the mother of all *bling*

This is my newest and loveliest piece of bling ever...even better than my engagement ring. That’s because it IS my engagement ring—revamped. When I took off my ring for the last time before my divorce, I knew I couldn’t part with it. My divorce was not hateful and spite-filled. I didn’t hate my ex-husband (and still don't). It just fell apart and we couldn’t put it back together. It was the saddest time of my life. About a year later, I felt ready to do something to show my remembrance of what I once had with my husband joined with my hope of my future and being able to make it on my own. I married him when I was in my early twenties and started dating him even earlier, so I really hadn’t been “on my own” so to speak. Now, in a townhouse that I bought for myself and my feline five, I’m forging the way into the future and feeling like I have no clue what I’m doing. Some days I know exactly what I want for my present and future. Other days I just long for what I used to have. That’s what this ring represents. I had it made at Devon Fine Jewelers, in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Nancy Schuring, the owner, is the absolute sweetest person, and is an long-time friend of my family. I took my engagement ring and wedding band, which I had soldered together, and brought them to her to see what I could do with them. The result was selling the platinum setting, putting the small diamonds in my safe deposit box, and using the center engagement stone to build around for a new setting. I chose a Christopher Designs setting, which had just arrived at the store. With some help from Nancy and her team, I turned my tear-stained past into a blooming future. I am so happy with this ring. I think it was the right thing to do. I am still in contact with my ex-husband and consider him a good friend. Especially because the center stone that I used in this ring belonged to his grandmother, I didn’t feel that pawning the diamond was the right thing to do. He is and will always be a part of me, and so will the stone. Now it is set in a new and more brilliant setting. To me, it says, look at me. Look at who I was, who I am, who I will be, and who I have always wanted to be. It’s absolutely gorgeous and draws my eye to it with every movement and glint in the sun. It’s perfect.