What Did Angelina Jolie Do With Her $250,000 Engagement Ring From Brad Pitt?

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s relationship began and ended in scandal. The couple first met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2003, while Pitt was still married to Hollywood's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston (the pair later split in 2005). Affair rumors swirled, though neither Jolie nor Pitt ever admitted to toeing the line; instead, they chalked up their chemistry to an excellent work partnership and close friendship, per People. By January 2006, however, the co-stars’ relationship had rapidly evolved. Pitt accompanied Jolie to Ethiopa to adopt her daughter, Zahara Marley, in 2005 and by the new year, she and her brother (whom Jolie had adopted in 2002) had a new surname: Jolie-Pitt. The new couple focused on expanding their family for the majority of the next decade, opting for a committed partnership over marriage. That changed in 2012, when the pair announced their engagement—something their six children wanted, Pitt told CBS News at the time. “It means something to them and they're, you know, they have questions when their friends’ parents are married and why is that?" Pitt shared. “We will someday. We will. … [But the kids say], 'Get mommy a ring!' Okay, I will, I will.”

That he did: Pitt proposed to Jolie with a 16-carat, emerald-cut diamond surrounded by smaller trapezoid baguette stones valued at $250,000, per multiple reports. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pitt—whose agent ultimately confirmed the pair’s engagement—was heavily involved in the design of the Art Deco-inspired piece (though, Jolie rarely wore it), which he commissioned from high-profile jeweler Robert Procop. “Brad had a specific vision for this ring, which he realized over a yearlong collaboration,” Procop told the outlet. “He wanted every aspect of  it to be perfect, so I was able to locate a diamond of the finest quality and cut it to an exact custom size and shape to suit Angelina’s hand. Brad was always heavily involved, overseeing every aspect of the creative design evolution. The side diamonds are specially cut to encircle her finger. Each diamond is of the highest gem quality.”

Though the couple’s relationship spanned nearly two decades, they were married for just five years. After tying the knot in a chapel at Château Miraval, their estate and vineyard in Correns, France—the intimate wedding in 2014 was a family affair, and their children held roles that spanned from flower girl to cake baker—Jolie filed for divorce two years later, in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. And though a judge declared them legally single in 2019 (which has allowed them to move on with other partners), their divorce has yet to be finalized to this day.

To say that the duo’s breakup has been contentious would be an understatement. Rife with custody battles, abuse allegations, and asset division (including disputes over the couple’s wedding venue and vineyard, which prompted a separate, and still unfolding, lawsuit), Jolie and Pitt’s relationship denouement has been as volatile as it has long-winded. And considering the fact that they still haven’t reached an agreement, it begs the question: Does Jolie still have the custom engagement ring Pitt gave her 12 years ago?

A line in divorce documents Jolie filed in 2016 indicate that the ring might be (or had, at one point, been) in Pitt’s possession. According to another The Hollywood Reporter source, she asked for “miscellaneous jewelry and other personal effects”—which very well could have meant her engagement ring. Whether or not Jolie was ultimately granted these assets is unknown. California law also suggests that the ring was likely returned to Pitt. In this state, where the couple lived, an engagement ring results in a “conditional promise,” meaning if the marriage is called off by the recipient—and Jolie was the one to file for divorce—or by both parties, the ring is to be returned to the giver (which would be Pitt). Of course, a prenuptial agreement, which Pitt and Jolie had, could have impacted this, which leads us to this conclusion—we likely won’t ever truly know if Jolie held onto or returned the ring unless either she or Pitt talk about it.