Euphoria and the Roaring 20s

The word euphoria entered the English vocabulary during the seventeenth century. It initially described a generic feeling of physical and emotional fulfillment. From the Greek eu (well) pherein ( bring), the word literally meant "to bring oneself well": it was the forerunner of today's ubiquitous "well-being."
Euphoria is something intoxicating and contagious. It inflates the heart and makes us spin in circles. It is there with us during the breathtaking first weeks of a romance or in the peaks of excitement we feel for an unfamiliar city in the middle of the night. Everything seems bright and everything seems connected.
The world shines.



THE ROARING TWENTIES

And so shone the Roaring Twenties, not these certain ones that have shone far too little to this day, but those of the 1900s. And so shone the huge and lavish rings that were invented in those years to fight the sobriety of Prohibition.

This is the 1920s, just after the end of World War I. These were lively years dense with artistic, cultural and social movements, especially protest movements. This is why they were nicknamed the "Roaring Years" in which the socio-cultural exchange involving America and Europe grew more and more.


A DECADE OF WOMEN

In these Roaring Years it was women who dominated the scene. Along with a real consciousness raising, the phase of emancipation opened, which was revealed not only in the entry into the world of work but also of a change in style and fashion.

In many countries, women gained the right to vote, and with these new rights came a new attitude.

The signature of Coco Chanel came to the fore, introducing a fashion under the banner of elegance and simplicity.


THE FLAPPER GIRLS


It was Coco Chanel who introduced the garçonne cut, creating the petite robe noire. The garçonne cut and the short cut are among the hallmarks of the "flapper girls."

The flapper girls represented the new generation of young women of the so-called roaring years: bob hair, passion for jazz music, cigarettes and alcohol. Young rebels but true style icons! Soft fabrics such as chiffon, silk and jersey by Coco Chanel, sewn sleeveless and straight-cut dresses often decorated with bangs: their look was completed with long pearl necklaces, feather accessories. Medium-heeled shoes with a strap around the ankle were a classic for flappers who moved to the rhythm of Charleston!

These women became famous for their rebellious behavior: in the 1920s, the years of Prohibition, flappers drank alcohol without a problem; they moved, for the first time, as equals to man.


COCKTAILS: TO DRINK AND TO WEAR

In these years of alcohol and forbidden cocktails, as also seen in the film The Great Gatsby, they loved to wear makeup with smoky eyes and red lipstick and to wear fancy clothes and flashy jewelry.

Thus was born the cocktail ring: an ornamental ring worn in the same hand that would later, on a warm evening, hold the cocktail. Cocktails themselves were invented to disguise alcohol and make low-quality smuggled concoctions drinkable. Anti-Prohibition parties were a magnet for the upper middle class. They were associated with socializing and illicit consumption, qualities that were particularly appealing.

The cocktail ring is in fact a very large ring in which a single large-carat gemstone or a medium-carat gemstone is set surrounded by other precious stones: topaz, cubic zirconia, amethysts. It can sometimes be in an animal style with marcassites and pearls, as long as it is conspicuous. It is a very important, brightly colored ring that should not go unnoticed, and with a red lipstick, smokey eyes and a pearl necklace you can wear it and look simply stunning.

With cocktail rings, the bigger the better. The brighter the ring, the more interesting the wearer was perceived to be.


ANYTHING GOES: HOW TO WEAR A COCKTAIL RING

These rings were designed to be the life of the party and traditionally should be reserved for galas and cocktail parties.

However, it is a sign of our times to combine casual and formal wear, and even these eye-catching rings can be worn whenever and however you want. While a cocktail ring becomes the focal point of an outfit when paired with a little black dress, it also looks great with a simple white shirt and jeans (AH2-316). Our collection offers many rings you can be inspired by to feel transported to the roaring 20s and the glittering, golden atmospheres of Hemingway.

As those scandalous and progressive years teach us wear these rings as you like and remember "Anything goes"!