The answer is that they are two different things, and even if the engagement ring is bought first, you might end up with both or not. It all depends on your personal preferences and your relationship. While most couples choose to follow the tradition of wearing both, there's no rule that says it's mandatory. The final result? There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing, designing, or wearing engagement and wedding rings.
You can't wear any, one, two, three or even more rings, just make sure that the ring (or rings) you choose to wear to symbolize your love and marriage has a lasting meaning for you for many years to come. In New Jersey, an engagement ring is considered a conditional gift, meaning that the ring is given on the condition that the parties get married. If the condition is met (the couple marries), then the ring is the wife's property. After the divorce, the engagement ring is not subject to equitable distribution and, therefore, the wife keeps the ring.
If the couple never marries and, therefore, the condition of the gift cannot be met, the engagement ring must be returned under New Jersey law. According to New Jersey case law, an engagement ring is considered a conditional gift that is given to the recipient with the intention of entering into marriage. The marriage condition must be met so that the recipient can keep the ring. Therefore, if the parties do not get married, the engagement ring belongs to the donor and not to the recipient.
Guilt plays no role with respect to the analysis from which party you receive the engagement ring after a broken engagement, as confirmed in Aronow c. Silver. There were conflicting testimonies about which party ended the engagement. However, the court confirmed that New Jersey complies with the minority rule regarding the return of engagement rings, that is, that fault is irrelevant.
So, even if the donor called off the wedding because they were having an affair, the engagement ring would still have to be returned to the donor. When an engagement is canceled, the promise of marriage is broken and the ring must be returned to the donor. The value of the ring doesn't matter. The state of New Jersey takes a “no-fault” approach to broken commitments, meaning that the circumstances surrounding the breakup don't matter either. However, times have changed and now couples are free to make their own decisions when it comes to wearing engagement rings. In 1947, a diamond mining company called De Beers popularized their slogan “a diamond is forever” which contributed to a trend of buying expensive diamond engagement rings.
Brides-to-be usually swap out their engagement ring for another one just before walking down the aisle. Couples should feel free to make whatever decision suits them best when it comes to wearing engagement rings. If it's considered a gift and not a conditional gift then even if an engagement has been broken off then they can keep it. With Valentine's Day just around the corner many people have bought engagement rings with intentions of getting engaged on Valentine's Day. Although records of modern engagement rings date back as far as 1477 it wasn't until mid-20th century that diamonds became commonly used in them and there's usually a significant price difference between them and wedding rings; even if they are encrusted with diamonds or other gemstones their total weight in carats is usually lower than that of an engagement ring. In 1987 case Aronow v Silver both parties called off their wedding just days before it was due to take place and there were conflicting testimonies about who ended it but court confirmed that New Jersey follows minority rule regarding return of engagement rings meaning fault doesn't matter so even if donor called off wedding because they were having an affair then they would still have to return it. When an engagement is canceled then promise of marriage has been broken and so ring must be returned to donor regardless of value or circumstances surrounding breakup but now couples are free to make their own decisions when it comes to wearing them. In conclusion there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing designing or wearing engagement and wedding rings; couples should feel free to make whatever decision suits them best when it comes to wearing them.
