Altering mums engagement ring

We were burgled some time ago and, among many other things, the jewellery I inherited was stolen. I used some of the money from the insurance payout to have a ring made for my middle finger in memory of Mum and Dad. While deeply distressed at the time, I could never have worn Mum's rings so think that 'upcycling' inherited jewellery, if you can afford it, is a good idea.

My younger sister has mother's wedding ring, she never had an engagement ring, and also our grandmother's wedding ring made from Welsh gold.
I think it is a nice idea to redesign the ring into a pendant. I would never wear someone else's ring.

I have had jewellery altered before. If you do that, you can wear it and have a pleasant reminder of that person with you.

It's up to you but I think a pendant sounds a great idea. A ring lying in a box is neither use nor ornament.

When my mother died in 2004, my sister gave me a little velvet pouch that she said my mother said was for me. Inside was a little brooch that our kids bought her, not valuable, a pair of earrings that I`d bought her, and a lovely ring that she`d had over 60 years, a gold ring set with sapphires and tiny diamonds. It needed extensive repairs which I couldn`t afford, so I put it away in a drawer. I recently unearthed it and had it repaired at a cost of £250, but they forgot to enlarge it as I`d asked, so I can`t wear it, but have it on a gold chain around my neck sometimes.

I had my MIL's first wedding band ( she was widowed in her fifties and later remarried) made into a pendant by having a bale added, then a gold wire fixed across the ring to hold a little nugget of gold which my youngest son sent me from Australia. It's thus a double memento.

My Mums engagement ring had worn very thin, so I took it to a jewellers to have more gold added to the band. As it happens I am wearing it today, though I don’t wear it every day. My sister has her wedding ring.

Morethan I think your Mum would be pleased that you're wearing it in whatever style you wish.

Whenever I wear rings apart from my wedding ring, it's always my Mum's engagement ring and my own.

Mum's was a bit too big for me and missing a diamond, so I had it made smaller, the band strengthened and the diamond replaced, which didn't cost very much all those years ago. That ring is quite different to mind too, but both are quite narrow.

PS I wear my grandmother’s engagement ring, too. She was married in 1901, I think. My mother's rings date from the 1930s.

I didn't have an engagement ring myself, because I was never engaged. We just got married.

I had my mother-in-law's-ring altered to fit me and I wear it often. It is quite different to mine - but lovely - and I think of her when I wear it.

My mother gave me her wedding and engagement rings well before she died. She could no longer wear them. I wear the engagement ring regularly, but the wedding ring is platinum and I really don’t like it. It just sits in my jewellery box.

My Mum died at home and after the undertaker came to make arrangements my Dad came through and handed me her engagement ring which I now wear on my right hand always but said he told them not to remove her wedding ring as it was hers and he didn't want it removed from her hand. They were not a couple who showed their feelings but I thought it was such a beautiful thing to say and do.

My mum and her mum loved jewellery and had quite a few old fashioned rings. I had them sitting in a drawer for a while, I didn’t wear them as they didn’t fit and a bit too blingy for my taste. When my ED had a big birthday I took the rings to an artist/ jeweller I know , she made me two gorgeous rings which fit beautifully with my wedding band, one is an engagement ring the other an eternity ring( neither of which I had) my OH paid the bill! One of the old rings had a lovely large diamond which she made into a ring for my DD which became her engagement ring as her long term partner then proposed, my friend also made a matching wedding band for her and her partner which we paid for as our wedding present. The gold that couldn’t be used my friend sold to help with the cost and I still have a few tiny diamonds waiting for my youngest DD. Don’t leave your rings in a drawer, what’s the point.? Get them transformed into something you’ll love. I think of my mum every time I look at my lovely rings.

My DD had my GM's engagement ring and another one of mine made into an absolute gobstopper of a ring for herself. I think it's awful. The old rings were classic and beautiful. Nothing I can say about it though

My fil gave me Mil engagement ring as he particularly wanted me to have it. That touched me so much and I love it!

I've related this before. My mum left her engagement ring to my younger brother's ex fiance in memory of (the great friendship we shared' although the woman emigrated with her husband and family twenty years ago and he's been married 30 years! She bypassed me, 2 daughters in law, 4 granddaughters and 4 great granddaughters!! The executors couldn't find the woman so made a deed of variation giving it to me.

It is currently in our safe and I have no idea what to do with the blessed thing.

I wear my mother's engagement ring nearly everyday and it is my constant reminder of her. Funnily enough she never wore it once married. I can never recall seeing it on her finger but always knew where it was, kept with other treasures belonging to her two deceased babies who died before I was born. Her wedding ring was given to my eldest daughter and another ring, which we think was her sister's wedding band, was given to my youngest daughter. There was another ring belonging to my grandmother that in later years my mother started to wear. This was given to my niece. My sister died aged 35 and my mother was given that. I have that ring now. I was very close to my younger sister and although I never wear the band it is special to me. I have two gd. I think one day my two family rings, plus my own will go to them.

I have never had an engagement ring of my own ( despite being married 3 times ) . My DH promised that “one day when we were able to afford it he would buy me a ring” sadly that day has never come in over 25 years so I doubt I will ever get one . I have my late mums engagement ring ( on loan as it will never be mine) and do wear it sometimes . It’s slightly too big so I have to wear it inside my own wedding ring but I wouldn’t have it altered as it’s not really mine to keep .

some NOT so great ,

I gave my mums engament and eternity rings to my cousins girls.They weren't worth a great deal but the girls had never met their own gran who was my mums youngest sister and I thought it would help them feel part of the family ( we'd lost touch for decades) Her wedding ring I gave to my elder sister ,she did say it was for me but I thought big sis should have it for a variety of reasons.She wears it on a chain.I dont need or want momentoes I have all my lovely memories and some to so great .But things dont mean anything to me so better they were with people who want them

I sometimes wear my Mum’s engagement ring and my Dad’s watch, though I kept the watch in a drawer for 40 years, barely able to look at it, before getting the strap changed.

I think if you think you’ll wear it more if it’s altered, just go ahead and enjoy it Morethan. I hope my DD’s, DiL and DGD’s will enjoy wearing my jewellery one day.

I've got my mother's engagement ring. It's a really funny shape, she must have had oddly shaped fingers . I couldn't possibly wear it. I keep it in my jewellery box with my other precious, but not necessarily valuable things.

I kept the old wedding rings of mums and grannies for my potential DILs. They preferred white gold, so I sold them and bought GDs a gold bracelet each to keep and wear when their older.
Or sell if fashion has changed! Gold keeps its value.

We had my mother's and mother in-law's wedding rings made into my daughter's wedding ring.

Mums wedding ring was worn to a thread and impossible to wear so she binned it !!! Her engagement ring had been pawned years before so lost to us Grandmas were given to daughters , my Aunts , so no idea where they are