The years-old legal battle between the husband of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Alina Habba and a New York City jeweler continues.
In 2021, Gregg Reuben filed a complaint in New York Supreme Court alleging that Allurez sold him a 7-carat diamond engagement ring for $78,000 more than the market value. He is accusing the Diamond District company, which is owned by Sky 26 Enterprises, of fraud, unjust enrichment and false advertising. The Harvard Business School graduate, who heads up Centerpark as chief executive officer, is seeking the full price of the ring — $93,000, legal fees and $500,000 in damages.
Attorneys for Habba, who Trump appointed as New Jersey’s interim U.S. attorney on Monday, wed in 2020. She and her first husband Matthew Eyet, a fellow attorney, ended their eight-year marriage in 2019, and they share two children. Eyet is a partner at Habba’s law firm Habba Madaio & Associates, according to his LinkedIn page.
Reuben’s lawsuit against Allurez’ Raphael Mahgerefteh was filed by another partner at the firm Michael Madaio. The complaint alleges that Allurez fraudulently misrepresents the quality and characteristics of the diamonds it sells “to the detriment to consumers.” Reuben alleged that he was given a “EGL Canada” certificate to prove the engagement ring’s worth, but that benchmark is not of the same caliber of “EGL USA,” a 48-year-old diamond grading lab that is considered to be the industry standard. The filing states that EGL Canada is “widely known” to overstate the qualities and value of the diamonds they grade “by dramatic margins.” It is also referenced that EGL Canada is no longer in business.
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Attorneys for Mahgerefteh, Allurez and Sky 26 filed a motion to dismiss in May of 2021.
Media requests to Reuben, Madaio and Habba were unreturned. Before attending Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Habba worked in production and as an East Coast merchandiser for Marc Jacobs from 2005 and 2007. More recently, she defended Trump in civil trials over lawsuits brought against him by the writer E. Jean Carroll and New York attorney general Letitia James. Prior to that, she served as a spokesperson for Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Asked for comment about the ongoing litigation with Reuben, an Allurez representative issued a lengthy statement via email, noting that the company has been in business since 2010, and “we pride ourselves in providing high customer satisfaction, and being one of the most reputable jewelers in the industry.”
Without naming Reuben or Habba, Allurez said “this client requested the specific diamond that he purchased after viewing it on our website and came to our office multiple times to view it in person. He even brought his then-fiancé to see the diamond in person, before agreeing to purchase it. Our skilled jewelers worked tirelessly to handcraft the custom-made setting that met the couple’s exact design preferences.”
The Allurez staffer also claimed that during one of his visits, “the client mentioned that his ex-wife was a jeweler, and that since he knew a lot about jewelry, he appreciated the deal and professionalism that Allurez provided. The couple expressed nothing but gratitude immediately following their ring purchase, and we created the exact ring they requested, using the diamond they’d viewed many times prior.“
One of Mahgerefteh’s lawyers, Joseph Paykin, a partner at Hinman, Howard & Kattell Attorneys, declined to comment Thursday.
