It’s a tricky and very personal decision.
Admittedly, wedding rings can be very expensive. So is divorce. It’s not an easy decision. Some people feel a sense of emotional integrity that forces them to toss their ring into the ocean. Others put it in a drawer and ignore its existence.
Here are a few suggestions that Brentwood Jewelry shares with clients and friends:
Give it to the kids.
You may have lost that loving feeling, but your children haven’t.
They see your marriage as the beginning of them. Your union no longer has the same meaning for your life, but it certainly means a great deal to theirs. Save the ring/s in a safety deposit box, have it appraised, or just keep it close by and hand it over to your first born on an important holiday. Or save it for the first kid that gets engaged!
Sell it online.
Most jewelry stores like Brentwood Jewelry have gemologists that can appraise your jewelry. Likely, however, they may not want to buy your ring for a variety of reasons, including the market rate for your gem and metal. Your best bet is to sell your ring after divorce online through eBay, Craigslist, or your local buy-sell-trade. Often there are new apps that come up that sell or barter for pre-worn jewelry.
Donate it to a charity that makes you happy.
Do you feel like you don’t want to have anything to do with the past? Donate your ring! Many nonprofits host auctions or take up donations year ’round. Get an invoice that states the worth of your ring for tax purposes and write that sucker off!
Repurpose it.
In some cases, women have taken their original diamond or band and repurposed it. Take it to your local jeweler (such as Brentwood Jewelry) and work with the designer to come up with something creative that symbolizes the start of your new life. Change the setting and easily switch a solitaire into a pendant necklace! A recent article in the New York Times followed the story of two women after their divorce and their journey into a life of single living. Each woman had a “divorce ring” constructed to represent their new path.
Another option is to take your ring after divorce and remove all the stones and place them in a necklace that has more stones added where the original diamonds are just some of the bunch. Each stone could represent the many stones in a person’s life path. And just for fun, add another big precious stone to make it all new!
Read the Small Print First!
Each state has its own rules to decide whether wedding rings are viewed as marital property (property that belongs to both spouses and is subject to division between them) or separate property (property that belongs separately, to only one spouse). If the couple’s shared finances contributed to the purchase of the rings, they may be considered marital property and therefore, eligible for distribution between the spouses during divorce. Read more hear from DivorceNet.com.
Read more about jewelry style, design and trends at the Brentwood Jewelry blog.