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Engagement rings.

(87 Posts)
kittylester Wed 17-May-23 18:05:10

Following on from reports that the Duchess of Sussex has had her £140k engagement ring 'enhanced', I wondered if anyone else has had their engagement ring changed?

DH bought my ring all by himself and, thankfully, I really love it although it was considerably less expensive. I wouldn't contemplate changing it but wondered whether other people have changed their rings and why?

midgey Wed 17-May-23 19:58:19

Sold mine when times were hard!

seadragon Wed 17-May-23 20:08:03

Gave my beautiful amethyst and diamond engagement ring, which DH and I chose together, to our DD, who has beautiful dainty hands, when my ring finger and hand became knobbly and arthritic. She wears it constantly. Just as well she has it as the remaining rings I wear no longer come off!! There is a plain old wedding ring matching DH's, a sliver Celtic ring to mark our silver wedding on my left hand and his mother's amethyst and opal engagement ring on my right hand. It's just as well he does the cooking so I've not been able to take them off for decades... They seemed to get stuck there overnight...!!

cornergran Wed 17-May-23 20:19:58

My 1968 engagement ring is still with me and no, wouldn't make any changes. However, for a special anniversary Mr C bought me a ring which could well be an engagement ring. I swap them around. Useful maybe as we have two granddaughters! I had what could be described as an eternity ring on our 50th anniversary. Sometimes wear it with my wedding and engagement rings, sometimes on my right hand with a dress ring or my Mums engagement ring. None of them have been or will be changed in any way, or not by me, can’t speak for those who come after me.

SachaMac Wed 17-May-23 20:29:03

Still wear mine everyday, it’s getting a bit harder to get it over my knuckle but it still fits. I love it and will wear it always.

Dinahmo Wed 17-May-23 20:35:22

I never wanted one, unless it was the size of Liz Taylor's. I have large hands - that's my excuse.

MercuryQueen Wed 17-May-23 20:36:03

We had simple gold bands when we got married. I told dh, who was upset he couldn’t afford an engagement ring, that he could get me one for our 10th anniversary. He ended up buying me a new wedding set just after our 9th. I wear all 3 rings, stacked.

If I could afford it, I’d have the new set adjusted, but not touching the original band.

B9exchange Wed 17-May-23 20:45:47

We had our rings 'refashioned' for an important anniversary. It was a huge struggle to get them off due to arthritic swollen joints, and we were worried what would happen if a finger started to swell and one needed to be cut off. We had them not just made bigger, but the pattern, which had badly worn, put back on as far as possible. We then had them blessed in our local church as part of a service attended by the congregation and our family and friends. Something we will remember for the rest of our lives.

LtEve Wed 17-May-23 21:06:31

My engagement ring(solitaire diamond) was my husband’s grandmother’s, far nicer than we could have afforded when we got engaged. I’ve had it built up as it had worn thin over the last 30 odd years. My wedding ring is 22 carat gold and was my grandmother’s, DH bought me an eternity ring for our 10th wedding anniversary, as he said he’d never bought me a ring before.
I’ve specifically mentioned each of the 3 rings in my will, one to each child.

Deedaa Wed 17-May-23 21:13:09

I've still got the receipt for my engagement ring which we bought in 1970. A very tiny diamond in an interesting setting, although it is 18 carat gold. It was the vast sum of £32 10s. My wedding ring was £8 10s.

Ali23 Wed 17-May-23 21:27:59

I had a simple engagement ring that was more setting than stone but i loved it. As time went by it used to bend out of shape and eventually it broke. I still have it. I just wear my solid old 9ct gold wedding ring nowadays.

DamaskRose Wed 17-May-23 22:04:43

I lost my engagement ring and my lovely MiL bought me one to replace it as DH couldn’t afford to at the time. But I don’t wear it or my wedding ring!

MiniMoon Wed 17-May-23 23:28:34

DH chose and bought my engagement ring from an antique shop. I love it and wouldn't dream of ever changing it.

Calendargirl Thu 18-May-23 06:53:48

It would worry me if I couldn’t get my rings off, as some of you are saying.

Marydoll Thu 18-May-23 06:57:04

I had my wedding ring enlarged for that reason. Now it needs enlarged again, due to my RA.

Juliet27 Thu 18-May-23 07:09:09

dragonfly46

No wouldn’t change mine - I love it and had it for 55 years.

Same here!

Auntieflo Thu 18-May-23 09:16:22

No, I wouldn't change mine for all the tea in China!
It's a solitaire diamond, with built up shoulders, at least, that's what the jeweller said.
DH and I went up to London to choose a ring in 1960.
Once, I thought I had lost the diamond, and searched high and low. I eventually found it in the pocket of a jacket that I had been wearing, and had it put back.
I have said, in our wills, that it should go to our daughter.

Blondiescot Thu 18-May-23 11:19:29

Mine's tiny, set in white gold, but I wouldn't change it. It was what we could afford at the time, but it's the meaning and the sentiment attached to it which matters to me, not the monetary value. My son spent an absolute fortune on his now ex's engagement ring - money down the drain.

DanniRae Thu 18-May-23 12:22:02

Calendargirl

It would worry me if I couldn’t get my rings off, as some of you are saying.

It would worry me too!

GrannySomerset Thu 18-May-23 14:07:41

My engagement ring was a copied Victorian half hoop set with three cornflower blue Ceylon sapphires, costing 25 guineas in 1961. Along with the rest of my jewellery it went in a burglary and we spent part of the insurance money on a replacement with two rather nice diamonds as well as three sapphires not quite the colour of the originals. I wear it every day so that any other burglar can’t take it!

Aveline Thu 18-May-23 14:10:27

Blimey how do you 'enhance' a £140,000 engagement ring?!

Norah Thu 18-May-23 14:18:39

Aveline

Blimey how do you 'enhance' a £140,000 engagement ring?!

I wondered the same. That would pay for my home!

Norah Thu 18-May-23 14:22:42

DanniRae

Calendargirl

It would worry me if I couldn’t get my rings off, as some of you are saying.

It would worry me too!

Same. I'd be quite upset if I couldn't remove my wedding band before I shower, damp under a ring irritates flesh, imo.

J52 Thu 18-May-23 14:28:36

Mines a solitaire diamond, which I would not change, if choosing again. For our 20 anniversary DH bought me a diamond eternity and I wear both every day.
I’ve been fortunate to have inherited a few beautiful family rings, all of which could be considered engagement rings, but I only wear them on my right hand for special occasions.
All four GDs will inherit them.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 18-May-23 14:37:41

I never had an engagement ring of my own, as they are not commonly used in Denmark, so my Danish fiance never thought of giving me one.

I have my grandmother's solitaire diamond, my mother's replacement ring, as her engagement ring was stolen on the evening of my christening. She had taken it off to do the washing up,gone in to sit down in the sitting room and didn't miss the ring until the dog came in with a piece of someone's trouser leg in her mouth!

I also have a ring which I treasure that a great-aunt left me, and one of my paternal grandmother's as well, so I wear them in rotation, as the mood takes me.

Shelflife Thu 18-May-23 14:38:37

Had mine for over 50 years . Would dream of changing it. Wear it all the time - unless I am in the pool!