Since My Divorce

Selling Your Engagement Ring: A Guide

2025-04-22T15:53:23Z

After your divorce, you have probably been left with an engagement ring you do not know what to do with. And perhaps you have considered selling your engagement ring. If so, where do you even start?

Selling an engagement ring after a divorce can bring up a whole lot of feelings – some may be positive, others very likely negative. But if you do sell your ring, you definitely want to get the best deal possible and not get ripped off in the process.

In this article, we’ll look at the experience of selling an engagement ring if you decide to do so. You’ll get an understanding of how to sell and where to sell, plus what to expect during the process. Finally, I’ll explain why I recommend Worthy.com as the best place to sell your engagement ring.

Where You Can Sell Your Engagement Ring

If you are looking to sell your engagement ring, there are a number of different types of places where you can do so. These can include local jewelry stores, online auction services like eBay, pawn shops and consignment stores. They each offer different benefits and drawbacks. Let’s look at some of these options now.

1. Your Local Jewelry Store

It is possible and even likely that you have a local jeweler you already like and trust. Maybe you’ve bought jewelry from there before or have even sold a piece back to them. Having someone you trust to sell your engagement ring to is always a good thing. And you can probably unload your ring this way pretty fast.

But there are significant drawbacks to this method. Brick and mortar jewelry stores can have a lot of costs associated with them: rent or a lease on the property, carrying inventory, staff costs, advertising. All of this has to be taken into account when they consider what price to sell their jewelry for.

As a result, this will all be taken into consideration when deciding how much they would be willing to pay you for your engagement ring. They will try to increase the margin between their buying cost and the price they sell at as much as possible to help meet the overhead and still earn a profit. As a result, you likely won’t get a very good price for your ring.

2. Pawn Shop

There is one major advantage to selling your engagement ring at a pawn shop: speed. You can definitely get cash for your ring fast by going to a local pawn. But, the chances are they you are going to get far less cash in exchange for your diamond than a local jeweler would even pay.

If you need cash in a pinch, then dumping your diamond at a bargain-basement selling price may be worth it. But in any other circumstances, you are at the very least likely better off going to your local jewelry store.

3. eBay

Selling your engagement ring online can be a good option for most people. eBay is one way in which you are able to do this. However, despite your likely familiarity with the eBay auction platform and may even be a frequent user, there are also significant downsides to selling your ring on it.

One significant problem you will face is that you will have a lot of competition. Many people will be attempting to sell their diamond ring alongside you, which drives the selling price down for everyone. As a result, you likely won’t get the best price for your jewelry.

Further, eBay has been known to be a target for some sketchy and scammy people. Worse than being underpaid for your diamond is being completely ripped off and losing the entire value of your ring. While this obviously doesn’t happen all the time, it can be a real possibility that you should look to avoid.

All of these places can be viable ways to sell an engagement ring for different people in different circumstances. But there are pros and cons to each that you should consider. Later in this article we will look further into why Worthy remains the best way for you to sell your ring.

How To Sell Your Engagement Ring

As with most things in life, it’s best to have a plan in mind when you sell your engagement ring. This plan should generally involve the following steps:

Get Informed – You won’t know what a good price for your ring is if you don’t get the relevant information first. One nearly essential piece of information is a GIA Diamond Grading Report. There are competing reports you could get instead, as well as other places where you can get the value of your diamond appraised.
Investigate Your Options – Once you have the information you need, it’s time to see what your options are as a seller. Likely there will be plenty of jewelry stores, consignment shops, or pawn shops near you where you can sell your jewelry, or you can go online to a place like eBay, instead. See which option is best for you.
Consider Your Offer – When someone offers to buy your ring, you will need to decide if the price is good enough for you to accept. If not, you may want to seek out other options or even hold onto the ring for the time being. But if so, you can move ahead with the deal and sell your engagement ring for a satisfactory price.

This is generally how it works to sell your engagement ring. The actual selling process will vary by place – pawn shops will be fastest, the other options will take more time but likely yield you a higher cash payment. Decide which option is the best bet for you.

What Is My Engagement Ring Worth?

Most likely you are not in the jewelry retail business. As a result, you likely won’t be sure how much your engagement ring is truly worth. Of course, in reality it’s worth the highest price someone is willing to pay for it.

In order to have some sense of what your ring is worth you will need to have it appraised. It is even better to get an official grading report like the GIA report mentioned above. This doesn’t tell you the final price you will sell your ring for, but it does give you a ballpark estimation as to how much people may be willing to pay you for your ring.

There are a number of factors that affect the price of the diamond ring. These include:

The 4 C’s
- Clarity
- Cut
- Carat
- Color
Shape
Polish
Fluorescence
Symmetry

Each of these factors will likely have some degree of influence over your diamond’s value, especially the famous 4 C’s. These are the factors jewelry appraisers will look for, as will an organization like GIA when they are creating their report.

Why Sell Your Engagement Ring with Worthy

Worthy was created to help people just like you sell their engagement rings without the drawbacks that come with the other options. The idea is to sell your jewelry fast, safely and securely, and transparently all while getting the very best price possible in the market.

So what exactly is Worthy? Worthy is an online auction platform where you can sell jewelry like engagement or wedding rings, diamond earrings, luxury watches, gold, and more to a hand-selected network of the best jewelry buyers for the best price.

Worthy is extremely careful with your jewelry, which makes them trustworthy and safe. Shipping and insurance is covered for your diamond ring, or gemstone up to $100,000. The seller gets a free GIA Diamond Grading Report of the diamond and has full control over the floor price of the sale of the item. You even get paid within 24 hours of the sale!
The internet is full of great reviews of Worthy’s auction platform from happy customers. Some of these reviews can be found on Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, and Sitejabber.

If you are interested in selling your jewelry, you may want to hop over to Worthy’s website now to check out how the engagement ring selling process works and get started selling your engagement ring today.

3 Ways To Be Fearless After Divorce

2021-06-28T19:59:12Z

You may have had big, fearless plans for yourself after divorce.

But here you are now. Still in the same old job. Stuck in the same routine.

If you still feel stuck, longing for the confidence to make some big changes in your post-divorce life, keep reading!

These three simple tips will get you feeling fearless and ready to take on the world after divorce, no matter how much you aren’t trusting yourself right now.

Strategy #1: Reflect On What Is The BEST Thing That Will Happen When I Do This?

Ever notice how when you think about doing something new and bold after divorce, something stops you?

The moment you start thinking about taking bold action, that inner voice–whether it’s your own insecurity, the sound of your ex-husband, or even your annoyingly practical family–gets louder and louder:

Are you out of your mind?

What if you get kidnapped?

It’s soooooo annoying when your inner voice shoots down your fearless idea.

Expect for this to happen A LOT when you take bold action after divorce.

But instead of giving in to the catastrophizing, replace it with the “Best Case Scenario” mindset.

Replace “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” with “What’s the best thing that can happen?”

I got a lot of crap after divorce when I quit my stressful male-dominated job in defense to go travel through Asia and Russia for four months.

I got it from older male supervisors who were “concerned for my safety” because they “reminded me of their daughters.”

I got it from my elderly parents in the Midwest who “didn’t want me to be in financial trouble.”

And I got it from friends who were scared I would end up dead in a Cambodian jungle.

When you get pushback, remember this one thing:

Don’t give in to the insecurities and anxieties that other people are projecting onto you.

Don’t let the past narratives that “you don’t deserve it” cloud your dreams today.

Focus instead on all the stuff that is going to come your way by taking the bold action.

If your disillusioned friend is warning you about dating again, shift your focus instead to how fun it will be to meet new people.

If your family members are telling you that “you can’t just up and quit your job this close to retirement,” shift your focus instead on your financial picture and how you can make it work.

Remember–if you continue to think of only the bad stuff, you’ll never move on after divorce.

The bad stuff is just past narratives—the same ones telling you that you don’t deserve to be happy or that you should feel guilty or you should care what people think.

And if you let those narratives win again, you’ll continue to feel stuck.

METHOD #2: Take One Tiny Step To Your Goal TODAY

Have you ever had a dream that you never did anything about?

It may be losing 20 pounds to better manage your arthritis.

It may be finally getting the courage to call your sister out on her passive aggressive comments about how you wear your hair and makeup.

It could be finally quitting your job and travelling for a few months through Italy.

These lofty dreams stay unreachable because we get too overwhelmed when it comes to starting them.

But when you break those dreams down and start with the simplest step, then setting a deadline to get that step done, momentum starts going.

What is the absolute first step–no matter how small–for you to take today?

If your fearless goal is to quit your job in two years to go paint the hell out of some wild flowers in New Mexico, plan the first small step you can take to get to that dream.

That could be just Googling “the best place to live as an artist in New Mexico” and reading about it for 30 minutes instead of looking at Facebook

If your fearless goal is to start playing piano again, Google “piano teachers for adult learners” after you read this blog post.

Then repeat another small step tomorrow.

And the day after.

Repeat for an entire month.

Small fearless changes after divorce don’t happen in a day.

They will happen, however, if you are consistent. And have the dogged determination to actually live your life the way you love.

METHOD #3: Find Someone To Hold You Accountable

It’s hard to break out of the habits that keep you stuck after divorce.

I would know. After my divorce, I was in this purgatory of being miserable, but not really doing anything about it.

I was miserable, but at least I was comfortable.

I hear that a lot with clients I work with–divorced women who want more from their lives, but are hesitant to make changes.

You’re not weak or lazy if you can’t make these small steps by yourself.

That doesn’t mean you give up.

What it does mean is that you ask for help.

Having someone hold you accountable as you become fearless after divorce will keep you from losing your momentum. A good accountability partner can motivate you, call you out on your BS, and help you reach those fearless goals..

But choose your accountability person wisely.

It should be someone who wants you to do awesome things. Not someone who will try to convince you to “be sensible.”

Save “being sensible” for getting your mammogram. Not for living fearlessly.

In order to get out of your comfort zone and do the things that your heart aches for, you’ll need someone who’ll hold you to the promises you make.

So, get the trainer.

Hire the coach.

Or reach out to that straight-shooter friend.

Because you deserve to live fearlessly even when you don’t think you’re capable.

You are.

Now, it’s time to take that step.

You got this.

Martha Bodyfelt is a divorce recovery coach who helps professional divorced women overcome their divorce pain and break free from the patterns keeping them stuck so they can feel fulfilled, have more fun, and live fearlessly.

To find out what’s *really* keeping you stuck after divorce, head over to https://marthabodyfelt.com/ to take the 30-second quiz.

Photo by Oliver Cole on Unsplash

Feel Stuck After Divorce? Bust These 4 Myths To Get What You Want

2021-08-17T16:20:21Z

If you’re divorced and still feel guilty or ashamed about asking for what you want, you may be struggling with common divorce myths that are making you feel like you’re not worthy. Today, you’ll learn the top divorce myths that keep you from getting what you want. And learn the powerful steps for busting those myths.

Divorce Myth #1: Asking For What You Want Is Selfish

I don’t know about you, but a lot of the messages I received growing up were that women should strive to be saintly and selfless mothers and wives. Divorce wasn’t even an option. I think growing up Catholic also meant that that infamous Catholic Guilt permeated everything I did.

We were taught from an early age that if you wanted something for yourself, you were selfish.

That toxicity definitely carried through when I was married as well. Whether it was my own sense of guilt, or I was just feeding off all the societal narratives that told me I needed to have the house clean and dinner on the table and always be ready and willing to have sex with my then-husband, I remember feeling like if I ever said, “Why don’t you make dinner?” or something like that, I’d come off as high-maintenance–a harpy, a nag, in other words–a selfish bitch.

Did you ever feel like that in your marriage?

Do you still feel like that, even if you’re divorced?

You may struggle after divorce with feeling selfish if you don’t want to watch your grandkids this weekend.

Or you may feel guilty about requesting paid time off at work.

But here’s what you must know.

The Truth: Asking for what you want is not selfish. It’s healthy and absolutely critical to your divorce recovery and future well-being.

Even if society and your family *never* considered what you want.

Even if you were led to believe in your marriage that what you wanted didn’t matter.

Even if you’ve been conditioned to think that you should put everybody’s needs ahead of your own.

Asking for what you want is not selfish. It is not indulgent.

It’s just plain empowering and necessary if you want to get out of the divorce rut that’s going to keep you from moving on.

Divorce Myth #2: Asking For What You Want Is Narcissistic

Advocating for yourself after divorce is not narcissistic.

You may have had someone convince you that it was wrong to ask for what you want. That person may have been your ex. Or a parent. Or someone else you loved.

But just because they made you believe it was wrong to ask for what you want doesn’t mean that it was.

The Truth: Unapologetically asking for what you want after divorce is an act of courage, not narcissism. It’s giving yourself permission to value yourself in a world that may not value you.

Divorce Myth #3: It’s Just Too Hard

Asking for what you want—and not apologizing for it or justifying it to anyone–definitely takes work. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And now that you’re divorced, the world is yours to take back.

Think of a time you did something that you were scared of or anxious about. Whether it was taking a full course load back in college (can I even remember my college days?!), someone getting to work on time after dropping your kids off at daycare when they were babies and you were a younger mother, or hell–navigating your divorce and dealing with the emotions and finances of that circus—no matter how hard it was, you prevailed.

Because you believed in yourself and knew you could do better.

The Truth: Asking for what you want and advocating for yourself after divorce is the same thing. It’s going to take work. It’s going to take practice. And you’re going to have to do it again and again. But that doesn’t make it “too hard.” That makes it something you owe to yourself to do. Especially after divorce.

Divorce Myth #4: You Don’t Deserve It

If you’re anything like me, you probably carry this weight that you should be grateful for the things you have. You may have heard it from your family. At church. Or even at work. Those toxic myths sound like:

“You should just be grateful for what you have.”

“That’s asking a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Why can’t you be happy with what you have?”

And we have a tendency to believe that, which is the reason we feel bad asking for help. Or asking for more in our lives.

This myth is what keeps us from investing in ourselves. Or treating ourselves. Or taking care of ourselves at the expense of our mental health.

The Truth: You 100% deserve to ask for what you want. It is your right. And it’s your responsibility.

Messages about your unworthiness came most likely from toxic patriarchal values that were designed to keep divorced women like you feeling ashamed and unworthy.

It doesn’t matter if your parents–especially if you can from a big family with limited resources–told you to “just be happy with what you have.” They were wrong.

It doesn’t matter if society’s message of “just be grateful” even if you know you aren’t happy and know you deserve more is swirling around in your head.

This is *your time* and you deserve to confidently ask for what you want.

Even if you’re divorced.

And especially if you’re feeling guilty after divorce or shame after divorce.

It is time to ask for what you want. Because that’s what you deserve.

What Come’s Next?

There are many things you can do to feel free of an old marriage following a divorce. One may be to seek out counseling to give you a safe and secure place to talk about your experiences. Another may be to rid yourself of things tying you to that time of your life. You could even work your way up to selling your wedding ring for cash. To learn more about that, you can visit Worthy for more information.

Do what feels right to you to get where you want to be. Don’t rush the process, but remember that those 4 myths don’t have to rule your life!

Martha Bodyfelt is a divorce recovery coach who helps professional divorced women overcome their divorce loneliness and break free from the patterns keeping them stuck so they can feel fulfilled, have more fun, and live fearlessly.

To find out what’s *really* keeping you stuck after divorce, head over to https://marthabodyfelt.com/ to take the 30-second quiz.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Divorce Changes Everything: The Life Insurance Edition

2021-05-30T17:44:39Z

Separation and divorce present couples with a compelling and often complex set of reasons to re-evaluate. Some are emotional, some are rational, and some are largely financial. And some are all three. Estate planning falls into that last category. It’s difficult for many of us to discuss, let alone plan for, the day we won’t be around anymore. But plan we must, particularly if we have minor children who depend on us for financial survival.

Life Insurance Is A Must For Parents

Many financial advisors put life insurance at the top of the list of conservative investments to include in a long-term financial plan. Life insurance can be separated into two basic types: permanent life insurance and term life insurance.

While it doesn’t wow you with big, flashy gains in the short-term, permanent life insurance instills discipline in policyholders. It helps them save consistently as it increases moderately in value. Permanent life insurance is typically more expensive than term. Term life insurance is often the first type new parents purchase. It doesn’t increase in value as time goes on but it’s generally inexpensive to purchase while we’re young. More importantly, it protects the people who depend on us financially should the worst happen. The best life insurance policy for you and your family will depend on numerous factors, including your life stage, who depends on you for financial support, and your investment goals.

How Does Divorce Change Our Life Insurance Needs?

Both permanent and term life insurance pay a death benefit. And both require policyholders to name a beneficiary—the person (or people) who receive the proceeds of the death benefit. Many married people name their spouses as beneficiaries, regardless of whether they have children. But when we divorce, it’s natural for our thinking to change around policy beneficiaries. Divorce has a way of eroding trust—or perhaps vice versa. In any case, if you named your ex as beneficiary of your life insurance policy, you should probably be thinking about naming a new one. That’s how you can insure only your children benefit from its proceeds.

Can’t I Just Name My Kids?

You can. Naming a beneficiary on your policy is critically important. The proceeds of a policy with no named beneficiary will wind up in that no-man’s-land called probate. Depending on the size of an estate, probate can take quite a bit of time. Six to nine months is average. But it can take longer, particularly if a decedent doesn’t have a legal will. That’s a great argument for making sure you have a will, incidentally. It’s best to have yours professionally prepared. Ambiguity in a will can also trigger the probate process.

Having a will and naming a policy beneficiary alone doesn’t ensure that your children will immediately have access to the funds they need to be well-cared for, however. Kids can’t legally own large amounts of money—whether it comes from the proceeds of a life insurance policy or inherited property—until they reach the age of majority. The law recognizes that minors don’t have the wisdom or maturity to manage finances. Most parents feel that way, too, of course. That’s when naming your children’s guardian and putting a conservator in charge of your estate comes in.

The Difference Between Guardians And Conservators

Many parents name a guardian in their wills—the person their children will live with when they’re deceased. Few decisions we make in life are so consequential. If you’re divorced, your ex-spouse might be your kids’ guardian by default, particularly if you’ve been raising your kids under shared custody arrangements. Guardians must be approved by the courts. Judges usually accept a deceased parent’s decision about guardianship. But they can also reject your choice if you name someone they deem incapable of raising your children well.

Guardians aren’t the same as conservators. Here’s a simple way to think about it: guardians make decisions about people and conservators make decisions about money. In some cases, a child’s guardian and the conservator assigned to oversee how his or her assets are the same person. But there are certainly reasons why you might want to name two different people. For example, you might respect your sister’s values and delight in her nurturing spirit. You know she’d give your kids a solid moral foundation and a loving home. But she’s never been good at managing money and you fear she’s not equipped to make major financial decisions wisely. So you decide to name one person to manage your kids and another to manage their money. Good thinking.

Divorce is another reason you might choose to name both a guardian and a conservator. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why.

Trust: A Critical Factor In Estate Planning

What are they eating for lunch? What are they doing with their smartphones? Why are their grades slipping? Loving parents worry about their kids every day and every way. Knowing someone will devote the same cautious attention to our kids once we’re gone is why we name guardians and conservators.

Sadly, lack of trust is often the reason couples separate in the first place and the divorce process can further erode the confidence we have in our exes to “do the right thing.” Particularly when it comes to money. Disparate attitudes toward financial matters and even a history of irresponsible spending on part of one spouse is another issue that often underly the end of a marriage. So even if you feel confident that your ex will raise your children right, you may not trust him or her to spend your child’s assets wisely. If your ex has moved on to another relationship and has parenting and financial responsibilities for someone else’s kids, that can also raise questions. Assigning a conservator in addition to a guardian can mitigate your concerns in either case. Under a guardian/conservator arrangement, a guardian has the day-to-day responsibility of caring for your children and will recommend how your kids’ assets should be spent. But a conservator oversees and has ultimate responsibility for financial decisions made on their behalf. Some parents choose conservators specifically for their financial expertise and that’s not a bad strategy.

Just Do It

Parents have to make tough calls all the time. But thinking about one’s own death is especially difficult. Many parents put off making estate planning decisions out of discomfort or inexperience. Don’t be one of them. Procrastinating can have severe consequences for your children, including compounding the grief they’re already experiencing. An estate planning attorney can walk you through some of the soul-searching you’ll need to do. So can a spiritual advisor. And once they reach an age where they can understand the importance of the decisions you’ll be making, don’t forget to talk to your kids. Ultimately, it’s their safety and happiness that counts. They deserve to be a part of the conversation.

Author Bio: Susan Doktor is a journalist, business strategist, and the mother of twins. She writes about a wide range of subjects, including personal finance, legal matters, and family life. Follow her on Twitter @branddoktor.

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash

Estate Planning And Divorce: What You Need To Know

2021-04-29T18:06:26Z

Separation and divorce are never easy. Emotions, parenting arrangements, division of property and support calculations make couples overwhelmed. Not surprisingly, people often forget to review the old Wills they made when they lived as a couple.

As a result, your new loved one may be cut out from your estate, and your ex may receive most of your property simply because your old estate plan is still in force.

In this article, we are touching upon possible effects of a breakdown on a Will. However, legal consequences of a family spit up are very fact-specific. One needs to consider where the couple lived and whether they were common law or legally married. Also, what estate plan they have, and whether they have finalized their breakup officially through a separation agreement or divorce. For this reason, please discuss the details of your separation and divorce with your estate planning and wills lawyer to make the right steps.

Effect Of A Legal Marriage Split On Your Will

Quite often, you name the person you are married to as your executor and beneficiary under the Will. However, in many jurisdictions, your old Will would remain effective on separation. Those designations in your Will would remain valid until after you formalize your divorce.

It is not uncommon that when married couples separate, they forget to revise or even review their Wills. Also, many people fail to complete their divorce for many years. Suppose you start a new common-law relationship on separation while being legally married. You now have a common-law spouse, but you also have an ex-spouse who is still your formal spouse on paper. Now suppose you pass away, and the formal ex-spouse who was not in your life since the breakup comes to the scene. Because you failed to finalize your divorce, the ex may end up with most of your assets if your old Will remains valid on separation.

That is why it is crucial to review your Will on separation to make sure that it reflects your current wishes. If you are not sure about the details of your new estate plan yet, create a temporary Will which outlines your current intentions. It is better than to leave nothing but disputes to your significant ones.

What Happens To Your Will On Separation If You Lived Common Law?

Suppose you named your common-law spouse as an executor or beneficiary under your Will when you lived together. In many jurisdictions, your ex-common law partner is deemed to have predeceased you for the purposes of your Will. In other words, on separation, your ex loses all powers and gifts you gave to him or her in your Will. Still, you should change your Will immediately if you wish to protect your estate from your ex-common law.

The devils hide in determining the separation date. This date is not always clear and can be in dispute, especially if the estate is considerable. If your ex can prove that your common-law relationship still existed at the time of your death, the appointments and gifts you made in his or her favor may be upheld. So, you should update your Will without delays unless you wish your old Will to stay for the benefit of your ex-common-law partner.

Do I Need To Update A Will On Divorce?

Quite often, divorce changes relationships and the environment completely. Because it formalizes the family breakdown, it also changes a lot in terms of formalities. In many legal systems, the rule is that your ex is deemed to have predeceased you once you get divorced. So, if your old Will names him or her as an executor or beneficiary, such designations lose their legal effect. However, you still need to review your old Will on divorce to make sure that it outlines your current intentions.

It is a common mistake that people name their spouse as the only executor and beneficiary under their Wills and do not make alternative designations. Also, it is not uncommon when people name members of their spouse’s family as executors or beneficiaries. These choices may work when the couple is happily married. However, the old Will needs to be updated on split up because it may fail to address the new reality of the now ex-spouses.

Starting A New Relationship…

Suppose you revised your Will on separation or divorce and left everything to your adult children in an attempt to protect your property from a new relationship. Your new partner or spouse may get a share from your estate anyways. The rule in many legal systems is that a partner or spouse receives adequate support on the death of the other. So, your new relationship may trump the gifts you left to your children. The situation can be even more complicated in blended families where both spouses have children from previous relationships.

For this reason, it is crucial to review your Will and estate plan when your family situation changes. This simple step will protect your loved ones from stress, confusion, lost property, and litigation costs.

Biography: Anna Dunaeva is the founder of DLegal Law Office. The predictability and transparency of legal services has always been a focus in Anna’s practice. She is passionate about sharing her legal knowledge and through continuous communication, Anna delivers on her commitment to keep clients at the centre of her practice.

Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash