Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

If you got divorced at some point, what did you do with your wedding/engagement rings?

(131 Posts)
MaryTheBookeeper Mon 27-Jul-20 21:48:39

I'm wondering what to do with mine? They have sentimental value but what's the point of them just sitting in the drawer? I don't want my dc to use them, I'd rather they had their own fresh start. Flogging them for scrap feels heartless. What did you do with yours?

biba70 Mon 27-Jul-20 21:50:48

get them melted and remade into something new in a design you like. Or sell and give money to GCs - or your favourite charity.

crazyH Mon 27-Jul-20 21:58:03

Mine is still in my Jewellry box - it means nothing to me now and frankly, my daughter may not want it - neither will my boys. It's a sad reminder of an unhappy family time. Haven't thought of having it melted - that's something I must consider. Thanks

Lynker Mon 27-Jul-20 22:01:47

I gave my SIL my wedding ring and eternity ring and he had them re-made into a new eternity ring for my daughter.

Ceaser15 Mon 27-Jul-20 22:03:06

I had mine melted down into one beautiful ring which I still wear

geekesse Mon 27-Jul-20 22:10:39

My ex and I had a brief ceremony with family and friends. We verbally released one another from our wedding vows, and returned the wedding rings. Then we each gave the rings back as a memory of our time together and a symbol of friendship and forgiveness. I don’t wear it, but I do still keep it and treasure it.

But you need to be on pretty good terms with an ex to pull off that kind of thing.

tanith Mon 27-Jul-20 22:21:26

My eldest daughter has my engagement ring she doesn’t wear it and I have not only my wedding ring but my now deceased ex’s ring too. It was very odd and I never did get to the bottom of it but he gave me his ring and said ‘one day you’ll give that back to me’, after I had finally convinced him our marriage was over and I was leaving. Both rings sit in my jewellery box where they’ll probably sit till I gone.

Oopsminty Mon 27-Jul-20 22:23:49

I didn't have an engagement ring

As for my wedding ring I only wore it for the day itself. No idea what happened to it.

Not a fan of rings

My sister refused to give the engagement ring back to her husband after she left him.

This ring had been a family heirloom and I thought she should have returned it but she didn't.

BlueSky Mon 27-Jul-20 22:24:51

Sold them for cash of course (and a nice bit of cash too)!

Chewbacca Mon 27-Jul-20 22:40:30

Now would be a very good time to sell them with gold prices being at a record high.

FlexibleFriend Mon 27-Jul-20 22:42:31

Sold them for scrap along with a few other bits and bought a very nice camera with the £900 I got.

Flytothestars Mon 27-Jul-20 22:50:37

Sold them for scrap and bought something beautiful!

Chewbacca Mon 27-Jul-20 23:14:46

I'm looking at mine with renewed interest tonight!

B9exchange Mon 27-Jul-20 23:43:52

I am lucky enough never to have been divorced, but when my long time engagement was terminated by my then fiance, he demanded the ring back. Initially reluctant, I couldn't think what I would do with it, so I gave it back to him, and he traded it in for a music centre. It didn't do much for my confidence, I can tell you!

Mogsmaw Tue 28-Jul-20 00:22:42

I told my daughters years ago about engagement rings.
In

Mogsmaw Tue 28-Jul-20 00:23:59

The event of a broken engagement a lady offers the ring back but no gentleman would accept.

Coolgran65 Tue 28-Jul-20 05:46:27

My engagement ring languished in my jewellery box. .
It was a beautiful ring and I planned to wear It on my other hand but never did. It represented a very difficult time. My best friend of 40 years had always admired it.
One day I gathered up all my broken jewellery and took it to sell it for weight. My friend was with me. I popped my engagement ring into my purse.

Once the deal was done with the gold I asked about my ring. The guy wasn't really interested in it and made an offer based on its weight. I guess I could have out it in an auction but never did.
As we drove home I thought about my friend sitting beside me and how much she had been there for me.
over the years. I got my ring out and gave it to.her. She was overwhelmed and started to cry. Said she loved it and would give me twice what I had been offered. Absolutely not. I wanted no money involved, just a gift from me to her. I was never going to wear it and was happy just to know that it would be appreciated in a way that i no longer could do

ladymuck Tue 28-Jul-20 06:10:08

I still have mine, though I never wear them. Charities will take unwanted jewellery.

Spangler Tue 28-Jul-20 06:25:57

I felt like a voyeur reading this thread, like B9exchange, I have never been divorced, perhaps I should start a thread, how long have you been married. 52 years since you ask.

Disposing of the engagement and wedding rings is something that I have never thought about, but you might like what our friend did, I had better not put her name up. She somehow managed to use her wedding ring like an oversize washer. It connects the lavatory handle with the flushing mechanism, inside the cistern.
"He shat on me once too often," she quips.

Hetty58 Tue 28-Jul-20 06:30:30

I'm still wearing mine (on my right hand) along with the new ones, from my second marriage, on my left hand - no problem!

Lucca Tue 28-Jul-20 07:24:27

Cool gran. Lovely story.
I had a russiAn style wedding ring and I now wear it on my other hand on my little finger (slight difference in size of fingers over the years!)
Didn’t have an engagement ring.

Esspee Tue 28-Jul-20 07:29:50

I have never divorced but have my wedding and engagement rings languishing in a drawer somewhere.
Thank you for reminding me OP. I think I’ll sell them. My late husband won’t be offended.

Esspee Tue 28-Jul-20 07:31:50

Spangler. Your friend sounds awesome. ?

Sparkling Tue 28-Jul-20 07:32:31

Sold wedding ring. Money spent on children. Engagement ring remodelled and my granddaughter will have it. I wear it a lot on my left hand it is beautiful.

TerriBull Tue 28-Jul-20 08:34:56

I've still got both my previous engagement and wedding rings in my jewellery box, not that there is much in there of any value. My first marriage ended a long time ago, no real acrimony. I've been living with and married to my husband 36 or so years now. The rings from my previous marriage don't have any sentimental value for me, I don't ever wear them, I don't know where they will eventually end up, I hadn't really thought about them in a long while until this thread!