No one goes to the jewelry store to buy an engagement ring with the thought they'll have to return it, but according to a jeweler, 1 in every 15 come to get their money back. Those who witnessed devastated people return a ring reveal what happened.
Merry Christmas!

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“I only worked in jewelry for about a year and a half and it only happened once, but I had known the guy for about 12 years, putting us both in our mid 20’s. He had a ring on layaway for about 3 months making payments, came in Christmas Eve to make the final payment and left the happiest man alive. Came back Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and I said ‘Hey! How did it go!’ thinking he was in to get it re-sized to fit her finger.
I figured it out when he wouldn’t even look me in the eye and walked right past me so a co-worker would help him instead. She was his daughter’s mother and instead of spending the rest of their lives together, she broke up with him on Christmas when he proposed.”
The Boy Was Even Involved In The Proposal

“I worked at a jewelry store in a mall close to my community college, and while my time there was short, I have experienced someone returning a ring.
It was the week of Mother’s Day and he was the first person I was able to sell diamonds to since I had just finished my diamond certification. He told my boss and I he wanted to propose to his girlfriend who also happens to be the mother of his 2 or 3-year-old son. He picked out the diamond that was a specialty diamond to the store.
After he purchased it I hadn’t seen him for about a month, when he walked into the store asking to speak to my boss. After about 10 minutes and a sorrowful shoulder grab, my boss started the return.
Come to find out, his fiancée had said yes but then I guess guilt started to settle in because she wasn’t sure if her son was his. The worst part about it all is he helped raise the child from day one and involved him in the proposal.”
He Wanted To Buy Something Else When He Returned The Ring

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“Back when I worked at a pawn shop there was this guy that came in all the time to buy jewelry for his live-in girlfriend. He worked on offshore rigs and when he got home, he’d pick up something small and nice for his girlfriend to show her he missed her.
Well, one day he came in wanting a ring. Said he felt it was finally time. Awesome! We pick out this great ring that he knows she’ll love, and off he goes. Says he’s going to surprise her with it that night.
That night, I’m still at work. He comes in looking peeved. Apparently, this time he came in after he told her he was heading back to the rig and he’d see her in a few weeks. He got the ring, then went back to the house to surprise her with the proposal, and tell her he had a few weeks off instead. He walked in on her and one of his best friend going at it. Not even an hour after he had left.
He asked if he could return it. I said yes. He asked if he could spend the cash right then, I said yes. He asked if he could look at our weapons, I said no. I didn’t want any part of that. He left, never saw him again.”
She Was Planning On Doing Something Awful With The Ring

“I’ve been in this business for over 10 years, and I’ve sold enough engagement rings that I really have no idea how many are out there at this point. Sooner or later, this is bound to happen. I’ve had it happen a few times. Here’s the worst story.
A couple comes in together (let’s call them Mike and Stephanie). Mike is ready to spend about $20k, which is a LOT of money for a young couple, and I’m showing them rings in that range, but Stephanie keeps pushing for more, and more, and MORE. Finally, with enough begging, pleading, smiles, and thinly veiled ‘intimate’ promises, she talks him into a 3 karat center diamond, with an elaborate setting, for around $30k. Honestly, I don’t feel great about having to witness this whole exchange, but at the end of the day, it’s none of my business, so I complete the transaction.
About 3 weeks later, Stephanie comes to my office alone. I assume she needs the ring re-sized or something, but instead, she asks me if I can remove the center diamond and replace it with a CZ (cubic zirconia, a very cheap diamond substitute). I’m surprised, so I stammer ‘Sure, but why? Are you traveling or something and don’t want to risk the stone?’ She responds that it’s nothing like that, she just prefers to have the CZ in there for now.
Obviously, every red flag in existence is waving in front of my eyes at this point, so I say okay, take her ring, and tell her she can come back in a day or two to pick it up with the CZ in it. But as soon as she’s out the door, I’m dialing Mike. After all, HE’S the one who wrote me a $30k check, so HE’S my customer, not HER. Mike picks up, and after a moment of small talk, I ask him if he knows what Stephanie is up to. ‘NO!’ is the shocked response.
Mike called me back the next day and told me that apparently, Stephanie was planning to call off the engagement and return the ring, but keep the 3 karat diamond. He was obviously very upset and asked me if I could give him a refund. I offered my sympathy and gave him back his money. Needless to say, he was very grateful that I had called him.
About 2 years later, Mike came back with another woman who I liked much better. They’re happily married with two kids now. Mike and I have become friends, and he’s probably referred me 10+ other customers over the years. As for Stephanie, after she left my office that day, I never saw her again.”
He’s Still Biter About It

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“I am the unfortunate chump that had to wind up returning an engagement ring. After moving across Canada to chase who I thought was going to be my wife I found out she was cheating on me. Roughly 6 months earlier I had spent what savings I had buying the engagement ring that she wanted from a rather well-known chain jewelry store in Canada.
Well, to make a long story short they wouldn’t take it back, as much as I fought with them they pretty much told me I was out of luck. I wound up selling it privately and losing roughly 5k in the deal. Still freaking bitter.”
It Even Looked Cheap And Tacky

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“I worked odd days here and there at a jewelry shop. Because I’m not full time and only do the odd day, I don’t often get to see the outcomes – however, there was one, fairly amusing time that I did.
The guy was young, late teens or maybe early twenties, and looked like a typical chav type. He went on and on about how much he loved his girlfriend, and how he wanted the perfect ring for her. I showed him a few, and each time he asked if we had anything cheaper. Finally, he settled on a £50 silver and cubic zirconia dress ring. Now, I’m not saying price should matter that much when it comes to engagement rings, but this was ridiculous, and the ring even looked cheap and tacky.
Anyway, off the guy went, only to return literally a few hours later to return the ring because she’d (unsurprisingly) said no. He brushed it off, made comments about her being a tramp and such. Then he topped it all off by trying to hit on me.”
She Saved Up For A Ring For 7 Years

“Friend named Joanne was a bit socially awkward. She decides that she wants to put a timer on herself to motivate her to get out there and meet women. She goes to a jewelry store, picks out a big, gorgeous ring, prices it out exactly as she would want, and then gets a number: $20,000. So then Joanne goes home and works out a plan. She’s going to put $250/month in the bank for the next 7 years. During that time her goal is to meet a woman worthy of this ring.
She is motivated – this is about 10% of her take-home pay so it’s a significant amount to her. She starts dating, asking girls out, has a few relationships. Finally, she meets Dawn. Dawn is nothing at all like Joanne. Where Joanne is a bit socially awkward and kind of quiet, Dawn is tall, loud, and boisterous. She laughs too loud and too often for some people. She’s always got a story, she can drink like a sailor, and Joanne is completely in love with her. They meet, date a few times, and in three weeks Dawn moves into Joanne’s apartment. Some of Joanne’s friends don’t like Dawn. Her roommate doesn’t mind so much.
Dawn loses her job, and for three months is looking for another one while she finishes grad school. Dawn may be a bit obnoxious, but she’s seemingly pretty honest. She seems to really care for Joanne. Anyway, a couple more years go by and Joanne tells me she’s saved up the amount – she’s got a savings account with $20,000 in it and she wants to ask Dawn to marry her. Dawn has been employed for a few years now as a graphic designer and part-time community college professor of art history.
I tell Joanne she should ask Dawn first – but she’s having none of it. Joanne goes to the store, buys a ring almost identical to the one she wanted (the other one wasn’t available anymore – this is almost 7 years later now) and she takes it home to propose to Dawn. Dawn loses it. She just starts crying. She can’t handle it. She says she won’t give her an answer – she needs time to think. She needs to be alone. Dawn heads out the door – no luggage, no keys. Dawn is just… gone.
Six hours later Joanne calls me in hysterics, she wants to take the ring back but doesn’t trust herself to drive. Can I take her? Sure. So if you’ve never been to a jewelry store to return a ring with a sobbing woman – good for you. It’s basically the best way to get people to give you the dirtiest looks possible.
So Joanne and I get the money and we’re heading home. We get to the house and there’s Dawn on the porch. I tell her I’m going to leave but Joanne tells me to stay ‘just in case.’ Turns out Dawn had been proposed to once before – by a guy. Her first boyfriend right out of high school. Dawn is a bit of a drama queen and didn’t even consider ever being married again since gay marriage wasn’t legal in our state at the time. She just figured she’d be one of those old lesbians you see on the weekend buying plants.
She walked around for almost 8 hours – considering it. She told us both that she had to be completely honest, first and foremost. She then told us the following: She would absolutely marry Joanne, but there would be no $20,000 ring. There would be no diamond because Dawn hates the diamond industry. Dawn wanted a simple titanium band. ‘Like a dude. Diamonds would just get in the way.’
Despite her previous kind of weird bohemian existence, she admitted that she’s from a very wealthy, very large family that loves her very much and does not care that she’s gay. Joanne had met her mom once and a brother once, but somehow had missed the fact that Dawn had six total siblings and step-siblings and had a personal trust fund that was well into the seven-figure range. ‘We just never talked about that stuff much as long as the bills got paid,’ she said.
Dawn said that they shouldn’t get married right away in San Francisco, where they lived, but that they should spend a month traveling first. ‘If we can still stand each other after traveling for a month we’re good.’ Joanne had always wanted to travel but didn’t have the money. That changed.
When Dawn and Joanne came back from their month abroad (technically a little over 5 weeks) having visited Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, they were very much in love and wanted to get married immediately. A matching pair of titanium rings, $50 each off Amazon. ‘Like a dude’ as Dawn said. They got married (a ceremony at least) in Golden Gate Park. I was there with some close friends.
Last year in 2013 it became legal and they had an official ceremony – with family and friends from around the world. Dawn’s dad gave a great speech. ‘You never expect to use the phrase ‘My daughter’s wife’ when you get handed a naked baby, but it’s far from the most difficult thing to wrap your head around, especially compared to 8 years of art school.'”
She Had No Idea What She Was Missing

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“I sold jewelry years ago as a second job. One guy will always come to mind. He was young, very shy, and only after seeing him a couple of times, and becoming friendly, did I find out that he had a TBI (traumatic brain injury). He would come into the store once a week and look at the rings. When he finally settled on one, we put it on layaway, and he would still come by to look at it each week. I came to really like him, he was a good and decent man.
We counted the days together, each week, we counted down to his big night. The day he came and picked up the ring, I remember putting it in the fanciest box we had. I wished him well and off he went. When I didn’t see him the following week, I just smiled, knowing he was happy.
About a month later, he came back carrying the little bag. He said ‘Can I give it back, Charlie?’ I asked him what happened and he told me that she said no. I didn’t ask any more questions. I would have done anything to fix him at that moment, but I knew that there wasn’t anything I could do or say to make him feel better. So I just told him that I was sorry and I rang up his return. As he was leaving, I said ‘She has no idea what she’s missing.’ I never saw him again.”
He Got Laid Off

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“Went shopping for a ring. Found a great one. Picked it out, was going to pick it up after work on Monday. Halfway through Monday, I get laid off and have to return the ring so I can use the money to move across the country. The jewelers were super nice about it and gave me my deposit back and everything, and called occasionally wishing me luck in finding a new job. Sucked big time.
Now, I’ve got an amazing job, get to live with my girlfriend instead of different states, and I am currently shopping for a new ring!”
He Ended Up Having A Better Option

“The man had purchased the ring, took it home and a few weeks later showed it to his mother before giving to his girlfriend. His mother had a sad look on her face, got up and left the room. He thought she was upset that he wanted to get married, but instead, brought out a beautiful ring that had belonged to his grandmother that she had been saving for her son to give his girlfriend when he decided who he wanted to marry.
It’s not a humorous story, but a sweet love story. The man came back to the store at Christmas and bought an even more expensive ring for his new bride’s Christmas gift and to thank the jeweler again for being kind enough to give him a refund even after the time limit was up.”
Pity Was Oozing Out Of Her

“Ugh. A year and a half ago I was making plans to propose to my girlfriend of 7 3/4 years. I had a ring I knew she would love ordered. I knew a trip was coming up that I was going to go with her and have a mini-vacation. I was going to propose to her on the beach. The ring didn’t show up in time, but on the vacation, I was going to do it anyways even without the ring. The perfect moment came up and I looked at her and was just about to propose but I just couldn’t do it. Something was stopping me from doing so.
About half a month later things between her family and I came to a boil (they were giant jerks to me for years, torturing me daily) and she broke up with me immediately like I was nothing to her. I remember going into that jewelry store and canceling my order for the ring. I was on the verge of tears the whole time. The sheer pity oozing out of the salesperson was horrifying to me.”
1 Out Of Every 15 Return The Ring

“I worked at a jewelry store for 2 years. I’d say 1 out of every 15 rings we sold would be returned. I actually got pretty good at picking out the couples whose relationship wouldn’t make it to the wedding. Its the little things that indicate couples are in love; holding hands, smiling, showing each other respect. The couples that were snippy at each other usually didn’t make it.”
He Uses It As A Reminder

“When I was 22, I was just getting my career started and I didn’t have a lot of money. I was dating this girl and I thought I wanted to marry her but since I didn’t have a lot of money, I bought her a promise ring that was only a few hundred dollars. Between the time that it had to be sized and us picking it up, I found out she was cheating on me. Ended up canceling the purchase and buying myself a ring to remind myself to be smarter about my decisions with future girlfriends and have been single ever since.”
It’s The Opposite Of What She’d Want

“My boyfriend wants to propose in about a year, and he confessed that he’d bought a ring. We went to a jeweler’s a while after that just randomly, and I looked at a really gorgeous ring. The jeweler and I had a conversation about the color, size, etc. It was dainty, like my fingers. I wasn’t trying to choose my own ring or anything – I’m always looking at rings because I really like them.
A few weeks later my boyfriend tells me he returned the ring because after that visit he realized it was pretty much the opposite of what I would like, and he’d bought it on impulse. I felt so bad – I told him I’d love any ring he got me, but it was too late because the ring was returned. Now he’s determined to get the perfect ring.
I mean I have been pretty clear about what I like for a long time, but I still feel really bad for making him question himself so much he returned the first ring.”
It Was A Simple Solitaire

“Former jeweler here. One guy comes to mind although there were no tears involved. He was in a few times and picked up his half karat solitaire. He put a lot of thought into it, was quite excited.
Fast forward a couple days later he quietly comes into the store to return it. We asked if there was anything wrong with it. He said ‘No. She turned me down because it wasn’t big enough. At least I know now.’ So heartbreaking.”
At First She Loved It

“In high school, I used to work at THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR FINE JEWELRY, Sears. We had like 3 nice engagement rings that all ran over $1000 and were never on sale. A guy came in, looked at one, slept on it, and purchased it the next day.
A couple weeks later he came back looking to return the ring. I asked him if there was anything wrong with the ring. He said ‘No, she opened it and she loved it. Then she found out it was from Sears and she didn’t want it anymore. A couple days later we ended our engagement.’
Felt bad for the guy but he might have dodged a bullet.”
She Thought She’d Spend The Rest Of Her Life With Him

“I did return my engagement ring. I was not embarrassed at all. I was honest about what happened, my ex was a piece of crap who said he loved me, was so glad to be spending the rest of his life with me one night, and dumped me for another girl the next afternoon. The jeweler felt bad and was also honest – I was better off selling it privately. The jewelry store wasn’t going to give me much, pawn shops were laughable, but luckily I sold it on Craigslist for a good amount. Sometimes I wonder how it went for the guy who bought it off of me, hopefully, a lot better than it did for me.”