 How does the monster wearing the diamond ring send a different message than the main character's wife wearing the same ring?
Images began to appear, drawn from inexhaustible files, wherein are kept all thoughts, past, present, and future.... "Oh, a ring, and it's a diamond, too!" When he opened it, he found a picture of her in one side, and in the other a picture of the children. The Russians had not yet used the H-bomb; the threat of annihilation by the retaliation forces had been too great. Most of the cities and the majority of the population of both countries had been destroyed. With what few men he had left, he had commandeered a small yacht, and they had taken to the sea.
 The ring is meaningless now that it is not worn by his wife.
 The ring now shows that material love is stronger than emotional love.  The ring is meaningless now that it is not worn by his wife.  The ring now shows that anyone can hold a symbol of love.  The ring shows that the love between the main character and his wife was not exclusive between them.