High-Profile Celebrity Breakup Has Us Asking: 'Who Gets the Ring?'

A $1 million diamond engagement ring is at the center of the high-profile clash between NBA pro Ben Simmons and British TV personality Maya Jama.

The new Love Island (UK) host, 28, broke off their year-long engagement in December, prompting the forlorn 26-year-old Brooklyn Nets forward to send his ex-fiancée a formal legal notice to get the ring back.

While initial reporting points to an equitable solution, with Jama saying through her representatives that she will return the ring, the bigger question is "Does she legally have to?"

There is no uniform law in the US or Canada regarding the return of engagement rings after a breakup. In fact, the case law regarding this subject is murky, at best.

The Alabama Court of Appeals, for example, recently ruled that an engagement ring given on the condition of marriage must be returned to the giver if the relationship fails.

In Montana, engagement rings are seen as “absolute gifts,” so the recipient can keep it whether the couple goes through with the marriage or not.

According to an article posted by Virginia-based law firm SmolenPlevy, most states view an engagement ring as a semi-contract, or a “conditional gift.”

In this view, the ring is given with the understanding that the couple will get married in the future and symbolizes a verbal contract. Ownership of the ring is not fully transferred until the wedding ceremony is completed.

A few jurisdictions, explained SmolenPlevy, take a slightly different view, calling the ring an “implied gift.”

In this case, ownership of the ring is determined by whomever calls off the wedding. If the giver breaks it off, he or she is not entitled to the ring, and it becomes a gift. If the receiver breaks off the engagement, the giver can ask for the ring back.

Ownership of the ring can also be complicated by whether the ring was a family heirloom, or whether it was given as a “gift” on a holiday or birthday, for example.

The non-legal, but traditional, etiquette calls for the engagement ring to be returned to the giver if the recipient breaks the relationship, or if the breakup was mutual. If the giver is responsible for the breakup, the receiver controls the destiny of the ring.

A 2015 survey conducted by findlaw.com revealed that 78% of Americans believe the person who gave the engagement ring is entitled to get it back, if they want it. Twenty-two percent said the recipient should keep it.

Interestingly, the survey data hardly varied between male and female respondents, or their current marital status of single, married or divorced.

The best way to avoid costly, emotional and drawn-out litigation, according to SmolenPlevy, is to enter into a prenuptial or premarital agreement, which outlines clearly who will get the ring if the wedding never takes place. This agreement also can cover what happens to the ring if the couple gets married but later divorces.

If it's too late for a prenup, consider talking to a local family law attorney, who can explain how courts in your area have ruled regarding the fate of engagement rings.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.

Buffalo Bills Players Wear "3" Pendants to Honor Recovering Damar Hamlin

The entire Buffalo Bills squad honored Damar Hamlin during yesterday's AFC divisional playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals by wearing 14-karat gold "3" pendants under their uniforms.

The 24-year-old safety, whose uniform number is 3, was recently released from the hospital after sustaining a scary, life-threatening injury during a Monday Night Football game on January 2. Hamlin had taken a blow to the chest and went into cardiac arrest. Quick action by the team's medical staff is credited with saving his life.

That game, which was paused and then canceled because of the seriousness of Hamlin's injury, was also against the Bengals.

Since then, Hamlin's remarkable and inspirational recovery has touch the lives of sports fans and non-sports fans, alike. He was strong enough to visit his team in the locker room prior to the game and cheer them on from a sky box.

Donations have poured into Hamlin's foundation, which collected $8.6 million to support young people through education and sports.

The "3" pendants were gifted to the team by Gabriel Jacobs of New York-based Rafaello & Co.

Known as the "Jeweler to the Stars," Jacobs told TMZ, "I was extremely moved by all the outpouring of love and donations that came from all across the world. Being a jeweler, I wanted to give back in my own way by gifting these pendants as a way for the Buffalo Bills team to continue to honor Hamlin."

The pendants measure 2 1/2 inches tall and feature a tiny heart applied to the bottom-right of Hamlin's number. Inscribed on the back of the pendant is a quote from Hamlin: "If you get a chance to show some love today do it! It won't cost you nothing."

Jacobs shared pics of the pendants on his company's Instagram page. Players Dion Dawkins and Von Miller posted photos of the jewelry on their respective Instagram Stories.

In addition to the 80 pendants that Jacobs provided to the players and Hamlin's family, he also designed a special white gold and diamond version for Hamlin himself.

NFL players are allowed to wear chain necklaces during the game as long as they do not have a “hard object” attached to them. If there is a hard object attached, that item can not be visible. Players will typically tuck chain necklaces under their shoulder pads to keep them from being yanked off.

Despite the inspirational boost provided by the "3" pendants, the Bills were beaten by the Bengals 27-10. The Bengals will go on to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Championship game.

Credits: Jewelry images via Instagram / rafaelloandco. Players join in group prayer during rescue efforts to save Damar Hamlin, photo by Schetm, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Music Friday: Jackson Browne Tells Story of Ruby Pendant 'In the Shape of a Heart'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we present Jackson Browne’s “In the Shape of a Heart,” a 1986 ballad that uses a ruby necklace to convey the pain the artist feels when he learns his lover has gone. Rolling Stone magazine called it “one of Browne’s finest love songs.”

Browne, who tragically lost his first wife, Phyllis Major, to a drug overdose in 1976 at the age of 30, confirmed that “In the Shape of a Heart” is, indeed, a story about their tempestuous relationship.

The song starts off with the ruby reference: “It was a ruby that she wore / On a chain around her neck / In the shape of a heart / In the shape of a heart / It was a time I won’t forget / For the sorrow and regret / And the shape of a heart / And the shape of a heart.”

Browne writes about missing the warning signs of his wife’s distress, while never really understanding “what she was talking about” or “what she was living without.”

In the end, when he realizes she’s not coming back, he takes the ruby heart necklace from the bed stand, holds it for a moment, and then drops it through a fist-sized hole in the wall.

He sings, “In the hour before dawn / When I knew she was gone / And I held it in my hand / For a little while / And dropped it into the wall / Let it go, heard it fall.”

In reviewing the song for Rolling Stone, Jimmy Guterman wrote that Browne “nails heartbreak to the wall and sends his listeners scurrying for the Kleenex.”

Released as the second single from his Lives in the Balance album, “In the Shape of a Heart” peaked at #10 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Asylum Records pressed a red vinyl promotional single in — you guessed it — the shape of a heart.

Born in Heidelberg, West Germany, the 74-year-old singer-songwriter has sold more than 18 million albums in the U.S. and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Among his most famous songs are “These Days,” “Running on Empty,” “Doctor My Eyes” and “Take It Easy.” As a political activist and humanitarian, Browne has supported the efforts of Amnesty International and co-founded MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy).

Please check out the video of Browne performing “In the Shape of a Heart.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“In the Shape of a Heart”
Written and performed by Jackson Browne.

It was a ruby that she wore
On a chain around her neck
In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart

It was a time I won’t forget
For the sorrow and regret
And the shape of a heart
And the shape of a heart

I guess I never knew
What she was talking about
I guess I never knew
What she was living without

People speak of love don’t know what they’re thinking of
Wait around for the one who fits just like a glove
Speak in terms of belief and belonging
Try to fit some name to their longing

There was a hole left in the wall
From some ancient fight
About the size of a fist
Or something thrown that had missed

And there were other holes as well
In the house where our nights fell
Far too many to repair
In the time that we were there

People speak of love don’t know what they’re thinking of
Reach out to each other though the push and shove
Speak in terms of the life and the learning
Try to think of a word for the burning

You keep it up
You try so hard
To keep a life from coming apart
And never know
What breaches and faults are concealed
In the shape of a heart

In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart

It was the ruby that she wore
On a stand beside the bed
In the hour before dawn
When I knew she was gone
And I held it in my hand
For a little while
And dropped it into the wall
I let it go, heard it fall

I… I guess I never knew
What she was talking about
I guess I never knew
What she was living without

People speak of love don’t know what they’re thinking of
Wait around for the one who fits just like a glove
Speak in terms of a life and the living
Try to find the word for forgiving

You keep it up
You try so hard
To keep a life from coming apart
And never know
The shallows and the unseen reefs
That are there from the start

In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart
In the shape of a heart

Credits: Photo by Craig ONeal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Brazilian Soccer Legend Ronaldo Pops the Question With Classic Princess Solitaire

Legendary Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo popped the question to his model girlfriend Celina Locks last week with an eternally elegant four-prong princess-cut solitaire diamond ring.

Best known for his two World Cup victories and stellar playing career that earned him the nickname "O Fenômeno" (The Phenomenon), the now-retired striker delivered his marriage proposal during the couple's recent Caribbean getaway.

Locks, a 32-year-old fashion model and founder of Celina Locks Beauty, took to Instagram to show off the new ring and deliver a sweet message to her new fiancé.

"YES, I do!" she exclaimed, while punctuating the affirmation with two emojis — an infinity sign and an engagement ring.

On a separate line, she added in Portuguese, "Te amo, para sempre," which means "I love you, forever."

The 46-year-old Ronaldo responded to the post by writing, "Love you" followed by four red heart emojis.

Locks claims 411,000 followers on Instagram. Ronaldo boasts 29.6 million.

Described as modern and edgy, the princess-cut is technically a "square modified brilliant" and rates as the second-most-popular-shape used in engagement rings, just behind the classic round cut, according to brides.com.

"You'll get a more modern and geometrical look while still boasting a ton of brilliance," explained the publication's editors in their recent review of popular diamond shapes.

Ronaldo and Locks have been dating since February of 2015 and have yet to announce a wedding date.

Ronaldo, who is currently the majority owner of Real Valladolid CF, a Spanish soccer team in the premier LaLiga division, is said to have a net worth of about $160 million.

He shouldn't be confused with 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who captains the Portugal national team and now plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League. He is currently one of the best soccer players in the world and has a net worth of $490 million, according to Forbes.

In March of 2021, Locks teased her Instagram followers with a long post about how she was entering a new phase of her life and how she had “immense happiness” inside of her. Readers speculated that she might be expecting a child. In fact, she was hinting about the launch of a new perfume.

Credits: Images via Instagram / celinalocks; Instagram.com / ronaldo.

King Charles III's Coronation to Spotlight Rarely Worn St Edward's Crown

During the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on May 6, the 74-year-old royal will be wearing the St Edward’s Crown, a lavish headpiece glistening with 444 gemstones set in 22-karat yellow gold.

Considered the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, the crown dates back to the 17th century and was, ironically, fabricated for King Charles II in 1661.

The St Edward’s Crown has seen little use during its 362-year-old history and has spent most of its time in the Tower of London. In fact, only six monarchs have chosen to wear the St Edward's Crown on their coronations: Charles II (1661), James II (1685), William III (1689), George V (1911), George VI (1937) and Elizabeth II (1953).

Others have opted for other royal crowns that better suited their tastes and comfort levels. Queen Victoria (1838) and Edward VII (1902), for example, decided to forego the honor of using the St Edward's Crown because of its weight and opted for the lighter Imperial State Crown.

Measuring 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) tall and weighing 2.23 kilograms (4.9 pounds), the St Edward's Crown is set with a colorful selection of 444 gems, including 345 aquamarines, 37 white topazes, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, 7 amethysts, 6 sapphires, 2 jargoons (colorless zircon), 1 garnet, 1 spinel and 1 carbuncle (red almandine). (This tally adds to 439 and the identity of the remaining six are unclear.) The crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band.

King Charles III will wear the St Edward's Crown at the moment of coronation and is likely to switch to the Imperial State Crown during the service.

In a press release, Buckingham Palace announced that the St Edward’s Crown had been removed from the Jewel House at the Tower of London to allow for resizing ahead of the coronation.

The current version of the St Edward’s Crown replaced a 13th century crown that had been melted down in 1649 when Parliament abolished the monarchy during the English Civil War. The monarchy was restored in 1660 under the leadership of Charles II.

The 1661 design was not an exact replica of the medieval design, but it mimicked the original in that it features four fleurs-de-lis alternating with four crosses pattée, which support two dipped arches.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Buckingham Palace.