I guess I passed the frugality test way back when...I got the basic ring, synthetic stone...some went full bling.
I figure what / who am I saving it for? Who would ever want to wear it more than I do?
DH loves the “saltiness” of his ring - the links in the chain are well-worn and smoothed out now.My personal opinion is the "combat ring" is simply a marketing gimmick to get people to buy 2 rings. For the first 15 years after I had my ring, I wore it all the time. Once I got married, I wore it any time I wore my wedding ring -- when I go "out" for anything beyond grocery shopping. That is still the case today. Always wear USNA ring, wedding ring, and engagement ring together. Never any without the other.
There are many times when I don't wear any ring, such as in water (afraid of losing it), in locations where flashy jewelry is a bad idea, etc. I personally cannot think of a single time in my life that I would have worn a "combat ring" vs. my "real" ring. Not one.
Yes, the ring eventually gets smoother if you wear it daily / regularly. That's part of the charm of getting older.
I confirm that combat rings were not around in the 70's and we have a couple of 80s folks who didn't experience them either.
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Thank you, yeah just a really crappy thing to happen, I hate the way some will prey on older people. It’s made her really hesitant about where she goes alone. Sad state of our world I guess. They filed a police report and got the camera footage they could etc. I do think my dad has looked into a replacement but she wants nothing to do with it, not even the insurance money he claimed. She said just invest it somewhere. I think as time passes maybe we can get her something different, their 60th isn’t too far away. She felt so violated. @Heatherg21 that really stinks about your sister too 😔. Families are hard. I love that you know exactly what that worn ring looks like on an old hand, full of so many years lived 💕 @justdoit19 that’s a really good idea to have the charms on a necklace! My mom also has a class pin from each of her favorite mids, up to 4 so far. She had them welded together by a jeweler to put on a necklace like a giant pendant kinda. Can’t miss her at the football games😂 she’s so proud of her bling. I guess that’ll be her new treasure. But I kinda like the mini rings as a charm better!
Here’s the list of what ring manufacturer made what year. Might be time to make a new memory. It won’t replace what us lost, but might make some lemonade out of the lemons.Lots of DH's classmates got the granite (so cool!) in early 2000s but I don't remember hearing about a combat ring, interesting. He only wears his to USNA themed events, and of course football games. Part of his blending in I guess.
My mom had a miniature of my dad's she wore every single day of my life and probably every year before that since she got it in the mid 60s. Even had the diamond from her original engagement ring switched into it. It was so incredibly worn down, just how I will always and forever remember my moms hands with that ring. A few months ago my 78yo mom was robbed in a Costco parking lot in broad daylight. He took her miniature, her $6.95 fifty-eight year old wedding band, and another diamond from an anniversary gift valued at way more than a car. She has full blown ptsd and won't talk about it but I think the loss of the miniature is what upset her most. It held the story of her life in a way. I'm sure it's been melted down by now. People suck. My dad's on the other hand, despite a run in with a garbage disposal once looks pretty new. It doesn't see light often and has also somehow shrunk
No story has ever been told more often in our family than that of Ring Dance. My parents met on a blind date at Army Navy of dad's 2/c year but he made the grave error of inviting someone else to Ring Dance before things got serious. This poor girl has hence been known as "the floozy in the orange dress" and my dad will never live it down. Fortunately thanks to the Another Link in the Chain program inviting the class from 50 years prior, my mom was finally able to go to Ring Dance....but the floozy lives on. I hope all of your kids' rings are filled with these same sorts of memories someday!
Thanks! That’s useful to have if she decides she’s ready to replace it. I also didn’t think to email the alumni association about lost rings if they ever get returned there, we should do that. It does have engraving in it so the pawn shops are required to notify police is how I understand it. But who knows, we can always hope!
I rarely wore mine on active duty as it was a safety hazard in my line of work. A few years back I met someone on a flight from the Class of 49. He let me see his ring and his wife told me that I was the first person to hold it other than it’s owner in over 60 years.
Salty just comes off that in waves!