Advice RE: A New Ring

[bekkiz]

I'm having a tough time here, which is so lame. Like I shouldn't be thinking about 1000 other things, but I'm hoping you all might have some thoughts.

I have a beautiful engagement ring and wedding band. Love them SO much. However, neither of them fit me anymore. Both were tetering on the edge of small before I got pregnant, and then once I got pregnant my hands both swelled up like balloons. The engagement ring came off right away, the band (Which is one 1/4 size bigger) lasted until I was about 5 months along.

I couldn't wait to have the babies for a variety of reasons but I was excited about getting at least my band back on. Well, we're almost 5 weeks post partum, and there's no way that puppy is getting on. Not even close. (and I've lost all the weight except 6 lbs, so I'm not sure why my fingers haven't gone down)

We happened to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, as well as my birthday in the last month, and I asked for no presents, since the babies were pretty all consuming. However, after breaking down a week or so ago in a hormonal mess because I can't get my ring back on, my husband said that we should get me a new one.

Dilemma: Do I get a plain, reasonably priced band as a temporary place holder with the hope that I will at some point in the future get my fingers back to a smaller size (remembering that my rings were already a bit small, but still fit) or do I get a somewhat sparkly new band since there's a chance I'll never get my old rings back on....

I could get my engagement ring resized, but the way my band is made, makes it very difficult to be made bigger. Also, I'm not a crazy diamond fanatic, so either way, it wouldn't be an outlandish expense.

Sorry for the length of this, and the fact that I sort of sound like a spoiled brat, but I would love opinions.

 

[GJM]

After I had my DS I had to get my wedding & engagement rings resized. If you love the rings I would take them to a jewlery store and see what they say about resizing the ring.

 

[DVCLiz]

I'd see about resizing the engagement ring (unless you really do want a new one) and then get a new band.

 

[ReneeA]

I had mine resized about 4 months postpartum. I never thought my hands would go back to their normal size. It didn't take long, and it cost about the same as a thin gold band would have (I considered it just like you are).

I love my bridal set, though, and it would have broke my heart to never wear it again...so we had it sized up - from a 5 to a 6 1/4. I wore them that size for a few years - until after DS was born until about 18 months after DD was born.

I ended up losing more weight than I ever expected (Thank Goodness!) and then had my set sized back down to my original size. I was a little worried about having so much work done over and over to the band, but they are fine.

My vote is to have them sized.

 

[DebbieB]

If they can't be sized, how about getting the stone(s) reset into another band?

 

[Justanopinion]

I say at least talk to your jeweler. He may have options you haven't considered possible.

I didn't get to pick out any of my rings. We had looked and I told him what I liked.

When we got engaged he bought me a 6pt. diamond. He didn't get a set at that time. So the night before our wedding, he tells me he had to get a different diamond(engagement). The band one he picked out is like a ringguard and goes with a 4 pt. I tried it on and it was a little snug although it was the same size.

So I took my original engagement ring(the 6pt.) and had it made into a mother's ring.
And then because during the summer mainly but at other times my fingers tend to swell, I bought a beatiful set from Avon, yep, $10 each. I wear that set when my hands are swelled.

I actually get more compliments on my Avon set than my real set. DH doesn't care what I wear as long as there are rings on my finger. But I also let him put the rings on every time I change them, be it the Avon or real set, he puts them on my finger. He always has some sweet sentiment as he does this like "I would marry you all over again" or "I do". It 's sweet and romantic.

 

[minniecarousel]

I had to have my wedding band cut off! We were able to find a jeweler who was able to resolder it (or whatever they do), and resized. I had lost the diamond solitaire out of the engagement ring, so DH replaced it with an anniversary band.

Don't count out having the wedding band resized. Find a reputable jewelry repair shop and see what they can do. Use the stones to have a new engagement ring made.

I have successfully had my rings resized smaller, too. So they've taken a beating in the last 33 years!

 

[lynxstch]

I say at least talk to your jeweler. He may have options you haven't considered possible.

I didn't get to pick out any of my rings. We had looked and I told him what I liked.

When we got engaged he bought me a 6pt. diamond. He didn't get a set at that time. So the night before our wedding, he tells me he had to get a different diamond(engagement). The band one he picked out is like a ringguard and goes with a 4 pt. I tried it on and it was a little snug although it was the same size.

So I took my original engagement ring(the 6pt.) and had it made into a mother's ring.
And then because during the summer mainly but at other times my fingers tend to swell, I bought a beatiful set from Avon, yep, $10 each. I wear that set when my hands are swelled.

I actually get more compliments on my Avon set than my real set. DH doesn't care what I wear as long as there are rings on my finger. But I also let him put the rings on every time I change them, be it the Avon or real set, he puts them on my finger. He always has some sweet sentiment as he does this like "I would marry you all over again" or "I do". It 's sweet and romantic.

You have a real keeper there!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Get a temp. plain band and then in the interim go to jewelers and figure out what you would like to do.

In fact I have a ring that I would like to do something with. Take out the diamonds and make a new piece.

My mom just sold some "old gold" and got 400.00 for it.

 

[EthansMom]

Your body needs time to recover. You may still get your fingers back down to their original size.

Personally, for a "fancy" ring, DH bought me a moissanite ring last year (about $600). It looks great and no one can tell that it's not a much more expensive diamond.

 

[Michelle67]

I don't think you sound like a spoiled brat. I don't know if you "should" get a simple band or something fancier. I do think that you should get something you like, just in case you never find yourself back to your old size again. I recently bought myself a new wedding ring. Like you, my engagement ring had to come off first, and this year my wedding ring was hurting my finger and had to come off. My husband is in Iraq so he couldn't buy me a new one, and especially with him gone it bothered me not to have the ring on. I bought one exactly like the one I already had, except a size larger. If the weight comes back off again I'll stick this one in the jewelry box and put my old one back on.

I hope you find the perfect solution. Your hubby sounds like a sweetie.

 

[bumbershoot]

My fingers have had some size issues, LOL...while still engaged I wound up with "naproxen poisoning" from taking Aleve, and what caused me to realize that *something* was happening was watching the fingers on my LEFT hand sausage up, go back down, swell back up, back down...back and forth as I watched. (looked at the desk, saw the bottle of aleve, found the list of problematic symptoms (online on their site, NOT on the bottle), and thought "uh oh".

I lost some weight and my e-ring just barely went on.

Got married, got pregnant, swelled back up (I have ALWAYS had swelling issues, even as a preteen, so this was not a surprise).

Lost all but 5 lbs of the weight (and frankly that was mainly in my lactating chest), got the rings back on...then slowly gained a bunch of weight.


I tell you all of this b/c if I'd had my platinum e'ring re-sized each time, well, it would have been a problem.


So I just went without a ring for a good long time, then last year felt weird enough about it that I got a $90 anniversary style band from ice dot com. It's nice, it fits, it's *something* on my hand while I work on the weight again.

 

[NMAmy]

I have no advice--I'm not a jewelry girl and insisted on only a plain gold band which I love.

BUT, I had to pop on this thread and tell you that your babies are BEAUTIFUL! Congratulations!