How did you feel when you had to start looking for an engagement ring?
I felt at square one really. I knew very little about jewellery in general and wanted something unique and special, but didn’t yet know what that would really mean. I definitely didn’t feel keen on just walking into a high street jewellers which seemed like it would be a bit more of an intimidating experience to someone who knew so little.
How did you hear about Stephanie Stevens Jewellery?
I’m based in Cornwall where I live with my now fiancée and so it was important to me to have a ring from a small local business. I searched online for Cornish bespoke engagement rings and Stephanie’s website was one that instantly caught my eye.
Why was it important for you to have a bespoke ring?
Buying an engagement ring felt like one of the biggest and more emotionally significant purchases I had ever thought about making, and so it just seemed natural to have one tailored specifically to us than a generic one chosen from a shelf.
Main reason you chose Stephanie to design and make your ring?
After the initial meeting with Steph it just didn’t feel like there was any reason to keep looking elsewhere. She was completely welcoming, friendly and helpful and was easily able to answer all my questions. I went from quite quickly feeling like I didn’t know where to start, to having a really good idea of exactly what I wanted and why. This gave me a lot of confidence that Steph would make the journey an easy one.
What was it like receiving the photos of your ring being made and how did it make you feel?
First seeing the photos of the ring was very exciting. I’m personally really into how things are made and so it was such a cool thing to see it come to life in stages. There were some tweaks we were able to make along the way which felt really reassuring. Steph was determined to have the ring come out perfect.
Your favourite part of the journey?
I think just the time between seeing the ring finished and the proposal. This was a couple of weeks for me but it was so fun and hard to contain such a big secret. It felt all the more exciting having the perfect ring and just waiting for the moment to match. Nerve-wracking but quite a buzz!
Any tips you can give to partners looking for engagement rings?
I think the service Steph offers showed me that it really pays to be fussy and to work towards exactly what you want right down to the smallest detail. There was a moment where we could have compromised on a couple of things but Steph was encouraging to spend some extra time getting things perfect and looking back I’m so so glad we did. It’s such an important thing so definitely worth working with an artist like Steph to end up with exactly the ring you want to give.
Tell us about the proposal 🙂
Chris met me one evening at Porthminster beach in St Ives having arranged to go for a dip in the sea. It was a beautiful, calm, warm evening. We were chatting away as we were getting our swimming stuff on and getting in to the water. At one point there was a pause and Chris got something out of the pocket of his shorts. Once I saw he had a ring attached to a bit of string I immediately said yes without even giving him a chance to ask! He said ‘wait wait!’ and we swam to shallower water where he got down on one knee. I was shocked but of course said yes and had the biggest smile on my face. I couldn’t believe it.
How does it feel now you have your dream ring?
I love it! I look at it every day and loved showing all my friends. I loved the sentiment in it all and loved hearing about the journey of it being designed and made.
What does your ring mean to you?
I love that the ring was specifically made for me by a local maker who cares so much about what they do. St Ives is a special place for me so I love that the ring was made in the area and that the proposal ended up being here too.
Any other comments?
The making of our ring with Steph became such a big part of the proposal story. Having a bespoke ring with a story and meaning behind it made everything more special. We can’t recommend her enough.
