A judge iced a Long Island woman’s bid to hold onto the $19,000 engagement ring from her high-school sweetheart after the couple’s relationship hit the rocks — despite her claim that he forfeited the jewels by cheating.
Danielle Cavalieri refused for a year and a half to fork over the 2.2-carat white gold ring that John Gunther gave to her, according to court papers.
But now, under a Nassau County judge’s order, she’ll have to cough up the bling or its equivalent in cash.
Cavalieri, 26, who used to work for p.r. powerhouse Dan Klores, and Gunther, 27, an IT systems engineer, are both of Floral Park. They dated for nine years and attended their high-school prom together, according to a source.
In March 2008, they got engaged, with plans to tie the knot on Oct. 2, 2009. But they split in October 2008.
According to the source, they agreed Cavalieri would return the ring and Gunther would reimburse her father for the cost of the engagement party and give her their $9,000 joint bank account.
But when Gunther demanded the ring back, she allegedly replied, “I’m not ready yet — I’m still too heartbroken.”
In a twist, Cavalieri and a new love are scheduled to marry Saturday at Our Lady of Victory in Floral Park — the same church in which she and Gunther planned to wed, said the source.
Gunther filed suit last year to get the ring back.
In a counterclaim filed in December, Cavalieri said that she was entitled to the jewelry because Gunther was allegedly unfaithful and had given her the gift before they decided to marry.
She also said she suffered “severe emotional distress” and demanded more than $100,000 from her ex, according to the court papers.
On March 30, Justice F. Dana Winslow ruled that state law allows a person to get back property that was given “in contemplation of marriage” — a ring for example — if the marriage doesn’t occur.
“Consequently,” the judge wrote, “fault in the breakup of an engagement is irrelevant.”
Both Gunther and Cavalieri declined comment.