What proposal traditions have stood the test of time?

The sentiment is the same but around the world and from couple to couple, proposing can be very different. The act of proposing marriage has been around for a long long time and still today many of the steps involved are based on long standing traditions. In Kenya if the bride’s family accepts the grooms beads, they’re engaged. In Scandinavia both the soon to be bride and groom wear rings upon engagement and in Ireland every leap year it’s the woman’s chance to pop the question.

Before you ask…

So you’ve decided to propose? Well that’s the best because you’re in love and happy and you’re most likely thinking about how to make this proposal perfect. Your soon to be fiance is the key to this. It really all depends on your relationship and who you are as a couple. If something big, public and showy isn’t your thing that’s more than okay. Make your uniqueness all a part of the proposal. It’s a big moment and will sure to be one that you both remember. If you’re quite a traditional couple, it can be sweet to ask your future in-laws permission before you pop the question. It is a sign of honour and respect in many societies and is a tradition that dates back to the early days of marriage. It’s now a key part of many peoples proposal stories and is a lovely way to tie the bride’s family into the occasion. But of course, this is all circumstantial – what do you think she would love? Are you close to her family? Would your bride think that this is an outdated tradition? Trust your gut and get on to planning the perfect proposal.

The big tradition that has always stood the test of time is a proposal being a surprise. Even if getting married is a discussion that you’ve had before, make the moment a surprise that they’ll remember forever. A surprise proposal on the sofa before popping champagne or a walk in the park before dropping down on one knee? You’ll know how you want to do it but there are many other things that you might want to think about. Some couples want this moment captured to keep. You could think about hiring a photographer to take stunning photographs to have framed above the fireplace. There are many things to consider and this is just one of them. Will she want a stunning manicure before you put the ring on her finger, maybe send her off on a surprise spa day?

As you’re asking…

Getting down on one knee is the most synonymous image (after diamonds) when we think about proposals. But where did this tradition start? Well, it goes back to the Middle Ages when knights would get down on one knee as a sign of respect and honor. This carried through religious ceremonies and then onto the act of proposing marriage and love. Many see it as a signal of this act of loyalty being carried through into your marriage and a nod to the many stunning movie proposals in film history. From Carrie and Mr. Big in their wardrobe to Cher in Moonstruck – dropping down on your knee is important. For public proposals it’s the ultimate signal of what’s about to happen, you’re sure to draw a crowd if you bend the knee somewhere stunning. Get the ring tucked up somewhere safe and make sure your trousers are okay to get a little dusty.

After you hear yes…

After she’s been wooed by the engagement ring, said yes and you’ve had your first kiss as an engaged couple, what to do now. A great post-proposal tradition that is relatively new is a pre-planned party with all of your friends and family waiting to celebrate. Martha Stewart has a guide so we know it’s a hot trend in the list of proposal traditions. Give guests a few weeks notice and it’s your call to let them in on the big secret or not – it depends if they have loose lips. Rope in her best friends and Mum to decorate the venue and get them ready to shout ‘Congratulations!’ – you’ll be hearing it alot in the next few months.

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Engagement Jewellery Designed By Sophie Lomax

Inspired by history and contemporary culture, Sophie Lomax is the Head of Design at 77 Diamonds. We sat down to chat with her about how she started, what she loves about diamonds and what it’s like creating heirlooms. A multi-award winning designer, she has worked at Graff and De Beers before starting to lend 77 Diamonds her talents.

How did you first begin designing engagement jewellery?

I’ve always wanted to work with fine jewellery, I just think it’s so beautiful. My grandmother always had beautiful jewellery in her jewellery box. I think gold and diamonds are timeless and really make pieces into heirlooms. I’ve inherited jewellery from my grandmothers, I love that diamonds aren’t trend lead. Diamond jewellery is designed and made for a lifetime so it’s my favorite thing to work on. I’ve been designing jewellery since I started making friendship bracelets at six and then moved into making more proper jewellery and started selling it at school fairs.

How did you turn making friendships bracelets into a career?

When I was studying history of art I knew that I loved it but i missed the practical side of art and making things. I enrolled in a part time course in jewellery making. I finished my History of Art degree but then did a degree in jewellery too. I just realised that jewellery was what I always wanted to do. I then specialised and did jewellery design for industry where they teach you CAD design (computer aided design) and it’s a completely different way to work. You can cast from 3D printing – it’s so incredible. It was so new when I started working with it. I combined the training with CAD and the practical making of jewellery by hand too so I had multi layered abilities to create pieces.

How much do you think about your clients when you start designing?

I think about it as soon as I start, I want to make pieces that are passed down. I want to make something that’s on trend but also something that won’t date. You want people to wear them forever. Our Impero collection is a great example of a timeless trend collection.

What is something that continues to inspire you?

I’m always inspired by my history of art degree. There is just so much beauty to draw from. I don’t really look at jewellery as inspiration, it’s always fashion and architecture for me. I want to be inspired by shapes. The Dior exhibition that inspired the Muse collection is so important to me. There is such a history to it and it’s timeless design that’s inspired so much more than clothes.

What’s your favorite thing to work on at 77 Diamonds?

It’s so fun to work on large scale showpieces, I love love love making Engagement Rings but there’s only so much space to work with. Seeing the final campaign is also one of the best moments of my job, I love seeing things that come together and obviously seeing the designs on people and watching people enjoy them. It’s so rewarding to know that people love your designs and actually wear them everyday.

The bespoke element to 77 Diamonds is so integral to what you do – what do you love about it?

I love being able to create bespoke pieces. It’s such a special part of the process in a couples relationship and a privilege to be let into their life. It’s so nice to see the effort that grooms especially put into choosing their fiances ring. I love bringing in elements of their relationship into their rings final design. We do get very unique customers and so it’s so fun to create rings that you know will mean so much to people. Often they’ll come back with their fiance after the proposal to choose wedding rings which is so exciting. We can be part of their love story start to finish.

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Happily Ever After: Rena & Shahid

Every story is a unique representation of love – the meeting, the maturity of the relationship and the journey towards marriage. Two individuals coming together to build a life as one. Despite the hurdles and hiccups along the way, this is their happily ever after. Meet some newly engaged couples, basking in a state of romantic bliss. These loved up pairs have been kind enough to share their proposal stories with 77 World.

Today, we meet Rena El-Hajj Ibrahim and Shahid Mahmood from Denmark, who are all set to tie the knot this summer.

Rena and Shahid were engaged last year

First meeting: The couple first met in 2015. Shahid, co-owner of Scandinavian Shipping Group, approached Rena,  a Project Manager at a bank regarding a collaboration for his newly established company.

She’s the one: Shahid fell for Rena upon first meeting. “The chemistry between us was magical, and the initial plan of working together quickly turned into romantic dates. Despite the strong chemistry we shared, we decided to take things slow,” Rena shares.

The couple at their engagement party last year

The proposal: In 2017, Shahid asked Rena to make things official. Less than a couple of months later, the pair decided to create the ring Rena has always dreamt of. They are now preparing for a summer wedding.

The ring: With the bespoke team at 77 Diamonds, the couple designed Rena’s engagement ring – a double diamond halo featuring a 1ct D colour cushion-shape diamond centre stone and a double row diamond band, totalling 2.50 carats.

The double halo engagement ring the couple designed with the bespoke team at 77 Diamonds

The wedding: The wedding will take place in Copenhagen over three days. The first day of celebrations includes a Henna night with 100 guests. The night will feature music and dancing as well as the application of henna paste in intricate designs on the bride’s hands and feet. On the second day, is a white-themed Lebanese wedding welcoming 150 guests with flowers hung from the ceiling and chandeliers with candles, a three-course menu, and a huge wedding cake. On the third day, will be the traditional, colourful Pakistani wedding welcoming 300-350 guests with traditional food, dhol music, folk dancing and entertainment.

Congratulations Rena and Shahid, we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

To share your proposal story with 77 World, email priya.gill@77diamonds.com

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Engagement Ring Inspiration – Elizabeth Krupps Diamond

Engagement Ring Inspiration

Elizabeth Taylor’s Krupp Diamond

Is there anyone as quintessentially glamorous as Elizabeth Taylor? Out of all the women in the world, no one wore diamonds quite like her. As diamond rings are so synonymous with love and devotion it is only natural that this diamond in particular is linked to one of the most enduring and affecting love stories of Hollywood.

Actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had a whirlwind of a romance that resulted in two marriages and two divorces – but mostly a lot of jewellery. Burton bought Taylor the Krupp Diamond in 1968 for $300,000 and gave it to her as a surprise aboard their yacht tethered in the Thames.

The Krupp Diamond is a perfect colourless Asscher cut stone and is believed to have been cut before the 1920’s and would have originally been mined from the Golconda region in India. The stone has luminous transparency and famously it was Elizabeth Taylor’s favourite diamond which she set in an engagement ring and she wore it all of the time in countless photographs.

However, the Krupp Diamond had a whole other life before Elizabeth put it on her finger. Originally owned by its namesake Vera Krupp of the Krupp Family fortune the diamond was stolen in a famed theft when three armed men stormed her home and tore the diamond from her finger. The FBI tracked it down and rescued the diamond just in time before it was possibly recut and sold in smaller pieces.

When Elizabeth Taylor died in 2011 Christie’s sold off her estate include the Krupp Diamond which sold for a staggering $8,818,500. It’s selling price set a new record cost per carat for a colorless diamond of its kind.

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