logo
Engagement Ring Dispute
FILE - A jewelers displays an engagement ring on May 14, 2014, in Jacksonville, N.C. (Maria Sestito/The Daily News via AP, File)

Revising the rules of engagement, court says jilted bride must give back $70,000 ring

Who gets to keep an engagement ring if a wedding is called off

By STEVE LeBLANC
Published - Nov 09, 2024, 08:32 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:32 PM EST

BOSTON (AP) — Who gets to keep an engagement ring if a romance turns sour and the wedding is called off?

That’s what the highest court in Massachusetts was asked to decide with a $70,000 ring at the center of the dispute.

The court ultimately ruled Friday that an engagement ring must be returned to the person who purchased it, ending a six-decade state rule that required judges to try to identify who was to blame for the end of the relationship.

The case involved Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino, who started dating in the summer of 2016, according to court filings. Over the next year, they traveled together, visiting New York, Bar Harbor, Maine, the Virgin Islands and Italy. Johnson paid for the vacations and also gave Settino jewelry, clothing, shoes and handbags.

Our Offices
  • 10kInfo, Inc.
    13555 SE 36th St
    Bellevue, WA 98006
  • 10kInfo Data Solutions, Pvt Ltd.
    Claywork Create
    11 km, Arakere Bannerghatta Rd, Omkar Nagar, Arekere,
    Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
4.2 12182024