Diamond in the rough

I've told the story a thousand times(for real, I talk a lot) and I found myself telling it again last night and felt like sharing it here, so if you've heard it before too bad, I'm telling it again, with pictures to match....B.J. and I got together in the fall of 1996. I was working at the grocery store and he used to come in and 'stalk' me...ok well actually he would come in and stand at the front of the store pretending to attend to some sort of grocery store type business and STARE at me the whole time till I would throw my hands up and bug my eyes out like "what?!! what do you WANT kid?" You see he is three years younger than me and was just 17 when this all started. Soon after the staring incidents he broke up with his high school chick and got a job as a bagger so he could stand at the end of my isle and continue to shoot his laser eyes through me at my checkstand. So we started hanging out and by Christmas we were stupid in love. I bought him a Fred Perry shirt and he presented me with a tiny little blue velvet box. I was totally unimpressed. The ring , white gold and a tiny sliver of a diamond made my stomach turn. A million thoughts rushed to my head and out my mouth. I was sad and disappointed(I know I know..shut up). He had spent 3 months worth of grocery store paychecks on this stupid, materialistic, uninspired, run of the mill, token of love. Is that what he thought of me, that I was just a girl who wants diamonds and roses on valentines day to keep me happy?! I was horrified and handed the ring back with a sharp warning that he could keep his store bought love. I thought we were done. I thought that moment would crush his pride and patience. I was wrong. He looked at me and said "fine, no problem, I'll keep the ring, and I'm keeping you too" with unwavering confidence he put down the ring and kissed me. Now a little over 14 years later, I get different kinds of gifts, practical things, things that are useful and meaningful to me in a way that only he  and I could really appreciate. One of my favorite things are the socks he brought back from Japan...silly I know,  but hey...it's me. As you can see I eventually accepted the ring ad have it stowed away..I am always thinking I should do something with it, have it made into something I'll wear...any suggestions?