Tayshia Adams Will Have to Return Her 3.25-Carat Engagement Ring From ‘The Bachelorette’ After Her Breakup With Zac Clark

Tayshia Adams rose to prominence after being cast on the 16th season of The Bachelorette. Adams, who had been involved in the franchise prior to that in other capacities, quickly became a fan favorite, with many viewers praising her authenticity and scientific background. At the end of her season, Adams got engaged to Zac Clark, in a romantic proposal scene that made waves on social media. In the days following the engagement, fans drooled over her ring. And in light of the couple’s recent breakup, many are wondering if Tayshia Adams will get to keep the stunning engagement ring. 

Zac Clark proposed to Tayshia Adams with a stunning 3.25-carat engagement ring

In season 16 of The Bachelorette, Tayshia Adams ruled the airwaves, eliminating contestants one by one until she seemingly found true love with Zac Clark. In the season finale, Clark proposed to Adams, presenting her with a stunning engagement ring that took her breath away. According to Brides magazine, the ring that Clark gave Adams was designed by celebrity jeweler Neil Lane and is about 3.25 carats.

The emerald-cut ring is, as Lane describes it, “very classic, very 1920s, vintage and high-style.” Brides magazine estimates that the total cost of the ring is between $45,000 and $75,000. Unfortunately, Adams’ engagement ring has outlasted her actual engagement, with reports circulating in November 2021 that Adams and Clark decided to call it quits just one year after getting engaged. 

What are the engagement ring rules on ‘The Bachelorette’?

With Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark being no longer together, many fans are wondering if Adams will get to keep her stunning engagement ring. As it turns out, there are very specific rules that govern the engagement rings on both The Bachelorette and The Bachelor. Although the rings are gifted to the show for free, with Neil Lane being heavily involved in the design process of each ring, there is a contract that contestants sign before filming commences that stipulates that the rings must be returned if the engaged couple breaks up before two years after the show’s final airing day.

Therefore, with Adams and Clark breaking up before that two-year mark, it seems likely that Adams will be returning her engagement ring. (Although, it is not clear what happens to the ring after it is returned.) Lane himself has noted that he isn’t sure what happens to the returned rings, although he has clarified that he doesn’t put the rings up for sale.

Other ‘Bachelorette’ contestants have had to give back their rings

Tayshia Adams is far from the only star of The Bachelorette to have broken up before the two-year mark. Notably, Katie Thurston, who got engaged to Blake Moynes in season 17, broke up less than a year after getting engaged. This means she had to give back the 3-carat, oval-shaped ring, which cost an estimated $80,000, according to Cosmopolitan.

Emily Maynard, who got engaged to Jef Holm on The Bachelorette in 2012, ended up also having to give back her 3.5-carat, emerald-cut ring after she and Holm broke up. The sophisticated ring cost an estimated $68,000, according to Us Magazine.

However, not all contestants who have failed engagements return their rings. Ali Fedotowsky negotiated with producers in order to keep her ring, even though her engagement to Roberto Martinez only lasted about 18 months.

With Tayshia Adams remaining mum about her plans for her engagement ring, fans can safely assume that she had to give it back to showrunners.