Divorce rings had a surprisingly long history, going back to at least 1877, but our changing acceptance of divorce has led to a growth in the demand for divorce jewellery. 

In 1990, a newspaper addressed the problem of ‘millions of unwanted wedding rings gathering dust or out there doing the rounds, having been recycled again and again by failed couples’. The solution was a divorce ring, worn to advertise the fact that you’re back on the market. The innovation here was the use of seven gemstones: Diamond, Iolite, Verdite, Opal, Ruby, Citrine and Emerald – spelling out DIVORCE. The idea of acrostic jewellery went back to the 19th century court of Emperor Napoleon but this offered an intriguing new twist. 

Wedding and engagement rings are exchanged at moments of great happiness for most couples and carry a huge symbolic weight. The wedding ring, made of lasting materials and in the shape of an endless circle, has been a symbol of marriage since antiquity. Engagement rings also have a long history and jewellers like De Beers have taken the idea of eternity as part of their marketing efforts. 

However, unlike a diamond, a marriage is not always forever, and choosing what to do with the engagement and wedding rings can present an emotional, legal and etiquette problem. 

Divorce rings from the late 19th century, when they are first mentioned, and the first half of the 20th century focused on ideas of grief and rupture. The divorce ring was also an outwardly facing object, a way for a woman to communicate her new marital status as a divorced rather than married woman or spinster. Although some rings brought the promise of new beginnings, the majority were of dark, mourning colours or featured symbolism such as cut or interrupted circles, broken arrows or hands turned away from one another. 

Re-imagining the divorce ring

More modern divorce rings have a very different feel. Divorce is now much more common and does not have the same association with fault on the part of the divorcing couple. Divorce can now happen merely because the couple no longer wish to be married and does not require any cruelty or infidelity. Divorce jewellery can be a way to take a sad event and turn it into the sign of a new beginning. 

Cincinnati Magazine, April 1982

The positive imagery of the divorce ring was the key feature of a design from America in 1982. According to the Cincinnati Magazine, John Wheeler and Michael McClure supplied a ‘Divorce Ring’ in the shape of a broken ring with a small connecting rod. They explained that ‘divorce is not just an end but a new beginning’. The break in the hoop of the ring echoed earlier divorce rings but the connecting rod brought the broken ends together as a sign of repair. 

What to do with your old wedding ring? 

Divorcing couples’ views on the fate of their wedding jewellery often reflects the state of their relationship. For some couples, the marriage was a chapter of their life – one which came to an end but which was fundamentally positive. For others, if the marriage ended with a betrayal of some kind or with bitterness, the rings are a lasting and negative memento. Although throwing the rings away or destroying them can be appealing and cathartic, transforming them into a beautiful and wearable jewel is a way to reclaim them and move onto a new phase of life. 

The emotional weight of wedding rings can be seen in the statements made by divorced people on many social media forums. 

A Reddit thread from 2025 showed a range of responses to the question of what to do with the rings: 

• I kept mine on my keyring as a reminder to make smarter relationship choices in the future.Years later, on a honeymoon cruise with my lovely new wife I threw it into the sea as a symbolic way of putting it behind me, felt great!

• I pawned my wedding ring. It was kind of a bitter divorce and I didn’t want any remembrances.

• Such a powerful question—rings carry so much emotional weight. I’ve seen people do everything from tucking them away in a drawer “just in case” to melting them down or donating them. I turned my ring into a new piece of jewelry to symbolize a fresh start. If you’re unsure, it might help to ask: Does keeping this help me move forward, or hold me back? There’s no wrong answer—just what feels right for you at this moment.

• Mine are sitting in a drawer while I decide what to do with them. Right now I’m leaning towards having the diamond re-set in a different ring. Or I might start wearing it again because it’s really pretty and I paid for it myself. It would be a commitment to learning new things ring.

• I drew a pic of what I wanted. Left my engagement ring and 5 or 6 other gold rings with my jeweler. He melted it down and created a ring exactly like my drawing. A simple heavy band, diamond mounted in the center with four white gold smooth prongs holding it in place. The prongs are shaped like small triangles. It’s simple and beautiful. It began as a 1990’s very high solitaire.

The respondents veered between an urge to destroy or dispose of the ring and a feeling that it still had value, whether financial or emotional and that it would be possible to re-imagine it.

Celebrity divorce rings

Model Emily Ratajowski found social media fame in 2024 when she had her toi et moi engagement ring, set with a substantial baguette and princess cut diamond, remodelled into two independent rings by jewellery Alison Lou. She explained that ‘the idea of divorce is a separation, so it was always going to be splitting the ring into two separate but complementary rings.’ 

Remodelling an existing ring can be a way to keep a jewel which is valued but may have too many painful associations to retain unchanged. 

Emily Ratajkowski with her remodelled engagement ring (Photo: courtesy of emrata/instagram.com)

Model Brooke Nader followed suit with a ring repurposed from her engagement ring. She told People in an interview:

“Why should guys have all the fun? This is my divorce ring—a nine-carat offset pear on a simple gold band—that I designed with my longtime jeweler, Ring Concierge. It’s my way of celebrating the next chapter of my life. Women deserve to buy themselves something fabulous just because, so why not a sick divorce ring?”

References

The intriguing history of the divorce ring

What to do with your old wedding ring, Rachel Church, Times, 11 March 2024. https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/wedding-ring-divorce-ring-times-luxury-z6knv3pxm

“I Wear It On My Middle Finger”: Inside The Booming Market For Divorce Rings, Laura Hawkins, 16 January 2026 https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/divorce-ring-trend

Divorce rings are the new celebrity bling – but Drake did it differently Sumnima Kandangwa, Feb 11, 2026 https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3343045/divorce-rings-are-new-celebrity-bling-drake-did-it-differently

Why Divorce Rings Are Becoming the Ultimate Statement Jewelry: As divorce sheds much of its old stigma, jewelry has followed suit.  Rachel King, Jan 28, 2026 https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a70077236/divorce-rings-celebrity-jewelry-trend

‘It’s my F-you ring’: why divorced women are transforming their wedding jewelry. Amy Polacko, 4 March 2026 https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2026/mar/04/women-wedding-ring-divorce-jewelry