I did it. Or, I should say, I am doing it! Last week I brought my diamond wedding band (technically an “eternity band”) over to a local jewelry store for an updated insurance appraisal and a much-needed cleaning.
“What are you going to do with your ring?” the sales associate asked me, aware that I am divorced and no longer wear it. “Maybe turn it into a necklace?”
“No,” I shrugged. “I am thinking about auctioning it. I will have more flexibility that way.”
I know well that by selling my wedding ring at auction, I can command a higher price than if I sell it through traditional means. In the past, I have repurposed jewelry into new pieces, including the engagement ring from my marriage. My mom did it for me in honor of my fortieth birthday. On a summer afternoon about a month before the big day, she took me to her favorite jeweler and together we designed a pendant, which I now wear around my neck almost every day.
I had always thought just the “rich and famous” auctioned jewelry and that auction houses only accepted the rarest of diamonds for sale.
Although my mom covered most of the cost, I did trade in the platinum setting and surrounding diamonds so I could contribute a portion of the total price. But I was always skeptical that the deal I had made was a good one. Would I have been better off selling my engagement ring as it was and then purchasing the piece of jewelry I wanted?
At the time, I didn’t know an online auction house even existed and could help customers like me. I had always thought just the “rich and famous” auctioned jewelry and that auction houses only accepted the rarest of diamonds for sale. But after learning about Worthy and hearing all of its success stories from thousands of happy customers, I thought, “Why not give it a try?” After all, I have nothing to lose. If I don’t like the price the ring fetches at auction, I am not obligated to accept it.
While I waited patiently at the store for my ring, I looked around at all of the exquisite jewelry sparkling in the cases. I did try on a diamond necklace, just not one made from my diamonds. I viewed a few other pieces that caught my eye as well, including a vintage, rose gold and diamond chain. My mind wandered. New jewelry would be a well-deserved gift for me.
Five years ago, it was me who was on the block – the chopping block – when after more than 16 years of marriage my husband left me.
Of course, there is my portfolio to think about, including the contribution to my IRA that I need to make by year-end – a gift that will keep on giving for years to come. Or the upgrades to my professional website that I have been putting off, improvements that will help grow my business further and ultimately pay for those IRA contributions plus so much more. And then there is that grad school class I have had my eye on for a while.
Five years ago, it was me who was on the block – the chopping block – when after more than 16 years of marriage my husband left me, altering my forever. My eternity band, a gift from my husband after the birth of our third child, has been sitting in a drawer ever since. Ironically, I wore that ring for a little longer than the period it spent afterward collecting dust and doing nothing for me. Three years ago I went back to work. I think it is about time my ring does, too.
Stacey Freeman is a writer and blogger from the New York City area, a divorced single mom, a lifestyle editor at Worthy.com, and the founder and managing director of Write On Track, LLC, a full-service consultancy dedicated to providing high-quality content to individuals and businesses. A respected voice for divorce issues affecting both women and men, Stacey has been published in The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Town & Country, The Huffington Post, xoJane, Scary Mommy, The Stir, MariaShriver.com, The Good Men Project, and various well-known platforms worldwide. Stacey is frequently called upon for her expertise and insights on the divorce experience and has repeatedly been quoted in The Huffington Post’s divorce vertical. Stacey holds her B.A. in English, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University at Albany and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law. Email Stacey today at [email protected] or call 800-203-1946 for a free consultation and proposal. For more information, visit www.WriteOnTrackLLC.com.
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