Giving the ring back - Settle a debate?

[ChicJoker]

Hypothetical, debating a friend. If a couple are engaged and then breakup, should the ring be given back? Does the value of the ring influence your decision?

Morally yes. Legally you don’t have to in the U.K. I don’t think

If I were to get divorced, I'd keep my rings as we have children together so there is no option of pretending the past never happened. The value of the ring is irrelevant in my case as I'd be keeping it for my kids' sake, not selling it.

Unless its a family heirloom then no, it was a gift.

Depends who paid for it. What if she paid half?

Give it back, I think it would be odd to do otherwise. Selling it is just scruff behaviour.

People pay for their own engagement rings???

Return it unless there are children, in which case pass it down.

I think it depends on how long they have been engaged and why they are splitting up. If it's a piece of family jewellery then yes, regardless of any of the above.

Depends on who broke off the engagement. If the giver of the ring breaks it off, then the receiver keeps it. If the receiver of the ring breaks it off, she gives it back.

True. Family heirlooms should be given back (although the next bride should rightly be offended if she’s given the ex-fiancée’s old ring)!

Think.i would want to.give it back. Never been engaged so am thinking hypothetically

Keep it and flog it. It was given as a gift so it belongs to the recipient

A gift is a gift ...

Hmmm, an engagement ring is given in contemplation of marriage. A normal gift can't have stipulations but, an engagement ring does. I'm not sure what the legal stance is in the UK, but morally, yes, it should be given back.

I was engaged before I met my now husband. I kept the ring in a box for about 20 years. I’d forgotten about it until I was having a clear out of my parents’ house after they died. I sold it. Really, I should’ve given it back when I broke off the engagement.

Yes, should be returned, ideally thrown at them in a public argument.

If the engagement is broken than morally yes, the ring goes back. I’d give an heirloom back too if marriage broke down, or give it to my children if I had some with him. Otherwise if married and divorced I wouldn’t give the ring back

Some do. Not every engagement is a surprise with a ring. I’d rather choose my own and would be happy to pay towards it.

Normally it's only given back if she breaks it off and he paid for it.

I’m not sure what I think and it probably depends on lots of factors.
Who ended it, was someone at fault, was it expensive, was it a family ring?
If I was treated badly, ripped off, cheated on then fuck them, keep the ring!

My divorced friends all kept their rings. One friend had hers made into something else.

A couple of friends had broken engagements and I think kept them too.

Of course you give the ring back.

I agree.
If I broke off the engagement I would feel obliged to hand it back.
If my fiancè broke it off why would I want to have a reminder of what was not to be or infidelity or whatever so I would hand it back.

No. It was a gift, not a loan.

My sister thought I should give rings back after I divorced . I didn't want any reminders of XH so I sold them.
They weren't very nice as he was a cheapskate so wouldn't have handed them down to my daughter

Depends on who broke off the engagement.