What’s the story behind your Wedding/Engagement/Rings/Bands?

[TPC]

All wedding rings have a story.

Some girls wear their grand mothers or late mothers, some couples pick them out, some surprised each other. Some hit the pawnshop.

What’s your story?

We helped a stranded Lake Mead boater at sundown once. He gave me his business card and said he’d hook me up with a big discount from Tiffany’s. “No one ever gets a discount” he added.
That’s true.

Some years later I took him up on it and he followed through. Bought Alice’s wedding ring at a big price break.

Alice got mine at a different store and her deal in Las Vegas was interesting.

The ring she wanted to give me was $2700 that she ground down to $2100.

The sales girl mentioned that couples buy rings on a Thursday, have their weddings with all the pictures and close ups so they buy the most photogenic. After the wedding they often take advantage of the return policy return the rings and get simple $100 bands instead.

The jewelry store sells the returned rings at huge discounts.
She paid $600 for it.

Theirs a huge mark up in jewelry
What’s your story?

 

[TrollerDave]

My dad was into jewelry. I’m not. He passed when I was 16 so it had all this jewelry just sitting in my underwear drawer. When I got married, we had my wife’s ring made with all the diamonds from my dad’s rings. My wife’s dad passed away a year before we got married. We asked jeweler to take her dad’s ring and melt it into her ring. He said they only use new gold to make jewelry. He was supposed to make it into a pendant for a necklace. I think he got too stoned and sold her dad’s ring with the rest of the gold from my dad’s stuff.
My ring is just a white gold band. It shrunk though.
I just got a silicone band to wear because of working with my hands, don’t want to lose a finger.

 

[DWC]

No huge story. I bought a Jeep CJ5 with a 4 banger for my DD. It had 33’s, small lift kit and only a Bimini top. One weekend my future father in law helped my drop a small block in it. A trip to pick a part and a bunch to auto parts stores we were done. Ended up selling it for $3,500 cash to by my wife’s engagement ring. Some guy from East LA bought it for his GF. (Dude paid in 20’s) Not sure how she drove it. The clutch was like doing 200lb, one leg presses. It was a work out driving it in traffic. 30 yrs this October. Think it was the right decision

 

[samsah33]

No huge story as well, had a friend in the biz, so the wife got to design hers. Got it appraised for 40% more than what I paid. I recall thinking if I have to do it again, I'll just pick it since the wife really got into the 4 C's and picked grades above and beyond what I would have picked on my own... I did get her some matching earrings a couple years later that she ended up losing; 2023 is 20 years & the woman is a saint, thinking time for earrings again...

 

[Crazyhippy]

My wife is a serious space cadet. Works for NASA, builds satellites and such (fortunately for me, she has horrible taste in men!). Her ring has a piece of Gibeon meteorite embedded in it. Legit rock (metal) that existed before earth was created.

She doesn't normally wear it, as the meteorite oxidizes (rusts) pretty easily. So bought her a simple solitaire in platinum to wear day to day.

My ring is titanium, inlaid with pieces from a bourbon barrel. Super cool, but not the most impact resistant thing in history. I take it off before doing most things. Have a silicone band, but only wear it on the boat.

 

[H20 Toie]

Since i was such a dumbass i went out and bought a big ass rock that she managed to lose ( yep should have got insurance )
so second one was a fake one that looked like the original but only cost few k
i got a basic titanium band that broke

 

[Desert Whaler]

My Mom had saved my Grandmas wedding ring for Me to use as an engagement ring for when I found 'The One'.
When my Mom passed away, My Sister (who's married) swiped that ring.
So that's the excuse I use for why I'm still single !

 

[Orange Juice]

I had mine, after the divorce, made into a clitoral ring, and gave it to my girlfriend.

 

[coolchange]

Wife’s ring is very small and simple, I designed it. It has a beginning and end. Not traditional obviously. And it has 4 small sapphires. Wife’s stone, and she had 2 kids from a previous marriage, so there was four of us. The diamond I bought from a diamond dealer friend. It’s only, I think . 48, good color and vvsi or vsi, don’t remember, but old. Unique cut. When she has it cleaned the jewelers always comment, where did you get this? No one has cut like this for ages.
I put an interior In the diamond guys boat, may have been part of a trade, been a long time.

 

[attitude]

I started looking for a ring after we had our second kid, I found a ring I really liked at a big box jewelry store and used that as my basis in style and price. A couple weeks later my step dad asked me if I wanted to go to his buddies jewelry store to look around while he bought my mom a present for Christmas. I walk in and tell his friend that I recently started looking and show him the picture of the ring I liked, he pulls out a ring he just made that is almost identical to it. We make a deal about 40% under the asking price which ended up being thousands less than the box store ring I liked and it came with a band.

I didn’t expect to find a ring so soon so I had to quickly plan a trip and set up a place to propose, some of the inmates unknowingly helped me plan that trip. Our first engagement anniversary is the 27th.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Engagement ring, 1st stone had 4 fingers...and ended up at the bottom of the pool at USC. Took ring in, had 6 claws welded to it, and a new stone.
Up until 6 years ago, my wife never had a proper "wedding set".
That year I'd hustled some money, built a steel building with a friend. Took my cut, and a sketch to a local jeweler I'd heard good things about. Had a white gold set made, with more coin than the 20yo me could dream about. I crinkled it up in tissue paper, and stuffed it in a big Mason jar, gift wrapped it as a Christmas gift. She was surprised, to say the least. Some day her first one will be offered to one of my boys if they choose.

My daughter has first dibs on my grandmother's platinum band with opal. It's from the 30's, and the stone came from family that mined it a century ago. Very simple, not a large stone or ornate setting.

After losing my finger, my white gold band stays on a stainless chain around my neck. Not a lot of history really, just ours. Important history to me, just a simple band to look at.

 

[25Elmn8r]

No big story behind the wifes first ring, we were young and just getting things started. I went down to one of the jewelry marts in Santa Ana and had a ring made. I knew what cut of stone she wanted and a general design. I took a couple different ring designs and combined them. Good stone, just not very big. 10 years later we went back and had a new upgraded ring made. Much bigger stone and a bit better quality.

My original ring was just a gold band. It's all I wanted. Wife surprised me with a new ring on our 15th with a 2 tone tungsten band.

Crazy timing for this thread, gave her that ring and asked her to marry me 29 years ago tomorrow. Even crazier, the next day she tells me that she thinks she was pregnant. Yep she was, that sped up the wedding plans. Less than 4 months later we got married, and 4 months to the day from our wedding we had our baby girl.

We're celebrating 32 years together tomorrow.

 

[C_J_J_C]

My mother's wedding diamond (Father upgraded at 15 years) put onto an engagement band that took me multiple trips to LA Diamond district to find the right one. The wedding band was a $99 afterthought from Robbin's Brothers a day before the wedding.

She took her engagement ring off to clean and care for babies and eventuality lost the engagement ring around year 5. She still has the wedding band.

 

[Paradox]

Got married in my 20s many years ago. Didn’t have much money so I ended up buying a decent 1.4 Ct. solitaire at a pawn shop in Beverly Hills on lay away. Took me 4 months to pay it off. Last payment, I took my wife with me and had her wait in the car. Proposed right there once I got back. Not too romantic but, still on her hand after all these years..

 

[Clank123]

We were married at 19 (45 years this year).
My Dad was a CHP that died when I was 17 from complications of a roadside fight (blood clot got him 3 days later). Didn’t have much money of course, so I used the diamonds and gold from a couple of his rings and had a family friend jeweler make an interlocking engagement/wedding ring out of it. Came out great.
My wife got me the standard gold wedding ring.
I was a beer truck driver at the time and just about tore my finger off when it got caught on a keg handle so add that into the machining and mechanical work I did…I quit wearing it.
Fast forward 30 years, wanted to surprise her by wearing it at an anniversary dinner and it wouldn’t go over my busted up knuckle.
So I went out in the shop and cut a piece off an 1 1/8th prop shaft off a capsuled K Boat that I had re-rigged and made one on the lathe. It’s only .040 thick and polished up great and weighs nothing. Hardly tell you have it on and it’s been over 10,000 RPMs!
She liked it so much, she wanted one and then my daughter and daughter in laws wanted one. One of them is a nurse and it’s cool cause she can wear it with gloves.
Anyway I’ve made about 15 of them for friends and family.

 

[monkeyswrench]

We were married at 19 (45 years this year).
My Dad was a CHP that died when I was 17 from complications of a roadside fight (blood clot got him 3 days later). Didn’t have much money of course, so I used the diamonds and gold from a couple of his rings and had a family friend jeweler make an interlocking engagement/wedding ring out of it. Came out great.
My wife got me the standard gold wedding ring.
I was a beer truck driver at the time and just about tore my finger off when it got caught on a keg handle so add that into the machining and mechanical work I did…I quit wearing it.
Fast forward 30 years, wanted to surprise her by wearing it at an anniversary dinner and it wouldn’t go over my busted up knuckle.
So I went out in the shop and cut a piece off an 1 1/8th prop shaft off a capsuled K Boat that I had re-rigged and made one on the lathe. It’s only .040 thick and polished up great and weighs nothing. Hardly tell you have it on and it’s been over 10,000 RPMs!
She liked it so much, she wanted one and then my daughter and daughter in laws wanted one. One of them is a nurse and it’s cool cause she can wear it with gloves.
Anyway I’ve made about 15 of them for friends and family.
View attachment 1190462

I love the fact you are also a jeweler, and of course the chosen material. Yes, rings can be dangerous, mine only caught the one time. Not so much a problem anymore
Completely horrible about your Dad...but wonderful you've been married for 45 years.

 

[Teague_JR]

I ground mine off with a disc sander after catching her in San Diego with another man.. then followed up with some laser removal. There’s still a scar, which is appropriately symbolic.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I ground mine off with a disc sander after catching her in San Diego with another man.. then followed up with some laser removal. There’s still a scar, which is appropriately symbolic.

View attachment 1190466

Damn, right to the abrasives! I would have gone for a pair of Knipex myself

 

[Socalx09]

My engagement ring is my grandmas. It’s a rose. My fiancé upgraded the center stone. It’s a very unique setting. Actually, I was reading that vintage and floral rings are going to be the “trend” this year. I do wear it, but I am extremely scared to lose it. It’s irreplaceable since it was my grandmas. I’m wondering if a company can replicate a fake one so I can just keep the real ring in the safe.

As for the wedding band- I just went in last week to pick up a bracelet and saw a band I liked that was in the price range my fiancé talked about. So I got it without him there. He still has to go in for his band, but he will most likely get a simple white gold band.

Word of advice for family jewelry. Keep it in the family. We have had jewelry leave our family due to divorces. Now there is a “rule.” Family jewelry stays in the blood. For example, if I have a son, the ring should go to his daughter if he has one and not his wife.

 

[propcheck]

You guys have way better backstories than me. My wife picked a ring In a catalogue I bought it. Ten years later a friend partially devolved his ring finger at work, then her ring caught on the lat pull down bar at the gym and now we have silicone work bands 5$ for four on eBay and we live happily ever after.

 

[HBCraig]

My Mom had saved my Grandmas wedding ring for Me to use as an engagement ring for when I found 'The One'.
When my Mom passed away, My Sister (who's married) swiped that ring.
So that's the excuse I use for why I'm still single !

Mine is similar to this. My grandma passed in 1978. I used her diamonds to make a ring and proposed in 1996

 

[GreenEnergy28]

Simple... Wife wanted a ring, I didn't want to get married so I explained that a boat would be better. She agreed. Later, she wanted a ring again, but a motorhome to take the boat out on trips would be better. Once again, she agreed. Finally, after a few years she started pressing hard so it was my turn to give in. Took her to the jewelry exchange and she picked out the ring she wanted. When we went to pay for it she started asking me why she was stressing out about the amount of money we were spending on her ring. My response of course was, because for this amount of money, it should have a fucking engine in it!!!
My ring was $29 from an online store.

 

[81Sprint]

Got engaged on a roof top in Sorrento Italy while on vacation. It wasn't planned, but I felt the timing was right. Got home and took her straight to the jewelry district in downtown LA, let her pick it out with one stipulation. I am only buying one, so get exactly what you want. She did, way more than I expected to spend but 15 years later she still loves it and no talk about replacing it. I picked out a titanium band, which I lost in the river by pirates. Replaced it with another cheapo tungsten band for less than a hundo, jewelry is not my thing.

 

[spectra3279]

Flushed down the shitter where it belongs

 

[Nordie]

We both had already been married so there was nothing really special. We were at the outdoor mall bumming around one day and walked into Zales. Spent the next couple hours of her trying on rings and such and picking everything out.

She ordered a nice ring for me, but it didn't show up in time for our wedding so we got a $20 special from Amazon, that ring is more important than the more expensive one she ordered for me. I wear the expensive one if we got out, and I have 2 Amazon tungsten specials that I wear for my day to day stuff.

 

[TPC]

Flushed down the shitter where it belongs

I know that feeling.

 

[Echo Lodge]

Not my ring.... But I have a funny story. It's February, cold, but the sun is out. I pulled into Fox's and park the boat. I am adjusting the mirror on the boat when the set screw falls out. I put on a heater top and dive into the 50 degree water to try and retrieve it. No luck.

A guy in the dock comes up to me and ask if I could help him. He said he dropped his wedding ring the week prior and pointed to an area next to the dock. No I didn't ask him why he lost his ring at Fox's a week ago. He said he would pay me $100 if I could find it. I said no worries, I was already wet and cold, I would try. I dive down and immediately find it. It's a big old gold ring. Guy is super stocked. Pulls out a hundy... I said no, all good.... Just buy me a Carey Drink and we are good.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

I’d rather be single than married. I dont go near jewelry stores.

It’s apparently an industry fighting to stay relevant by perpetuating the myth that you can’t be happily married without dropping some coin on shiny metal and sparkly rocks that only have “value” because of how shiny or sparkly they are. What a crock.

Spend the money where it matters. Give her some plastic surgery upgrades after a couple kids.

 

[attitude]

I’d rather be single than married. I dont go near jewelry stores.

It’s apparently an industry fighting to stay relevant by perpetuating the myth that you can’t be happily married without dropping some coin on shiny metal and sparkly rocks that only have “value” because of how shiny or sparkly they are. What a crock.

Spend the money where it matters. Give her some plastic surgery upgrades after a couple kids.

Have you priced out a mommy makeover lately? I know someone who got their wife one not to long ago, 25k! The ring was a lot cheaper lol

 

[f12517]

I designed and made mine and my wife’s rings. Both are custom one designs with no molds made of them. They are platinum and 18k gold. Mine has yellow diamonds set into the platinum and white diamonds set into the gold. Hers has a round center stone with princess cut diamonds set into the sides of the ring

 

[CarolynandBob]

Silicone band from Amazon. 8.99

 

[mash on it]

Flushed down the shitter where it belongs

Hmmm, gay and atheist?


Dan'l

 

[spectra3279]

Hmmm, gay and atheist?


Dan'l

Nope. Just a bad end to a 14 tear marriage. Won't do it again.