Our Story
The heart-sinking moment happened on the 18th green of a golf course, fortunately I was only moments away from the clubhouse and a strong drink.
​I really didn't know where to start with buying an engagement ring. I had never needed to consider the clarity, colour and carat of a diamond before, but suddenly there was a lot of money at stake and I needed to be an expert. Fortunately, one of my best friends is a jewellery dealer, beyond giving me an "Idiot's Guide" to diamonds, he helped to source the perfect diamond for my fiance's ring, purchased it on my behalf and sent it via courier to a jeweller to get mounted in a ring.
I was anticipating a call from the jeweller to confirm a few details, a few too many days passed without hearing anything so I thought I should check in with my friend that everyone was OK - "It should have arrived by now, I've been chasing up the courier and they don't know where it is." My heart sank at the realisation that the diamond had almost certainly been lost and that I was going to have to wait weeks for the insurance payout before I could buy another. I didn't have the luxury of time though, I had a holiday planned with my partner and that was where I was going to ask the question.
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Sometimes when you're in a compromised position, the only way out is to take positive action and regain control.
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Even if I could have found another diamond in time, I couldn't afford to buy it until the insurance money landed in my bank account, I needed a plan B and fast. I found a suitable ring I could use as a stand-in, it was in stock and would arrive in time before the holiday - phew. When it arrived I realised the advert had been a little flattering, for instance it didn't arrive in a ring box as expected. I couldn't just pull the ring out of my pocket and propose, so I'd have to get creative. I could take care of that though, I was back in control of the narrative.
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I never thought I'd propose at the side of the road under the false pretense of a breakdown
The holiday we were going on was a road trip through Europe, which at the time was experiencing a heatwave. I love my car, but I'll concede that it's not the most comfortable or reliable, and true to form as soon as we entered France, the air conditioning failed. In mid-30's heat, we were arriving everywhere in a pool of our own sweat. Suffice to say, the car had very quickly fallen out of favour with my fiance. This feeling was further compounded by the fact that it had failed to start on at least 4 occasions over the first couple of days, and I'd already made 2 desperate phone calls to my mechanic who had talked me through some procedures to get it started again. So when I said "I can feel a wobble, I think there's something wrong with one of the wheels, I better pull over" I was not questioned, I was simply met with further disdain. I got out of the car to seemingly check the driver's side wheel and said "there's something stuck in the tyre, you're going to have to look at this". My fiance came storming around the car ready to lambast both me and the car, only to find said ring in the tyre tread - and the rest is history.​​
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I may be the only one who lost a diamond in the post, but I'm not the only one who struggles with the pressure of choosing the right ring
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When telling this story to people I realised that, for various reasons, the option to use a temporary engagement ring was a popular one. People cited; style, size, colour, stone type, cut - it really is a complex and expensive purchase. I realised that there was a product missing from the market, one that delivers the quality and sparkle for that special moment, but also one that takes care of all of the above concerns at an affordable price.
The product we created is what I would have wanted to find in our predicament, it's not just the ring itself; it's the slim ring box which makes delivery easy, while also discreetly fitting into your pocket on the big day without raising any suspicion. The innovative band design allows for it to be simply adjusted to fit almost anyone, no need to guess at sizing and spend money on a bespoke fit. The moissanite stone shines brighter than a diamond which means you can still have a dazzling proposal but without compromising your budget for the real deal.
