Divorce FAQ

Divorce rings are becoming a popular accessory for people who went through a rough time with their divorce. Some people may find it a bit insensitive to offer such an accessory, marketed for people who went through something as serious as a divorce, but some people see it as a way to celebrate how they survived the tough times. Some people simply want to celebrate the fact that they are now unmarried.

Back in 2001, former Corning employee Harold Thompson was going through a tough time. He had just been laid off from his job, is working at a Walmart to make ends meet, and has just been divorced from his second wife. He got to talking with former Corning colleague Mary Burden (who had also just been laid off) who said "You know, there are rings for high school football, anniversaries, rings to show you're single or married. But there are no rings for a divorce." Thus, the idea of the Divorced Ring came into fruition.

Thompson's initial design idea was a thick gold band with a notch or a break in the middle and three short white gold bands on the side. The three bands symbolize the year you met your ex, the year you were married, and the year you got a divorce. Thompson (who vows never to get married again) wears his on the middle finger, a not so subtle symbolism of how many people feel about their failed marriage.

Thompson and Burden started their online company D Jewelry Co. which was based on the idea that one can still put a positive spin on a heartbreaking event such as a divorce. Their slogan says it all: "Building self esteem one person at a time". Thompson's design was patented in 2006.

Still, some people think that the symbolism of a divorce ring or a separation wedding ring is a bit too negative. There is, after all, a big difference between a jewelry that says "I'm divorced" to simply saying "I'm available". Some prefer to repurpose their wedding rings by taking it to a jeweller, having the ring melted and turned into a different kind of jewelry.

Others have a more graphic and macabre way of dealing with it, such as buying a wedding ring cofffin, which is a coffin-shaped ring box. Some see this as a more fitting, solemn way of mourning the relationship.