What to Do With the Ring

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Well, the marriage is over, now what do you do with the ring?
wedding ring after divorce

Different people have different ways of handling the loss of their marriage, so it only makes sense that different people do different things with the token that represented it.

I knew I wanted to get rid of my ring. I took it off the day we went to court for a temporary agreement and I put it in a box. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.

I thought about selling it to help pay off some of my lawyer debt, but then when I realized how little I would get for it, and how small of a dent it would put in my legal fees, it didn’t seem worth it.

Then I remembered how great of an experience I had getting the ring at Iowa Diamond. My ex and I went in with a meager budget of $2000, and they never made me feel like I was not good enough for their full attention. I was treated like the most important person they had ever helped and they talked me through all my options. They even showed me options that were under my budget, and I ended up getting my ring for just over $1400 – well under my budget!

So for me, it was an easy decision to head back to where I bought the ring and see what they could do. I made an appointment to talk to the owner, Chuck Kuba, who talked me through some of my options. Since the ring was bought there, they were willing to give me a trade-in value for the ring and use that balance toward the purchase of a new ring.

The only thing was, I didn’t know what I wanted. So, they kept my ring while I thought about that for a while.

Life got busy, and nearly three years later, I finally made an appointment to decide what I wanted as a replacement.

I worked with Chuck’s son-in-law Adam Cline, and he took the time to let me try different styles and priced out different rings with various stones. I decided to get matching bands for each of my boys: diamonds for my oldest (April) and emeralds for my youngest (May), and a different type of band with peridot-colored diamonds for my birthstone (August). I am very happy with the end result!

My new ring!

To me, my new ring represents my family of three. I love my little family, and I love my symbol of it.

The ring also represents moving on, moving up, and it’s a daily reminder that I can take something that wasn’t so pleasant, and make it into something that is.

Replacing your ring isn’t the only option you have. Sometimes, it can be pretty costly.

Here are some other things my single momma friends have done with their rings:

Save it for your kids:

This may be a good option if you think it may not be worth selling or trading it in. Plus, your child might appreciate a piece of the history that created them.

Sell it:

There are a few cautionary tales to tell about this option…You most likely will only get a fraction of what it is worth when you sell it. A major downside to trying to sell it online is you may get interest from scammers, and that can be a pain to deal with. Also, be sure you (or your ex) doesn’t have a lien out on the ring, because you may not legally be allowed to sell it. Be sure to have the proof of ownership and an appraisal!

Repurpose it:

One friend unsoldered her rings and wears the band as a mother’s ring, She has plans to use the other stones in a necklace or another piece of jewelry in the future.

Give it back:

A few of my friends simply didn’t want to deal with it at all and gave their ring back to their exes. This certainly takes some of the stress out of the equation if you truly don’t want it anymore or care what happens to it.

Keep it:

I had one single momma tell me she keeps the engagement ring because it reminds her of happy times.

Whatever you decide to do with the ring, make it fun. Think about it, take your time, you do have choices. Make the one that’s right for you.

If you’re divorced, what did you do with your wedding ring? 

 

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Wow, as a wedding rev I really drank this post in! It is such a hard issue for multiple reasons. Jen, you not only hit a home run but you even managed
    to draw in your dear friends! Love you, sweet niece!

  2. My husband’s parents divorced when he was 18 and his mom kept the ring. When we got engaged, we used the diamond and put it in his wedding ring. It was tough at first because he thought was focused on the divorce but when he focuses on the fact that he is a product of his parent’s love, he loves the idea. He LOVES his wedding ring! And now we will have a more sentimental set to pass down to our children ?

  3. Love your ideas. Here’s what I did. My husband has been married twice before and I once, so we had 3 rings to deal with. We tried consigning them at a local jeweler for a few years, but they did not sell, so, eventually, I went through my jewelry and pulled out everything that I no longer wanted. I took it to our jeweler to determine what was “real” and took those items, along with our old wedding rings an had them design an entire new piece for me. A necklace and a pair or earrings. They are beautiful and since the jeweler custom made them for me, it is my own unique piece.

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