Apex woman redesigns wedding ring after divorce

APEX, NC (WTVD) -- This might raise some eyebrows, but divorcees are turning their wedding rings into something new.

After Diane Felicissimo divorced from her husband of 15 years, she felt her two and a half carat jewels needed a makeover, but for Felicissimo, it's not about the ring, its what it symbolizes.

"I'm a professional, I work full-time, I raise a family, and I've always had my rings on," she said, "And to take them off was like separating from a part of me."

Now, she's using the stones from her engagement ring and wedding band to create what she calls her "power ring."

"She wanted something that would give her a feeling of power when she wore it, as opposed to having the ring have power over her," said Larry Seiger, owner of Virtuoso Jewels.

While the concept has yet to catch on, Seiger said he's made a few before, and the process is cathartic for customers, especially when you watch old memories melt away to make way for new ones.

Felicissimo's ring took a year to design and make. The ring provided a therapeutic distraction to find strength.

She wants to share that strength with others who may be going through the same.

"You're not alone and a new life is ahead," she said, "and it can be as great as you make it," she said.