News.com.au is reporting a court case in which the judge decided that an engagement ring is a “conditional gift” in return for marriage.
However, this court case isn’t anything new. The case Cohen vs Sellar in 1926 established the precedent that an engagement ring was indeed conditional, however, if a man called off the marriage, then he couldn’t demand the ring to be returned.
The Times also has a write up of the case including the situation in other parts of the world.
So, even in legal terms, an engagement ring is seen as a fairly big commitment - if the man calls off the wedding, they loose it - if a woman calls it quits, she looses the ring. With so much money at stake, it’s easy to the importance of a diamond engagement ring and why they’re so popular.
