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Writer's pictureBert Levi

Is It Okay to Use a Pre-Owned Engagement Ring?




Vintage engagement ring with sapphires and diamonds

You might be surprised at how often people come into my showroom with that question. There is something truly incredible about a vintage ring. People love the old-world craftsmanship, the timeless style, and the character. I stock a great many vintage engagement rings, and I love them. However, many people who wouldn’t hesitate to wear a beautiful art deco necklace or bracelet will balk when it comes to an engagement ring.


Why?


For some people, the idea of wearing a ring that commemorated a different marriage is hard to take. This is especially true with recent vintage rings because their availability suggests a marriage ended unhappily. If you propose using a ring from the 1990s, for example, you might feel like you’re asking to be jinxed with whatever ended that previous marriage. There is a great deal of superstition in that thinking but superstition can impact future behavior. If you feel strongly about it, you should definitely get something different.


For others, it is a matter of tradition. Just as they want the groom to wear a tuxedo and the bride to wear a white gown, they want a new ring bought by the groom. That goes right back to the original point of an engagement ring, showing the bride’s family that the groom can provide for her. Whether or not the original reason survives, the tradition does. Apart from a family heirloom with special meaning, they’d no more want to see a vintage ring than they would want to see a wedding gown of yellow and purple polka dots.


There are a few reasons people give for being unsure about using a vintage ring for an engagement ring. If those reasons are important to you, you’ll probably want to go with something new. Remember above all else, though, that this is your engagement, your wedding, and your marriage. You’re entitled to get the engagement ring that makes sense to you.


If you’re in the market for an engagement ring, we’d love to help you with something vintage or with something new. Just give us a call. If you’re looking for an engagement ring in San Diego, why not drop by our showroom in La Jolla? You’ll be glad you did.

 

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