Is it permissible to reclaim the value of the engagement gift (a 24-carat, 50-gram gold necklace) in cash instead of the gold itself after the engagement is broken? And is the value calculated at the original purchase price or at the current market price, given that the price of gold has increased one and a half times?

If the gold presented by the suitor to the fiancée is part of the Mahr (dowry)—the shabakah (engagement gift)—then it must be returned to him upon the annulment of the engagement, because a woman is not entitled to any part of the dowry before the marriage contract is concluded. If the gold is still existing, then the object itself must be returned. The suitor is not obligated to accept its monetary value unless both parties agree to that.