TIFF OVER $1OOK RING

Dispute over diamond solitaire

A $100,000 Tiffany and Co diamond ring is at the centre of a legal battle between a Gold Coast jewellery store and a Melbourne couple.

Diamonds on Broadbeach is suing Simon and Tanya Raleigh in the District Court in Brisbane in a bid to force the couple to return the ring or pay damages for its loss. The store claims its employee Alan Swart gave Mr Raleigh the four carat diamond solitaire ring at the Crown Casino in 2016.

A $100,000 Tiffany and Co diamond ring is at the centre of a legal battle between a Gold Coast jewellery store and a Melbourne couple.

Diamonds on Broadbeach (DOB) sued Simon and Tanya Raleigh from Strathmore in the District Court in Brisbane on December 21 in a bid to force the couple to return the ring or pay damages for its loss.

DOB claims that its employee Alan Swart gave Mr Raleigh the four-carat diamond solitaire ring at the Crown Casino on October 3, 2016 after Mr Raleigh agreed to buy it for $100,000 by signing a written agreement.

DOB also claims that Mr Raleigh agreed to an option agreement with Mr Swart, where the ring could be purchased within a sixmonth period for a price of up to $112,000, court documents state.

DOB claims that “since that time” Mrs Raleigh “has retained possession of the ring”.

According to the statement of claim, DOB was selling the ring on behalf of Charles Anthony Whittall, who was bankrupted weeks later by the Australian Taxation Office.

DOB claims on November 30 last year it demanded Mrs Raleigh return the ring within eight days, by sending her a legal letter.

A copy of the letter was sent to Mr Raleigh, and he replied saying that the ring “would not be delivered” to DOB, it is claimed in court documents.

“The defendants have otherwise failed to return the ring to the plaintiff and have thereby evinced an intention not to return the said ring,” DOB allege.

The Raleighs are yet to file a defence and no date has been set for hearing the case.