Former Teen Star Repurposes Bridal Jewelry in 'Tia Mowry: My Next Act'

A suite of bridal jewelry played a pivotal role in Friday's episode of Tia Mowry: My Next Act on We TV.

Mowry, who became a household name as a teenager starring on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister Sister, is now a 46-year-old actress struggling with the challenges of managing her career while co-parenting two young children.

In Season 1, Episode 2, the actress discusses her divorce from Cory Hardrict after 14 years of marriage and how her close friends have helped her through the emotional healing process.

"I have the best friends," Mowry said. "They threw me an incredible healing party. It did what it was supposed to do."

One friend suggested that she throw her wedding dress into the fire, but that just didn't feel right for her.

"But I did think of something else," she said. "What came up for me was my wedding band."

What she was actually describing was her diamond engagement ring, a multi-row diamond wedding band and plain gold band.

"I haven't worn [the jewelry] for almost two years now, and it just doesn't feel right to sell it," Mowry said. "But what I am wanting to do is change my wedding band into something for my kids. Pass it down, you know, to my kids, because they have been my biggest gift."

Mowry seemed to be holding back tears as she mulled her decision, staring at the three rings stacked on her index finger.

"It was very pretty," she said.

"[Do] you want another day to think about it?" asked her producer.

"No, because if it's made into something else, then it's put to use," she said. "It's sad, you know what I mean? Because this is a symbol of a marriage, and it's no longer. I would rather the kids have something."

The actress said that it was hard for her not to think about Corey when she decided to repurpose her rings.

"It was 2006, December 25th," she recalled. "I was proposed to. I was at my mother's house around Christmas dinner, and a song by Jagged Edge started playing. Corey got down on one knee in front of my whole entire family and asked to marry me. I was so surprised."

Mowry added, "but I am learning that at the end of the day, I need to make this decision for me. And I think because it's going to the kids, he'll be okay."

Mowry explained to a Los Angeles jeweler that she wanted the wedding jewelry turned into something special for her 12-year-old son, Cree, and her five-year-old daughter, Cairo.

The jeweler recommended a dog tag necklace for the boy and a bracelet for the girl, adding that he could make a "connection" between the pieces.

"I just think it's so beautiful to transform something that was given out of love and to give it to your children," Mowry said. "It just makes me feel like my marriage wasn't a waste."

The jeweler quickly rendered a diamond-studded dog tag necklace on his computer.

"So, what do you feel about this design with some diamonds," asked the jeweler.

"I love this," Mowry said. "Oh, my gosh. That's fire."

"That's good?" asked the jeweler.

"That fire," she repeated with a laugh. "That's what the kids are saying now."

Tia Mowry and her twin sister, Tamera, co-starred on Sister Sister, a sitcom about twins that were separated at birth, but then reunited as teenagers. The show made its debut in 1994 and ran for six season.

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube / Salim Gameplay.