Heirloom Engagement Ring Question

BrandieandPatrick

We just recently got engaged and he proposed with his grandmother's ring. The ring is much too large for me and we will have to have it resized. The problem is there is engraving in the ring from when his grandmother had it reset for their 25th wedding anniversary. The jeweler told us that it can't be saved or redone because the band has been worn thin. I feel like I'm destroying a treasure and I don't know if maybe there are other options. I can't continue to wear the ring with the bar though because it continues to fall off.

amys325

Is having the diamond reset into a new setting an option?

J&K10910

Can you take the stone(s) out and have them reset?

MyUserName1

What about getting the ring re-shanked and saving the old shank with the engraving?

It probably needs to be re-shanked anyway if it has worn thin from age.

J&K10910

Haha, shanked.

MyUserName1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_heirloom-engagement-ring-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:40884f4f-fb62-4064-866e-673e50d8e8e0Post:9add51be-3fad-478c-ad4d-dc520530113e">Re: Heirloom Engagement Ring Question</a>:
[QUOTE]Haha, shanked.
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

<div>I giggled internally every time i recommended that to a customer (:</div>

LDYGTR13

I have my grandmother's ring and we had a similar issue, but when her H died, she moved her rings to her PINKY so it was super tiny. They were soldered together and had one part of the engraving on one ring and the other on the other. Clusterfuck thats what it was.

Anyhoo - my family told brian that since it was our ring and it had to be done, that it wasn't a huge deal. Making a change to make it mine was okay. I'd talk to him about it, I'm sure his family already knew that there'd be sizing that would need to be done. They might not see a big deal.

PinkRoseAcct

What about having it reshanked (LOL) and then re-engraving it with the same words?  Or, if space will fit, her quote and a quote for you?

annakb8

I think having it reshanked and saving the old shank is a good option. 

Also, someone in your FI's family gave him that ring so that you could WEAR it, so I don't think it's wrong to do what is necessary to make it wearable for you. I think that would be understood. 

BrandieandPatrick

Thanks everyone. His family is defiantly okay with anything we decide to make it fit me, but I just felt like history was being lost. I'm defiantly going to look into having it reshanked.

Natrasha

Is there a way to get a good picture of the engraving? Maybe a local photographer would be able to take some really close detail shots for you and his family? I have a heirloom e-ring as well, and I would feel guilty if I had to erase some of the history. But having a picture of it would make it easier.

Of course, as PP have said, the purpose of it is to be worn by you, so whatever needs to be done should be done. It would be much worse to lose it if it falls off!