Shortly afterwards I broke it (it was made of glass – what was I thinking?!) What to do now?
I ended up putting my wedding and engagement rings back on – seeing the dent was too much. It was preferrable to see the rings. Fate has a funny way of intervening and doing its thing. When meeting a friend at a large shopping centre I happened to walk past Swarovski who were having a sale. There was a perfect ring, shaped in the evil eye (a long association with Cyprus made this especially relevant). I bought it.
Brilliant job done. No more dent, wedding ring and engagement ring put away!
But what to do with the engagement and wedding ring now? Sale value was outrageously low, I have 3 girls but didn’t feel these rings represented happiness, which is what I would like to pass on to them. What to do? A friend suggested I see a local jeweller who re-designed old jewellery. I ended up having pendants made for my girls which they received on their 18th Birthdays. Something to treasure - and out of an unpleasant experience something made with love to replace it.
My girls keep on at me to take the ring off my wedding ring finger “mum, you’re never going to pull if you keep that on!” But for now, it is also my safety net. It’s there to ward off unwanted attention and a talking point if I do meet someone I want to get to know better.
There are many different things you can do with your rings – there is no right or wrong. I am so pleased I was able to have mine re-modelled. You have to do what is right for you, but there is no rush. Take your time, explore the different options, and take the one that feels right to you.
To begin with it felt like a noose round my neck. In the end it became a hugely fun project; the girls got involved in the design. It doesn’t have to be expensive or a chore – it represents a new beginning for me and something beautiful to pass on to my girls.
