Stories

Mon, 06 Jul 2026

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 'I wear it on my middle finger': The rise of the defiant divorce ring

Around the world women are marking their split with new - or repurposed engagement - rings.

* Deb Marino spent $3,000 (£2,245) resetting her engagement ring into a new design featuring diamonds set in gold on one end and a sapphire representing her daughter on the other.
* Ceri Evans bought a £3,000 diamond ring as a "declaration of independence" after her divorce.
* Alex Proie, 31, from Pennsylvania, picked up her new ring two weeks ago made from the gold and diamonds in her five-year anniversary band, which she had designed to illustrate life's highs and lows.
* London jeweller Lylie has found growing interest in turning engagement rings into new items. The trend is seen as a way for women to mark their financial liberation and independence after divorce. Some women are also choosing to keep their old jewellery and give it a new life, rather than selling or storing it away.