A new trend is growing among divorced women around the world. Instead of throwing away their engagement rings or keeping them in a box, many women are turning them into new jewelry called "divorce rings."
Deb Marino, a 34-year-old blogger from Florida, is one of these women. She did not want to throw away or hide her engagement ring because it reminds her of her daughter. Instead, she spent $3,000 to remake her ring. The new design has the diamond from her old engagement ring on one end of an open circle, and a new sapphire representing her daughter on the other end. She wears it on her middle finger.
"Getting rid of my engagement ring would have suggested a regret I don’t feel," Marino said. "I didn't want it locked away in a box. Diamonds are precious."
Jewelers say more and more women are doing this to celebrate a new chapter in their lives. The trend is part of what fashion pages call "hot divorcee summer," which is about freedom and confidence after a breakup.
There are also financial reasons for this trend. Selling old engagement rings usually only returns about 30% of the original price. Remaking the jewelry is often a better investment.
Kate Daly, co-founder of the UK divorce service Amicable, explains that buying or remaking a ring can also show financial independence. Divorce is very expensive and stressful, so making a big purchase alone is an important step.
"If a woman decides to buy a new ring, it is a sign that she is making her own financial decisions," Daly said. For many women, it is the first big spending decision they have made on their own in a long time.