When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Vintage Balfour Goldflex class ring featuring an ornate Art Deco design with a raised shield emblem, rectangular signet face, and intricate geometric detailing along the shoulders.
Approximately size 9.5
Manufactured by Balfour, a well-known maker of school and collegiate class rings. The design is consistent with early-to-mid 20th-century class rings, particularly the 1930s–1940s.
Marked BALFOUR GOLDFLEX on the interior band. Goldflex is a vintage Balfour metal designation associated with bonded gold and silver construction, rather than standard gold electroplating.
How it was made: Balfour produced these by fusing a solid layer of 10K yellow gold over a base of sterling silver. It is NOT cheap gold-plating or "electroplate." It is a heavy, durable mechanical bond designed to ensure the gold layer wouldn't wear off after decades of use.
Historical Context: During WWII, strict government controls and wartime metal rationing limited the use of pure or high-karat gold for civilian jewelry. Balfour created Goldflex as an alternative to offer the appearance and partial content of gold while conserving strategic resources.
Details:
* Brand: Balfour
* Marking: BALFOUR GOLDFLEX
* Era: Vintage, possibly 1930s–1940s
* Style: Art Deco / Class Ring / Signet Ring
* Metal: Goldflex construction
* Color: Yellow gold tone
* Design: Raised shield emblem with geometric detailing
* Features: Decorative engraved shoulders and rectangular face
* Size: See measurements/photos
Condition: In excellent pre-owned vintage condition with some signs of wear. Please see and enlarge photos for details. We have taken multiple photos to try to show an accurate color of the ring in different lighting.
Additional Keywords
1930s jewelry, 1940s jewelry, vintage school ring, antique class ring, Balfour jewelry, Art Deco signet ring, gold overlay ring, vintage collegiate jewelry, shield ring, retro statement ring.