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Continue ShoppingDivorce and Jewelry
The thought of divorce is full of emotion. The act of going through with it, heart-wrenching.
The way you feel about your engagement ring or wedding set...changes.
This particular type of jewelry, most married women have been gifted with, represented the promise of the future you...and them. Now, the emotions get tangled and a note of despair gets attached.
First thing, take care of your heart.
You will be fine in time.
Take a deep breath.
You are in control now,
...and you have options.
You can keep, or send it on its way.
Okay, let’s get into the bare bones of it. The legals.
The Law
...says “Maybe”, “Most Probably”
With few exceptions, like family heirlooms, engagement rings are considered before marriage gifts that are not eligible as joint property in a divorce settlement. When you know the status of your divorce and you know the ring is yours, here are some options...
That being said, I am not a lawyer, nor have I studied law, please consult if necessary.
With a Grain of Salt
The ring is yours, now what? You have options. But first, if I may, cleanse the energy attached to those rings. I suggest making a ritual out of it, to help you move forward. Here’s a recipe for you.
Easy Jewelry Cleansing Ritual-Salt
Ingredients
Ring/s
Bowl
1 cup Sea Salt or Rock salt (large grains)
Directions
- Pour a bit of salt into the bowl.
- Place your ring/s onto the salt inside the bowl.
- Gently cover rings with more salt.
- Leave until the salt has absorbed the negative energies.
With a grain of salt
Gather your jewelry and clean them with mild soapy water and a toothbrush, gently getting under your stones. Rinse and dry. Find yourself a vessel. It can be a bowl, Dixie cup, whatever. The large grains of salt help keep granules from getting into your ring.
Pouring salt into the bowl as a base layer, place your jewelry on top. Cover your pieces by gently pouring more salt over them. Salt is well known as a cleanser and soaks up the negative energies neutralizing your jewelry’s energy. Leave the jewelry in the salt for as long as you feel is necessary.
Test by putting the ring/s in your palm of your hand, covering with your other palm. Wait a moment... and try to feel the unique energy of the metal and the minerals in your hand. If the vibrations still feel erratic or off in some way, return to the salt. Check daily until clear and ready for a fresh start.
Optional
Divorce Jewelry-Light an orange candle. Orange represents the sacral chakra, giving emotional help breaking down barriers, helping in times of mental breakdown, depression, and divorce. Its the best color for removing feelings like fear of abandonment, and dealing with grief, loss or shock. Feel free to vent or pray on paper. Place the paper under the candle for the duration of the ritual. Burn the paper when finished.
Keep or Send It on Its Way?
Keep
As Is
Keeping rings from a divorce usually results in them sitting in a jewelry box. You could wear a single ring as a right hand ring, but it does come across as you have not moved on from that relationship if it is obviously an engagement ring like a solitaire.
Re-style or Custom
You may wonder what happens to jewelry in a divorce. No longer an engagement ring. Cleansed of negative energy, it’s ready for the next step.
Restyling can be as simple as turning your ring into a pendant. or changing the center stone. Usually the stone/s are removed from the mounting and set in a new piece. Your choices are numerous. An already made setting meant for your size stone is cost effective. Another option is to collaborate with a jeweler to make something special with you in mind. You’ve already got the stones, so putting the money into a quality, personalized piece of jewelry can be an uplifting experience.
Heirlooms
There are beautiful rings passed from generation to generation. You’ve been blessed with a wonderful child to bestow your jewelry to. They may wear it themselves or gift it to their life-partner. These tend to be rings from healthy relationships rather than divorce. Every situation is different. Long time in the family, amiable ex vs. important only to you, influences bigger relationship issues, etc.
Send it on its Way
This usually means selling your wedding rings. Having additional cash flow at this time can be more beneficial for your transition. However, be aware you will never get what was paid for it. One caveat being, if it is still under a sales return policy, this sometimes means a trade-in rather than money. Have your jewelry appraised to give yourself an idea of value when you decide to move your ring on. Understand there are different values for the same item depending on the need. Sentimentality rarely has a monetary value. Metal and Mineral do to some.
Pawn
This can be a temporary option. Pawn shops are in the business of making money. They charge high interest rates and give low offers (60-70% true value) for loans. Be careful of pawning heirlooms, there is the chance of not paying the loan according to contract, making it difficult to get your jewelry back. They are sometimes interested in buying your jewelry straight out.
Jewelry Store
This is the most convenient option. Jewelers vary in the formulas they use to buy from the public. Go to a few different places to get the best offer. Jewelers will either re-sell or dismantle your jewelry, using the stones in a different project and refining the metal. Your gold ring may be 14K which is only 58.5% pure gold, or 18K being 75% gold, keep that in mind if you see gold pricing. Diamonds do not carry a high mark-up value because they are already priced high within the industry. Why pay you more than what they can buy it for on their own? I will say, many can be caring and helpful in appraising the value of your jewelry and listening to your story. There are reasonable offers out there.
Public
This is potentially the most lucrative option. After getting your jewelry appraised and scoping out prices of similar pieces. Try selling online to the public. If someone is interested, its possible you both win. They get a ring they want for less than they’ll pay at a store, and you get more $ than what a store potentially would offer you.
In the end, it’s your decision. Do you want it? Can you emotionally keep it?
All the best to you in your journey!