Emrata’s Divorce Rings Prove That Diamonds Really Are Forever

It’s not often that new trends in bridal jewellery come about. We are all accustomed to engagement rings, wedding rings, and a bridal parure. But have you ever heard of a divorce ring? Emily Ratajkowski, better known by her Instagram handle Emrata, is a model and actress, known for her work in Sports Illustrated and Gone Girl. She is also a feminist and essayist, having released a book of essays entitled “My Body”, which became a New York Times best seller. The star recently made waves on social media after posting her brand new “divorce rings”, made from the repurposed stones of her engagement ring. 

 

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Emrata is no stranger to setting trends in bridal jewellery. Ratajkowski famously said yes to a stunning toi-et-moi engagement ring when film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard popped the question in 2018. The model’s unique engagement ring, which featured a princess cut and pear shaped diamond nestled next to each other, promptly went viral and spurred copycats all over the world.

While the couple share a son together, their marriage sadly came to an end in 2022. Since, Ratajkowski and McClard have become estranged.

Despite the difficulties of ending a marriage, it seems like two years down the line Emrata is ready to move on. The model has chosen to celebrate her single life with a unique, and deeply meaningful jewellery look. The model debuted the rings with a simple selfie from bed, showing the newly set pear cut diamond sat at an angle on a yellow gold pinky ring, and the princess cut diamond nestled between two custom cut trapezoid diamonds in a unique three stone ring. 

Trusting someone with your treasured jewellery can be scary, so it’s no wonder that for this task the model returned to the jeweller and close personal friend who made her engagement ring. They decided to repurpose the significant diamonds from the engagement ring and build two completely new designs. In her exclusive interview with Vogue, Ratajkowski stated that the decision was inspired by a ring belonging to a grandmother of a friend, “that is made up of the different stones from her various marriages”. Instead of directly copying this design, Ratajkowski and designer Alison Chemla found their own interpretation. They opted to split the stones into separate rings, to be symbolic of the separation the new jewellery would honour.

Toi-et-moi rings rose to fame when Napoleon proposed to Josephine with an understated ring featuring a diamond and sapphire. The name for these two stone rings means “you and me”, and they symbolise two people united forever. Separating the diamonds and forging two distinct pieces of jewellery is a wonderful, symbolic way to celebrate and honour the independence gained from leaving an unhappy marriage.

As sustainability and ethical consumption are the words on everybody’s lips, it is refreshing to see diamonds being re-purposed to bring new life and meaning to the stones. You don’t need to wait for divorce to do this either. We love taking clients’ heirloom jewellery and reworking it to be more wearable, or more to the new owner’s taste. But if you are getting divorced, and wondering what to do with your diamond, we will leave you with these wise words from Emrata herself: “I don’t think a woman should be stripped of her diamonds just because she’s losing a man”.

By Indra Dryden-Shaw