Engagement ring

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Hi,

I've had a quick look on google and think that my engagement ring given to me by my Ex is legally mine, and I am a able to sell it? Short engagement, he decided cocaine was more important than me and his daughter so I've obviously left him to it.

Anyone able to confirm that as I need to sell ASAP to pay mortgage.

Thanks.

It depends.

If the ring was given on condition that it would be returned if the wedding was cancelled you must return it. This includes an implied condition. For example, if the ring was a family heirloom or had particular sentimental value for him the courts may take the view that there was an implied condition that the ring should be returned if the wedding was cancelled.

If the ring was given without any conditions it is yours and you can do whatever you want with it.

Not any kind of implied anything. Certainly not an heirloom. Thanks for replying.

If not any kind of heirloom then you can legally sell it.

Do bear in mind though that second hand jewellery has next to no value, so unless it was worth thousands in the beginning you’re unlikely to get more than a couple of hundred for it at best.

Thank you. Luckily it's worth a small fortune and it's going into auction in March, I just wanted to double check before I actually let it go to the auction house.

I think you should give it back.

An engagement ring is seen as a gift. So keep it. He’ll only end up stuffing shit up his nose with the money.

Exactly Longdistance. Plus, the whole "trying to pay a mortgage" thing...!!

Definitely sell it.

Hope you get a good whack for it.

No idea why anyone would suggest you give it back 🤨

I'm assuming they're bored, lonely and bit of a cunt. 🤦🏻‍♀️

If it is worth a small fortune he may think it is worth his while taking you to court and arguing that there was an implied condition that the ring would be returned if the wedding was cancelled. I'm not saying he would succeed but he may try.

It would cost him to take her to court and if he has his nose in a pile of powder most of the time he's likely to not want to risk losing the cash

Going once!

It would cost him but the cost would be small compared to the value of the ring. He might think it is worth the gamble. He might not. There is no way of knowing. But, when there are significant sums of money involved, I wouldn't assume anything.

He won't. He has other priorities at the moment and I know he wouldn't take it that far. Thanks for all the advice though.

An engagement ring isn't a gift, it's something given in expectation of marriage, so if you don't get married you give it back, it's only yours after marriage. That's my understanding of it anyway.

Surfingtheweb - Legally you are wrong. Under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970 an engagement ring is presumed to be a gift. If the engagement is broken and the giver wants the ring back it is up to them to show that the ring was given conditionally.

Yeah, it's actually literally the opposite of what you said, but thank you for your opinion.

Traditionally the engagement ring was supposed to be worth 3 months the mans salary, so if something happened to the man (such as stuffing coke up his nose?) the woman had an 'insurance policy' to fall back on.

No idea why anyone would suggest you give it back 🤨 well, I think that it depends on how long after being given the engagement was broken. I.e. if they got engaged and then broke up weeks later I would give it back, also dependent on who broke off the relationship.

Traditionally the engagement ring was supposed to be worth 3 months the mans salary, so if something happened to the man (such as stuffing coke up his nose?) the woman had an 'insurance policy' to fall back on. actually that’s not true. That standard was set by de Beers in the 1930’s in order to increase the sale of their diamonds. Similarly the one which says a man should buy a woman an eternity ring after the birth of their first child in order to sell more of the smaller diamonds.....

@SummerGems I was thinking more about op bringing his daughter up and needing to pay for the mortgage rather than just generally giving it back or not giving it back. They sound like quite desperate circumstances

Oooh it's going to auction ! Well done !

I'd love to see it but understand if that's too outing .

An engagement ring isn't a gift, it's something given in expectation of marriage, so if you don't get married you give it back, it's only yours after marriage. That's my understanding of it anyway.

You’d be correct if we were in the USA

In the UK unless special circs apply, it’s a gift as prh47 says.

Hmmm... I would show you but the only picture I have of it has my face in it...!

Can you describe it?

I'm a ring fiend - mine will be a 1.8 solitaire with baguette sides 🤣

It's a 3.9 carat diamond on a plain platinum band. It's huge and beautiful and actually I'm not feeling quite as cocky as I was earlier and really wish my life was very different right now.

Depressingly found a photo...