In recent weeks, model Emily Ratajkowski has popularised the term ‘divorce ring’, generating excitement about an emerging jewellery trend.
Ratajkowski recently showcased two diamond rings fashioned from stones originally in an engagement ring from her ex-husband, Sebastian Bear-McClard.
Fans praised the model for her willingness to acknowledge an otherwise taboo subject in divorce publicly. Ratajkowski said she considered the idea while reading her friend Stephanie Danler’s essay in The Paris Review.
“The rings represent my own personal evolution. I don’t think a woman should be stripped of her diamonds just because she’s losing a man,” she told Vogue.
“[The Unravelers] includes the story of her grandmother’s snake ring — a ring that is made up of the different stones from her various marriages. I loved the idea of a ring unabashedly representing the many lives a woman has lived.”
While social media soon reflected excitement about this emerging trend, others have been quick to suggest that it’s not a new concept.
Jeweller Rebecca Klodinsky, the co-founder of The Prestwick Place, said that Australian women have been remodelling rings after divorce for many years.
“This is definitely not a new trend. Women have been liberating themselves and repurposing their engagement rings for a really long time; the sentiment has never really received any attention until recently,” she told Nine.
“It’s something that’s been happening for a long time but hasn’t been made public and will continue for a lot of people in that way.
“Kudos to Ratajkowski for being so open. She’s obviously drawing a line in the sand and ready to move forward publicly, but I don’t think most women are that open about it.”
In August, Jeweller published a report investigating the influence of celebrities on the jewellery industry. The report attempted to determine whether or not these trends impact consumer purchasing decisions.
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