The wedding's off -- see you in court!

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Instead of walking down the aisle of a church, a former New York couple will traipse down the aisle of a court room to settle a fight over a $48,800 diamond engagement ring.

Dean Kuehnen Jr. is suing his ex-fiance, Andria Castellano, to compel her to either return the ring or give him cash -- as well as cover his legal fees and costs, according to the complaint filed in New York State Court.

Castellano has threatened to sell or destroy the 3.23-carat ring, even though the couple agreed the ring would be returned to Kuehnen if their engagement was ever broken off, the complaint says.

Both were 21 years old when they became engaged in December last year, but by September this year the wedding was off.

"The sole and exclusive consideration, motivation and reason for buying the ring was the contemplated marriage," the complaint says.

Attempts to contact Castellano were unsuccessful.

According to the United States' Emily Post Institute that offers etiquette and manners advice, "if an engagement is broken, the bride should immediately return the ring to her former fiance."

"The only "but" in this case is if the ring is a family heirloom of the bride's. She should then keep the ring," the institute said on its Web site.