Art Deco Shield Rings... What Were They Really Called?

Over the years, the names of many items evolve from what they were originally called to what we affectionately rename or nickname them today. Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of sellers and owners of those beautiful open work filigree Art Deco rings referring to them as 'Shield Rings.' Honestly, that’s not a bad nickname at all, as it really does capture the shape of these pieces. But what are they officially called? Is there an actual name that manufacturers and retailers from the 1920s and earlier used for them? The answer is yes, they have a name… and it’s known as a 'Dinner Ring.' Here are three documented instances of the term Dinner Ring being used for these so-called shield rings. The examples I picked cover a span of over 30 years, starting from 1918, when the designs were seen as fancy and new, all the way to 1951, when the style was still popular but had incorporated some minor retro streamline elements with less intricate filigree. This also highlights that not every dinner ring that fits in the classic 'Art Deco' look is automatically from the 1920s and 1930s.

1918 catalog

1931 catalog

1951 catalog