What to do with your wedding ring after your divorce

It took me a long time to take my wedding ring and engagement ring off after I separated from my husband. Finally taking it off meant that I was accepting my marriage was over and I wasn’t ready for that – taking the rings off felt very symbolic and final.

Your engagement and wedding rings are symbols of love, commitment and a future filled with hopes and dreams. They become part of your identity – identifying you as married and part of a couple.

Going through a divorce is the second most stressful event you can experience in your lifetime and taking off your rings may or may not be a difficult part of that process. It can be particularly emotional if divorce was not something you wanted. It reminds you of broken promises.

There’s no ‘right’ time to stop wearing your rings. Some people do it as soon as the relationship has ended, others wait until the divorce is finalised and others continue to wear it even after their divorce. Don’t be swayed by what anyone else thinks – do what feels right for you.

Deciding what to do with your rings might depend on how you feel about them and your divorce, but here are some ideas of what you can do with your rings:

1. Buy yourself a new ring to signify your love for yourself – I was lucky enough to be able to afford to buy myself a beautiful pink sapphire and diamond ring that I absolutely loved and still wear today. I didn’t wear it on my left hand initially, but it felt good to have a stunning ring to wear that symbolised the start of my new life. I showed myself that I was worth it. You can fund the new ring by selling your engagement and wedding rings.

2. Pass it down to family – save it to give to your children if you have them, otherwise another close family member for when they get engaged or married.

3. Repurpose it – you can have it redesigned into another beautiful ring, a necklace or another piece of jewellery. There are jewellery designers that specialise in this.

4. Keep it – you don’t have to get rid of it until you’re ready to. It shouldn’t lose its value. Mine is still in a cupboard but I feel ready to sell it now or have it re modelled.

5. Sell it – if you have no emotion attached to it anymore then sell it and use the money to buy or do something that makes you happy. What have you always wanted to do that you couldn’t when you were married? Use the money to start this new chapter in your life. If you do decide to sell it, you can always take a photo of it if you want that memory.

6. Use it to pay for the legal fees – solictors’ fees can really rack up, especially if your divorce is acrimonious. Having some money to fund them will help to take some of the stress away and ensure that you’re more likely to get what you’re entitled to in the financial agreement.

7. Donate it to a charity close to your heart – charities are always in need of funding and this makes a great alternative to just chucking it in a fit of rage.

There’s no need to make a rash decision about what to do with your rings. Make a decision when it feels right for you.