What does one do when, as the song says, your diamond ring doesn’t shine for you anymore, due to a divorce or busted engagement? Most people sell the stone, remount it, or put it away for the future. But those more—shall we say—creatively inclined have come up with some colorful alternatives, below:
1. Sold it to buy a Halo costume
A few years back, Philadelphian Eric Smith’s girlfriend told him she had met someone else. Making matters worse, at the time she told him this, the engagement ring he planned to give her lay in his pocket. So he did what any guy would do: He sold the canary yellow diamond ring on eBay, then spent the $2,000 on a suit of armor based on the character Masterchief from the videogame Halo. (All right, most guys wouldn’t do that.) He later wrote about the experience in a piece on Bygonebureau.com. From there, the essay landed on Reddit, and his tale of woe and video game costume redemption spread to a whole bunch of newspapers and websites. And the story may even have a happy ending. “There have since been other girls,” Smith told Reddit. “Chicks dig armor.”
Courtesy of Eric Smith/Bygone Bureau
2. Gave it away via YouTube
It’s the age-old story: Comedian meets girl. Comedian loses girl. And now comedian needs something to do with the diamond ring he bought from Zale Outlet. And so the comic in question, Kyle Cease, turned to YouTube, promising to give the ring away to the first person who got the most “thumbs-up” on another of his videos (all the while noting that his mother told him he’s nuts). But was it all a joke? One year later, it is not clear who—if anyone—actually won the ring. Tweets and emails to Cease weren’t returned.
3. Gave it away via Twitter
Cease wasn’t the first person to give his ring away via a social network. Two years earlier, New Zealander Anthony Gardiner, then 29, devastated after a woman decided she “wasn’t that keen” on him, hid his $3,500 would-be engagement ring somewhere in the city of Wellington, and then gave it away via a Twitter scavenger hunt. He posted 14 clues as to its whereabouts; nearly 100 people spent a weekend searching for it. Gardiner hoped that the ring would end up in the hands of a “cool chick.” However, the winner, student Ryan Roselli, was single, and alas …
@antsgardiner wow was it that long ago. A family friend lost her wedding ring gardening so bought it off me. Haven’t needed it since either
— Ryan Roselli (@ryanroselli) June 4, 2011
4. Gave it away breaking into someone’s car
Generally, it’s not a good idea to leave your car unlocked, but for one man in 2005, being unsafe yielded a windfall. The Westborough, Mass., commuter returned to his auto and found a box with a white bow, which contained a $15,000 diamond ring, along with the following note: “Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now.” So, apparently, is any chance of re-claiming it: The man told police about the incident, but they said no one reported the ring missing.
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5. Swallowed it
There are many reasons people have swallowed diamonds, but a man in the Chongqing Municipality of China can lay claim to one of the most unique. According to China Radio International, the man proposed to his girlfriend with a diamond ring, only to be turned down. He then went back home and drank several bottles of wine and called his girlfriend to patch things up. Unfortunately, “she was in a very bad mood,” he recounted. “So I swallowed the ring in rage.” (Who wouldn’t!?) The ring was later removed with emergency surgery.
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