The exchanging of wedding rings on your wedding day is a symbolic tradition with many different meanings behind it. It is also a way to identify as a married person and show the rest of the world your commitment to each other.
People will have different thoughts and opinions on wedding rings, for some they will hold great meaning and others may even choose not to wear a wedding ring throughout their marriage.
Whatever your personal opinions may be, knowing when to remove your wedding ring after separation and deciding what to do with it can be a conundrum and will probably be different for everyone.
When to Take Off Your Wedding Ring
There is no right or wrong answer for this. Some people will take their wedding ring off as soon as they are going through a rough patch with their partner and others may wait until they are officially divorced. It really depends on your own thoughts and preferences.
Some people will keep wearing their wedding ring long after they have divorced. This may be because they do not want to draw attention to the fact they have separated, they may not want friends or colleagues to ask questions, it could still hold some fond memories for them, or they may simply feel comfortable and used to wearing a band on that finger.
Healing and recovering from separation is a very personal journey that needs to happen at your own pace. It will completely depend on the relationship you had, the reasons why your marriage ended and how amicable the divorce proceedings are. Whether you throw your wedding ring away in spite or continue wearing it for years after your divorce, there is no prescribed way of dealing with when to ditch the ring.
Once you have made the decision to take off your wedding ring (and any other rings such as an engagement ring or eternity ring) you may be wondering what to do with them.
Keep reading for 7 ideas on what to do with your wedding ring once you are no longer wearing it.
What to do With Your Wedding / Engagement Ring
#1 Continue to wear it
If you feel comfortable to still wear your wedding ring, then you should not feel pressured to take it off. Some people are not ready to remove their wedding ring for some time, perhaps not until they meet someone else or enough time has passed for them to recover from their divorce.
#2 Wear it on a different finger
If you are ready to take your wedding ring or engagement ring off your ring finger but would still like to wear it, perhaps wear your rings on the other hand or another finger. Some wedding bands or engagement rings are incredibly beautiful and can be expensive pieces of jewellery that it would be a shame not to wear.
#3 Wear it on a necklace
An alternative to moving your rings to a different finger would be to put it on a chain and wear it as a necklace.
#4 Make it into something else
Jewellers can make incredible items out of old jewellery now and your wedding band or stone from an engagement ring could be re-fashioned into a completely new piece of jewellery that you can continue to wear or pass down the family.
#5 Pass it down to your children
If you have children, it might be a nice idea to keep sentimental jewellery to pass onto them. Whether they keep it to remember their mother or father or decide to use it themselves when they propose or tie the knot will be a matter for them. If you have particularly valuable rings, antiques or family jewellery then it is sensible to keep them in the family.
#6 Tuck it away somewhere safe
If you are not ready to part with your wedding ring/s completely, then store it somewhere safe in a box. Most people have memory boxes full of photos, cards and memorabilia which is nice to look back on from time to time. Ensure that the ring is kept inside a sealed box to avoid any damage.
#7 Sell it
Lots of people are comfortable to part with their rings once their marriage is over. It may be worth selling your wedding ring for its value in gold, selling it to a private jeweller or selling it online via eBay or local selling sites. It is worth having it valued by an expert first so that you know what to expect.
Legal Advice on Divorce & Moving Forward
If you are going through the process of separating and need some legal advice on divorce and finances, then please get in touch with our specialist family team.
Alternatively, if you are already separated and need some help finalising the financial and property aspects of your divorce, want to update your will, buy yourself a new property or put in place a pre-nuptial agreement before getting re-married, we can also assist with these areas.
Call our team on 01256 844888, email enquiries@lambbrooks.com or speak to our online chat assistant who can take your information and arrange a call back from one of our family solicitors.
Other Articles You May Be Interested in Reading:
Introducing a New Partner to Your Children
Secrets for Coming to Terms With Divorce
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.