Would you/ did you buy a second hand wedding ring?

[MonChoufleur123]

We got married during Covid - tried to rearrange the reception 3 times and ended up just having ourselves and witnesses at the registry office, no celebration allowed. At the time I used my grandmother's ring which has huge sentimental value. We said after the pandemic we'd get 'proper' rings - then the cost of living crisis hit! Most of our savings for the wedding are long gone. I've seen an eternity ring I really really love on Vinted. It's higher spec than I'd be able to afford new, so unusual looking but really 'me'. Would you buy it - or wait a few more years to try to build up savings to buy something new? Have you bought a second hand ring? I feel weird about a ring possibly being taken off someone's hand after they pass away and sold. Am probably overthinking this but it's such an important, symbolic purchase.TIA!

Yes - both. My engagement ring was an antique bought at an antique fair & my wedding ring was from a jeweller being sold secondhand.
DH & I have been together for 24years so far.
The price of new rings is insane.

I'd go for the second hand jewellery every time.

I work in antiques/jewellery and I see someone nearly every week who is trying to sell their engagement/wedding/eternity band from a failed marriage. It's so sad to tell them the rings they spent over £5k on may only fetch £500 as a second hand ring. Like a pp said, .75ct rings for £000s in jewellers is crazy and modern cut stones and settings can be really boring whereas an antique cut diamond looks like it has an individual character.

My engagement ring is a diamond and ruby art deco three stone ring. It cost £2k from auction and It's been valued at over £15k for insurance.

One of my eternity rings was bought for £210 at auction, it is modern and still it had the original paperwork and receipt. It cost the seller over £2200 just 3 years before from Goldsmiths.

I'd always advocate second hand jewellery

My engagement ring was second hand. We had looked through 14 different shops. Decided to give up and go have an early dinner when we found 1 last jewelers there was what became my engagement ring. Dh outright asked if it was bad luck to have a 2nd hand engagement ring the jewelers replied it depended on if dh believed in such things be as far as he was concerned jewelery was made be used and admired.

Its been on my finger for 28 years now so I don't think it was bad luck. It cost us £250 I had it repaired (one diamond had come loose) and the band strengthen about 5 years ago that cost £300 😄

@claracluck1978 so interesting thank you! Where would you find out about auctions to buy second hand please? Are they online or do you have to go in person? Thanks!

@romdowa would love to see a pic if not too outing! Sounds 😍

I would recommend looking somewhere like Easiveauction.co.uk

They act as an online host, like eBay, for dozens of uk auction houses.

Or let me know which region of the uk you are in and I'll recommend some auction houses!

Easyliveauction.co.uk I mean

I wouldn't buy a second hand one. I just don't want to wear a ring that was a symbol on someone else's finger? I want to be the first and only one to have ever worn it.

I don't mind a less expensive ring or a cheap ring if that's all that's affordable. I just want to be the only one to have worn it.

I also would wear a family heirloom though, as long as someone in the family used to wear it or it belonged to them. I just see wedding rings as a meaningful piece of jewelry as I'm a sentimental person and I like the memories it brings me when I look at it.

My partner on the other hand got a ring from a pawn shop because he needed a bigger size. He's much more practical than I am.

My wedding ring was my grandma's and it makes me happy every time I look at it. My engagement ring was found in the 70s by my MIL on the floor of a Post Office. She handed it in to the police but got it back when no one claimed it. She said it never felt like hers so she gave it to my husband when he said he was proposing. It's my dream ring: an art deco solitaire 😍

Husband's wedding ring is from 1912 and we found it in an antique shop in Birmingham.

We love giving old objects new life. Even my wedding dress was an original 1950s piece.

That is an amazing story! Would love to see a pic of your Post Office ring too @TheBirdintheCave 😍