A New Beginning | Giving Your Rings a New Life After Divorce

There’s neither a perfect answer nor a perfect timeline for resolving the question of a wedding ring after divorce. Selling the ring immediately, tucking it into a drawer until the air has cleared, or even leaving it in a spot you’ll never revisit can bring you some sense of peace and finality. And for those who prefer to give up the symbolism of the ring, but not the ring itself? There’s an option here as well: redesign the ring, turning it into one or more custom new pieces. Doing so can represent a new beginning that may have arisen from a difficult ending, a symbol of transformation rather than loss.

Ultimately, the decision is a personal one, and no one solution is right for everyone. For those on the fence, a ring redesign or repurpose can:

• Preserve an heirloom piece while integrating it with your style
• Symbolize a new start built from the broken pieces
• Reframe the ring as a symbol of family rather than strictly marriage, turning it into a mother’s ring or pieces for your children
• Accentuate stones or parts of the ring that hold personal significance for you (such as birthstones)

RIGHT HAND & COCKTAIL RINGS

The right hand or cocktail ring has come to signify independence and personal strength, a declaration of individuality and confidence. It’s the go-to choice for many former brides for just that reason. Browse “right hand rings” at any jewelry store and you’ll find every style from minimalist bands to bold, oversized gemstone clusters–if “the rules” are loosening for engagement rings, they’re nonexistent for rings worn on the right hand. Simply put, anything goes.

Restructuring an old wedding or engagement ring into a new cocktail ring is an opportunity to create a design that’s well and truly you, without limits. You might even view it as the fashion equivalent of a home renovation–and in that light, don’t be afraid to enlist the aid of a jewelry designer to help perfect your design.

For a variation, consider resetting the stones in multiple stacking bands, with or without additional gemstones. Or take the opposite approach and combine stones from multiple rings into one statement ring of your own creation.

JEWELRY SETS AND OTHER ITEMS

The final arrangement of a former wedding ring isn’t limited to cocktail rings, of course. With an ever-widening assortment of jewelry designs in play, you can re-fashion the stones and metal to suit any purpose. A simple solitaire can become an all-occasion necklace–for extra protection and versatility, consider setting the stone with a bezel. Three-stone rings can be fashioned into a matching necklace and earring set. Multiple smaller stones can decorate a brooch, bracelet, or even a watch.

And here, another possibility opens up: rebuilding the ring as multiple items and gifting them to children or close friends can be a meaningful way to release the ring while celebrating those who remain close to you. Pendants are a popular choice for their wide appeal and potential for customization, but don’t be afraid to explore other options as well. Might the stones, for instance, form part of a matching bracelet set? The final result depends entirely on the original ring and your tastes in a combination that holds meaning for you.

One variation on the above is to re-shape the metal into a break-apart pendant set: two interlocking pieces on separate chains, worn by close friends or family to honor the relationship. If you’d like to keep a part of the ring and reframe it as a symbol of friendship, this might be an attractive option for you.

NEXT STEPS

You may already have an idea in mind for a new design using parts of the ring. If the idea of repurposing your wedding or engagement ring resonates with you but you can’t quite picture the end result yet, you might find inspiration by browsing online jewelry articles or social media posts–Pinterest and Instagram in particular can be great sources of design ideas.

Once you have an idea of the final arrangement, a trusted jeweler can then help you put the finishing touches on your design(s) and answer any questions you might have before proceeding. If you’re in the Murrieta/Temecula area, stop in for a free design consultation and we can help to create your design and make it a reality.

Letting go of the old memories associated with wedding jewelry is a process, one very personal to you. A fresh start for an old ring just might be able to signal a beginning for creating some new ones.