Jewelry designer comes up with a novel way to commemorate a divorce

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

With this ring, I thee divorce.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Well, not exactly, but breakup rings are suddenly a thing. So says Lauren Boc, a jewelry designer.

FADEL: She got married last year, designing her wedding ring with a 3 1/2 carat, emerald-cut stone.

LAUREN BOC: I had the phrase from the Lizzo song "Soulmate" engraved on the inside - damn, she's the one. And the idea in my mind at the time was that, you know, I was committing to a lifelong partnership with someone.

MARTÍNEZ: But they split up just four months later.

BOC: That was completely unexpected. And just, like, one of those rug pulled out from under you - your whole life falls apart in one conversation, one 40-minute phone call kind of thing. But I think that there are hopefully going to be results of the divorce that I do want to commemorate - things like my resilience, my ability to rely on myself.

FADEL: So for her breakup ring, Boc kept the same Lizzo engraving and setting style but went with a different diamond. Plus, she found support via her online community.

BOC: I got a lot of comments from people being like, babe, this is a new business for you, divorce rings. Let's go. I'm divorced. I want one. You know, it - just kind of cheering me on. And, like, let's make lemonade out of lemons.

MARTÍNEZ: Boc says her small company has gotten four times more orders for divorce or breakup rings recently. And she appreciates the positive tone of the attention she's received.

BOC: I do think it's all been very respectful and very celebratory. The news has really focused on the resilience that you need to go through a divorce and the inner strength that you need and the courage that that requires to completely reimagine your future and yourself as a now-single person.

FADEL: A similar, albeit larger, response came from a posting by model Emily Ratajkowski. She shared how she'd taken the diamonds from her engagement ring and included them in two different rings following her own divorce.

MARTÍNEZ: Boc says these breakup rings highlight alternative ways for women to value themselves outside of marriage.

FADEL: Talk about finding a silver lining in capitalism.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOULMATE")

LIZZO: (Singing) 'Cause I'm my own soulmate. I know how to love me. I know that I'm... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.