In my last article I began a discussion on etiquette after divorce. In this article I want to back up a step from marriage. In this article, I am looking for opinions on etiquette after engagement break-ups.
Some couples rush into engagement and then discover that perhaps they are not ready to get married. Some couples are engaged and then have irreconcilable differences and break up. Just like in marriage, some partners have affairs or cheat on their fiancé.
For whatever reason that it is, some couples end their engagements. While these couples are lucky that the marriage ended before it ever began, it still leaves the dilemma of what to do with the engagement ring.
I can think of several different situations that may occur to a diamond ring after an engagement is broken off.
The woman keeps it.
Some women feel that the ring was given to them as a gift and that gifts are not to be taken away. They refuse to give up the ring.
The woman does not want it.
If the woman has bitter feelings toward the ex fiancé she may want no part of the ring. The feelings may be so bad that she does not even want a part of the money that she could get from selling it. In this case, she may have it destroyed. Things may happen such as throwing it in a lake, out the window, etc.
She gives it back.
If the couple mutually ends the engagement on good terms, she may willingly give it back. If the two remain friends she may feel that returning the ring is the right thing to do. If she was the cause of the break up, she may feel bad about keeping the ring.
Check back for more discussion on wedding rings after break ups.
You and Your Ring Til Death do You Part?
Shopping for an Engagement Ring