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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?

Amalegra Sat 20-May-23 12:23:39

I’ve had three engagement rings. Two resulted in marriage. The first from my first marriage when I was very young I kept for sentimental reasons (to remind me of my young, silly and too hopeful self!) until it was stolen along with other jewellery. My second, from my long term marriage which ended in divorce, is around somewhere although I might have lost it! The third, from a difficult relationship I decided not to continue, was given to a charity auction for the homeless where I hope it raised a good amount as it was expensive! So my engagement rings, along with my expectations of another, have changed considerably!

Grandma70s Sat 20-May-23 12:17:58

I should add that I never had an engagement ring, as we were never engaged. We just got married. My husband did buy me a couple of pretty rings later.

Grandma70s Sat 20-May-23 12:15:55

I no longer wear my wedding ring. It’s abit too small now. But I like to wear a ring even though I’m widowed, so I wear my mother’s wedding ring, which is actually a bit loose. It’s platinum, which looks rather like steel or tin to me, not pretty at all. My son also had a platinum ring, but he lost it and now wears his wife’s grandmother’s ring of ‘old Polish gold’.

00mam00 Sat 20-May-23 12:13:53

When we got engaged, I had fallen in love with a beautiful amethyst ring in a pretty gold setting in an antique shop, but dh refused to buy me a ‘second hand’ ring! So I ended up with a plain little sapphire ring the same price as the antique one, I have never felt the same about it and rarely wear it.

TerryM Sat 20-May-23 12:08:15

I have wedding , engagement and eternity rings. All which of which sit quite happily in my jewellery box . Along with my father's wedding ring , my mother's wedding ring, my grandmother's ring and also my great great Aunt's watch from the 1930's.
No daughters or granddaughters here.
My husband doesn't take his wedding ring off , even for his MRIs, his surgeries. Lol mine is just rarely on

BlueBalou Sat 20-May-23 12:06:03

I’ve recently had my wedding ring melted down and changed into a plain band and my engagement ring enlarged and completely redesigned. I hadn’t worn either of them for years but couldn’t afford to get them made bigger.
The original ones had a ‘holey’ design so very difficult to enlarge more than once (they were first done 20 years ago?)
At least now I can wear them but it’s getting used to doing so again!

jocork Sat 20-May-23 12:05:47

When I got divorced I moved my engagement ring to the other hand. I love the ring but can no-longer get it off as my right hand fingers are fatter! I sold my wedding ring and some broken and unwanted chains in order to buy a new chain for the cross I was given by my grandfather as a 21st birthday present. I wear it all the time so eventually the chains give out, but thankfully I've never lost the cross!
I can't imagine altering my ring as I love it just as it is!

Ladyleftfieldlover Sat 20-May-23 12:00:11

OH and I were engaged on 1 May and married on 29 May. (We were going to live overseas) OH thought we weren’t going to be engaged for long enough to be entitled to a ring! So we went halves on a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring. My fingers are too large to wear it now. I had to have my wedding ring (he paid for that!) rebuilt with extra gold a few years ago. I had to have it cut off a few years ago after damaging my shoulder and my whole arm and hand swelled up. I have an eternity ring which OH bought after our first baby and a Ruby ring, bought for our Ruby anniversary.

4allweknow Sat 20-May-23 11:53:16

My ring is platinum and gold. Wedding ring was 9 ct gold and unfortunately wore the 18 ct in the engagement ring shank. Had to have the gold part of the shank replaced but the marvellous jeweller kept the platinum setting intact. My husband bought me a new wedding ring, the original has engraving in it.

GrammaH Sat 20-May-23 11:25:14

Alas, I have - I have a new one although I don't think of it as my engagement ring. I lost my original engagement ring 5 years ago whilst sea swimming I Croatia. I was heartbroken, it took me ages to come to terms with it. I've now got a very pretty ring, same stone but an entirely different setting. I'm very fond of it but it's not the same.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 18-May-23 14:46:52

No I wouldn’t change mine as the surprise gift of an eternity ring after our first child is made from Cornish gold with emeralds to match the engagement ring of emeralds and diamonds. (I’m Cornish)

I only wear them when going out, but the wedding ring is never off my finger. It was heavily patterned but has worn smooth over 50 years as it is 18 carat so soft.

I gave an Aunts engagement ring to my daughter which has 3 diamonds and rather nice i thought. I also have my paternal grandmothers wedding ring which is very heavily figured and heavy.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.