He thought using his mom’s engagement ring would be romantic — his girlfriend rejected him immediately

There are certain things that people keep for a lifetime, and they might want them to reflect their personal tastes. An engagement ring can be one such item. A woman was in a huge dilemma when her boyfriend wanted to propose to her with his mom's ring, but it didn’t match her style. The person, u/annaw2000, took to Reddit to ask if she was wrong for not wanting the ring.

"My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting engaged recently, and when the conversation came up at Christmas, his mum said she had a ring that her husband gave to her. She would give it to us as an engagement ring if we wanted," the woman began. "Now, my boyfriend's dad very suddenly passed away last year, so I know it must have taken a lot for her to offer this ring up." When the couple began discussing their engagement again, his mother sent a photo of the ring so they could have a look at it. "Now, don't get me wrong, the ring is nice, but it's something I would never pick out for myself, and I have dreamt of my engagement ring for years."

The woman explained her situation to her boyfriend, who offered that they could get a wedding band to make the ring look different and dress it up. "It would be great to have this ring as it has such sentimental value, which means my boyfriend won't have to pay for an engagement ring." She continued, "It honestly wouldn't bother me if he gets the ring for free, and I know the ring itself is expensive, as there are about 7 diamonds on it." However, the woman still felt she wouldn't like the ring and wanted people's opinion on whether she would be wrong for refusing it.

People took to the comments section of the thread to assure the woman that she wouldn't be wrong if she refused the ring. u/Capital-Bullfrog-718 wrote, "I totally understand wanting to have an engagement ring that you love and have dreamt of for years. But it's also important to consider the sentimentality and meaning behind his mom offering up her ring. Maybe you can find a way to incorporate both the ring and your dream ring into one beautiful piece!"

u/Funauntie12105 commented, "I work at a jewelry store and this comes up more times than you would think. The perfect compromise for everyone is to take the original diamond out of the ring and have it made into a pendant that the bride wears on her wedding day. It becomes part of something borrowed, something blue, SOMETHING OLD, something new. In my experience, it’s a perfect compromise that should make everyone happy." u/boomba1330 remarked, "This will never be your ring. She will always view it as hers. And God forbid, if you lose the ring.... she would see it as you losing the most important thing from her dead husband, something that is irreplaceable. It sucks enough if you lose your own ring, but it would at least be yours to lose."

Apart from personal reasons, wedding ring costs often factor into what type of ring people buy. As can be quite expensive, it often becomes a point of contention among couples as well. The average cost of an engagement ring in America is $5,200, according to The Knot 2024 Jewelry & Engagement study.