What does your mom's engagement ring look like?

[madelise]

Aprilbaby, that is very, very sad.

Can you offer to buy it off of her? Just so you can have the sentimental stone? Or replace it with another half carat for her grand daughter?

 

[Bluegemz]

Aprilbaby, I too think it might be worth trying to get the diamond if it helps heal . I'm just shocked by how completely insensitive she is about this. It's really kind of ruthless in an ugly way. You can decide that maybe it's not a battle worth fighting, but if it deep down irks you, then maybe you should try your best to get it. After that, it's out of your control and it may be easier to let go since you tried your best. Have you expressed to her how much it means to you? I know that you asked for it, but have you told her about how sad it makes you not to have it? Could it be that she isn't aware of the full emotional memory connected with it? Just wondering....I imagine that she MUST know that but then again, sometimes people are clueless about really obvious things and we are best served to communicate thoroughly so that there aren't faulty assumptions.

 

[Mayk]

My mom's ring is around 2cts tension setting. It's around 34 years old. I don't know much about the band.

 

[pearaffair]

My mom's ring is around 2cts tension setting. It's around 34 years old. I don't know much about the band.

I *love* tension settings!!!

 

[elizabethess]

Mom's ring is the same one she was given 50 years ago! I believe it's .5 ct, set in white gold, 4 prongs. Very thin (1.5-1.8mm?) flat band, no doming. No ornamentation and the wedding band exactly matches thickness of ering, which I think looks pretty chic and timeless It's IF or FL, not sure which. She never takes it off, but over the winter I finally managed to talk her into it so I could give the stone a good scrub--I don't think she's ever cleaned it, beyond whatever happens when she washes her hands or showers! Was able to get a good peek at it. Table is pretty big, and it looks spready... so, leaning more towards white brightness. Def. couldn't find any inclusions myself, even under magnification She always says Dad told her "It's not big but it's perfect!" and while that's not a benchmark *I* prioritize, she is proud of that fact

 

[Phanie]

My mom's
Circa 1967
18carat white gold ( with palladium or something of this nature because it never needed playing/dipping)
Huge finger coverage but teeny diamonds !
She gave to me for my 30th birthday.

 

[naivemelody]

My mom is the epitome of class and her ring has always been my definition of a tasteful and classic engagement ring. She has an emerald cut with tapered baguettes in platinum. Never changed it, never takes it off, never said what size it is, but I'll be crass and guess maybe close to 1.5ct. I did think of her set when choosing my own solitaire and plain band, and I hope never to change my rings, like her!

 

[partgypsy]

My mother's engagement ring was a 1/2 carat or less round diamond, in classic platinum solitaire setting. I believe the stone came from her side of the family, and my Dad bought the setting. It's in a safety deposit box so I haven't seen it in forever. Both my mom and her mom (grandma) shared a love of jewelry. There are a couple other family rings in the safety deposit box; another diamond ring, and a sapphire and diamond moi et toi ring.

 

[Matthews1127]

I agree

Unspeakable. Why would she want it? No offense to your mother...just to be clear...but what would wife #2 want with a diamond (or anything, for that matter) that was given & meant for wife #1? Quite frankly, she has no rights to it! That stone belonged to your mother...and it now belongs to you! That's UNSPEAKABLE! What a witch! I'm so sorry, but that, to me, is unforgivable! You deserve to have what belonged to your beloved mother. I hope you find a way to get it from her...

 

[Matthews1127]

My mother never had an engagement ring; my parents were actors, and had very little money. They were married with two, thin, yellow gold bands, in 1963. My mother wore her band until my father died, in 1981.
After his death, my mother inherited my Great-Aunt's RB solitaire in YG. She wore that ring on her right hand, and a beautiful, large tourquise stone set in silver made by Navajo in Arizona, on her left (my brother gave it to her). The tourquise ring is currently in a safe, at the family jewelers; I need to make arrangements to pick it up for her. She has Alzheimer's, and is not permitted to wear jewelry, where she lives, so I now hold all of the heirloom pieces, plus all of her costume jewelry.
I know nothing of the Diamond, as a Cert was not passed to her with it, but I intend to have it appraised. I'm curious to know the specifics, and will include that info in future posts. It MUST be dated around circa 1900-1930, somewhere....
I understand the "love for bling must skip generations" phenomenon. My G-GM was a huge jewelry person. My GM & my Mother were not. I am OBSESSED with jewelry, and I have passed that on to my daughter. lol!

My EC is 1.07ct, so I imagine the RB diamond must range in size/weight between .75-.90ct??

 

[rubybeth]

My mom's original engagement ring was a pearl solitaire. It was stolen in a house burglary in the 1970s. She didn't wear it since it was so delicate. She was wearing her original wedding band so still has that, but it doesn't get much wear these days (my parents have been married for 45 years). It's yellow gold, very wide (I'd guess 6mm or so), with small diamonds. She let me photograph it a few years ago. It fits me quite well and I've told her I want it (it doesn't fit my sister and isn't able to be sized, so I think I will end up with it someday).

For her regular daily wear, she just wears a yellow gold channel band with maybe .5 ctw and a narrow 1mm engraved band. She has some birthstone stacking rings (aquamarine for her mom and peridot for herself/my sister) for her RHR. I should maybe try to get some photos of those. Original wedding band below.

 

[elizabethess]

Unspeakable. Why would she want it? No offense to your mother...just to be clear...but what would wife #2 want with a diamond (or anything, for that matter) that was given & meant for wife #1? Quite frankly, she has no rights to it! That stone belonged to your mother...and it now belongs to you! That's UNSPEAKABLE! What a witch! I'm so sorry, but that, to me, is unforgivable! You deserve to have what belonged to your beloved mother. I hope you find a way to get it from her...

Me too. What a nasty woman she must be

Am I misreading AprilBaby's story? I read it as after her mom passed, then Dad gave the setting to sis and re-set the stone to propose to new wife. Step-mom wore it until dad passed away. I 100% appreciate the sentimental value to AB, being that it was originally AB's mom's stone, but Dad is the one who chose to propose to step-mom with it, and to step-mom that stone symbolizes her e-ring given from her late husband. Wouldn't it hold some sentimental value to her, too? Why 'nasty'?

I'm not saying it isn't super sad, though. Esp. since sis got to keep the mom's setting (sans stone). That really sucks, AprilBaby.

 

[heididdl]

My profile is my mom's engagement ring. When she passed I inherited it. Her original engagement ring was a 2 carat RB which my dad had made into a pinky ring. Then he bought her a 10 karet G IF EC she never wore it it was to big she said . So they sold it and she had this cut for her. She wore it till she passed. How lucky am I. 3.66 GIA H color eye clean si1

 

[Matthews1127]

My profile is my mom's engagement ring. When she passed I inherited it. Her original engagement ring was a 2 carat RB which my dad had made into a pinky ring. Then he bought her a 10 karet G IF EC she never wore it it was to big she said . So they sold it and she had this cut for her. She wore it till she passed. How lucky am I. 3.66 GIA H color eye clean si1

 

[bleu]

My dad proposed to my mom with his mother's round brilliant (not sure how big, somewhere under a carat) in a setting he designed. It's yellow gold, with pear-cut rubies on either side. They have never wanted to upgrade, for sentimental reasons, but a few years ago they added two eternity bands with alternating diamonds and rubies to her stack.

They share a love of gemstones and jewelry and have designed many of my mom's pieces together in the 30 years they've been married!

 

[RetroTreeGal]

Original wedding band below.

Oh my gosh I LOVE your mother's band!

 

[junebug17]

Love this thread, all of these rings are so special and beautiful…

Matthews, the ring you posted is so pretty! It looks to me from the pic that it might be an old European cut or a transitional…lovely stone!

 

[rubybeth]

Oh my gosh I LOVE your mother's band!

@RetroTreeGal I love it, too! I used to think it was so weird and had never seen anyone else with a ring like it. I need to ask for more details about it, I think it may have been custom made.

 

[Matthews1127]

Love this thread, all of these rings are so special and beautiful…

Matthews, the ring you posted is so pretty! It looks to me from the pic that it might be an old European cut or a transitional…lovely stone!

Junebug....
I believe you may be right. The time frame in which it would have been worn indicates it just may be an OEC. It may date back too far to be a transitional, but I'll find out as soon as I can...I'm growing more and more curious...lol! I have a few pieces that I need to have analyzed because they are heirloom pieces with no paper trail. I'll be certain to share them with you, once I get the details.
Thank you, Junebug, for your kind words; my mother ADORED that diamond because she was named after her Aunt (Nancy), and my GM (Nancy). After the stone is evaluated, I believe I will name her "Nancy". That stone was also the only real engagement ring she ever wore, so she cherished it. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I made certain to secure her valuables, including that ring, to make certain it was never lost. I know it would break her heart to lose it. The band had been enlarged to fit over her arthritic knuckle, so I can't wear it. Perhaps, some day, I'll size it down. For now, it remains my mother's perfect fit.