for every special occasion. In step with the times, our 1920s legacy showroom paid homage to the Edwardian and art deco styles that emerged as the era's must-have look for art and fashion. 20s-era engagement rings replaced frilly and intricate designs, featuring large center diamonds, angled lines, and platinum—lots and lots of platinum.
The Filigree 30s
In the 1930s, brides-to-be were crazy for white gold and filigree engagement ring designs that were intricate and nothing short of stunning. As the second decade of the art deco era coincided with the Great Depression, lavish displays of luxury were discouraged. As a result, jewelers got more creative with geometric designs and multi-stone settings featuring clusters of smaller diamonds to give the illusion of more "bling" for the buck.
The Rose Gold 40s
Fashion in the '40s was all about doing more with less—and engagement rings were no exception. Jewelers relied on intricate designs like leaves, flowers, bows, or hearts to amplify smaller stones. Along with Jitterbug Jazz and Swing came the popularity of softer, more romantic rose gold settings—the preferred look of the decade.
The Brilliant 50s
The war was over, wealth was rising, opulence was back, and Robbins Brothers' legacy stores opened in California. Fancy-cut diamonds were the preferred look, with pearls, emeralds, and brilliant-cut stones reaching a fever pitch among post-war-era Baby Boomers in need of rings.
The Swanky 60s
Robbins Brothers legacy showrooms continued to expand with more store openings and an increased commitment to guests and selection company wide. Riding the wave of the 50s, and despite more bohemian tendencies, the sixties remained glamorous with fancy-shaped diamonds still at center stage. Thanks to style icons like Liz Taylor and Jackie O, emerald-cuts set in platinum were the look on everyone's list.
The Solid Gold 70s
Robbins Brothers' expansion reached its peak in the 1970s when guests could find our legacy stores throughout Southern California. Gold bands featuring angular and geometric cut diamonds took off in popularity during the '70s, with uniqueness taking precedence over size. Free-spiritedness and fearlessness took center stage and were reflected in the era's fashion, politics, and personality.
The Solitaire 80s
The '80s were all about excess! From unique finishing touches and tapers to side stones and baguettes, engagement rings of the time were far from simple. Round-cut diamond solitaires and yellow-gold bands were extremely popular, but only when made more ornate. In 1981, Princess Diana's engagement ring from Prince Charles changed everything with its staggeringly popular sapphire gemstone that transformed the industry for more than a decade.
The Fancy-Cut 90s
In 1995, Robbins Brothers became the first and only engagement-focused jewelry chain. Their timing couldn't have been better with the rise of even bigger stones and more fancy-shaped diamonds like pears, ovals, emeralds, marquises, and radiant-cuts. Engagement rings in the 90s were increasingly diverse in style and design—after all, we had the previous century of ring styles as our inspiration.
The Halo 2000s
And, here we are today, well into the 2000s, with 14 showrooms in California, Washington, Arizona, and Texas and a more profound commitment to our guests than ever before. With thousands of sparkling styles and endless hand-selected engagement diamonds to choose from—your Robbins Brothers Concierge is ready and waiting to help you find or design the perfect ring. From engagements and weddings to just because, we've celebrated joy for 100 years and will continue to do so for the next 100 years and counting.
The Next 100 Years
The Road Ahead
We're proud of everything we've done over the past 100 years, like putting guests first (before it was the trend), hand-selecting every engagement diamond, and giving you access to in-house master jewelers in each of our showrooms. And while these things will always set us apart—we're looking forward to making the next 100 years even more innovative, service-oriented, and rewarding. Our goal is to make the process of selecting and buying a ring even more effortless while providing industry-leading transparency, assurances and promises—a tall order, but well worth it. See for yourself.
Are you part of Robbins Brothers’ History?
Please share your story with us.
Are you part of Robbins
Brothers’ History?
Please share your story with us.
Did your grandmother rock a ring from Robbins Brothers? How about your mother, father, or grandfather? How many generations of your family have celebrated engagements, weddings, and anniversaries with us? Share their stories, and your own, for a chance to be featured on our socials.
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