Is a Diamond Engagement Ring Forever? Who Gets the Ring When the Relationship Ends

by Gary Ingram

Getting engaged is one of the highlights of most people´s lives. It is the point at which lovers have recognised a desire to spend eternity together and want the rest of the world to see their shared devotion and partnership. Unfortunately, for one reason or another this love can sour. Not only do 1 in 3 marriages result in divorce but many people are not even able to stay enamoured long enough to make it through the wedding.

In these circumstances, ownership of the ring is probably the last thought on either parties mind. At some point further down the line though when the dust has settled the subject may well come up. If the split has not been done amicably then it can in fact end up being a serious bone of contention. However, in the UK at least, despite the emotions tied up in the process, the law on who owns the diamond engagement rings is clear.

The woman is allowed to keep the ring as by law it is considered an absolute gift which means it has become her property and therefore remains so. It is hers to do with as she likes, even have a diamond engagement ring sale if she chooses! The only exception to this rule is if the ring has been given under the condition of marriage. This means that at the point of exchange the man has made it either implicitly or explicitly clear that the ring is only hers to keep should the wedding take place, a decision which was found in the case of Jacobs v David (1917).

This tradition of keeping the ring originally equated to a symbol of financial compensation, rather then any romantic notion. Before the 1930's it was common practice for women to be able to sue for "Breach of Promise" if the wedding did not take place after a betrothal. This was because women were still expected to be pure at the time of marriage. However many would indulge in sexual relations during the engagement period because it was considered safe. If a man then backed out of the marriage, the woman could be perceived as "damaged goods" and it was for this reason that financial retribution was sought.

After this period, judges started to phase out this ruling so women looked for something else to prove that the commitment was real. This is when the craze for diamond solitaire engagement ring really started to take off as it was considered a worthy substitute. Fortunately nowadays as the roles of men and women have become more equalised the ring is able to regain much of its original status as a romantic symbol.

For couples looking today the best place for them to go to see a wide variety of rings is the Internet. Here they can find a range of different engagement rings and diamond engagement settings at prices up to 60 percent of those on the high street.