Table of contents
January 2025 – Trying on Styles
Danny and I made our first visit to Soho Gem in January 2025. We had been talking about our future together and knew we wanted to take the next step toward getting engaged, but neither of us had much idea where to begin with ring shopping. I’d tried on rings casually at a few jewelers before, but this was the first time I stepped into the process with real intention. We arrived at Soho Gem with open minds and a sense of excitement.
Our appointment with Gabrielle was designed to help us explore styles and elements we might like. She encouraged us to try on as many rings as we wanted, experimenting with different metals, sizes, shapes, and stone colors. The collection was stunning, but nothing felt like “the one.” That realization sparked the idea of creating something custom.
I documented the appointment with plenty of photos and videos to keep track of the designs that caught my eye. Gabrielle also walked us through the timeline for creating a ring, key milestones, and pricing considerations, which gave us a clearer picture of what the process would involve.
Afterward, I spent time reflecting on the rings I had tried and began narrowing down the diamond shapes I preferred. Gabrielle followed up with an email summarizing our favorites: “So far, we know that you loved the idea of a unique ring crafted in yellow gold, with the center stone accompanied by side stones or clusters of diamonds similar to those pictured. You also liked an oval, marquise, or round center diamond, and some of our designs that featured a lotus prong basket with diamonds on the band.” She included additional photos for inspiration, which helped me start envisioning what my dream ring could look like.
February 2025 – Planning the Setting
Over the next few weeks, Gabrielle and I exchanged emails, brainstorming how to merge my favorite design elements into one perfect ring.
I knew I was drawn to clustered side stones, pavé diamond knots, and lotus flower baskets — those became the foundation of our conversations. Gabrielle and I sketched ideas back and forth, refining how each detail could come together in a way that felt balanced and unique.
Once we finalized the setting design, the next exciting step awaited: choosing the center stone.
March 2025 – Choosing the Stone
Our second visit with Gabrielle was all about finding the perfect center stone to bring the design to life. Based on the rings I had tried on earlier, I was leaning toward a round or oval diamond.
With our preferences narrowed to round or oval and a clear price range in mind, Gabrielle presented six lab-grown diamonds, each between two and three carats. To help us visualize, she used a setting that could interchangeably hold the stones, allowing me to see how each one looked on my finger.
We documented the process with plenty of photos and videos, capturing every sparkle as I tried on each option.
April 2025 – Final Stone Selection
For our last in-store visit, we returned to Soho Gem to focus on the two stones we had narrowed down: a 3-carat oval and a 3-carat round diamond. Because my setting included side stones, I wanted to see how each option aligned with them and how the overall balance of the ring would look.
This visit was all about visualizing the finished design — comparing the oval’s elongated elegance with the round’s classic symmetry — and imagining how each would complement the clustered details of the setting.
After this visit, we selected our stone – a gorgeous three carat round!
April 2025 – CAD Renderings
With the stone selected, we moved into the CAD rendering stage of the design process. This step allowed the jeweler to create a 3D mock-up of the ring based on the specifications we had discussed, giving us our first glimpse of how all the elements would come together.
We were thrilled to receive the initial renderings — seeing our ideas come to life in 3D was surreal. While we loved the original design, there were a few details we wanted to refine. We shared inspiration photos of other rings with Gabrielle, and she translated those adjustments into clear feedback for the jeweler.
May 2025 – Final Touches
The jeweler responded with an updated CAD rendering that incorporated all of our requested design elements. At this point, I stepped back from the creative process and let my fiancé make the final decisions. He chose to add a deeply personal touch: our birthstones set inside the band, along with a meaningful inscription on the inner band.
With those additions, our design was complete. The ring took about three to four weeks to craft, and once it was finished, all that remained was for Danny to propose — the moment we had been dreaming of since the very first appointment.
September 2025 – The Proposal
Danny proposed in September 2025 on the beach in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
We couldn’t be happier with the ring or our experience at Soho Gem!
Inspired to begin your own custom engagement ring journey? Visit www.sohogem.com to learn more about Soho Gem’s design process and explore their bridal collections. You can also follow @sohogem on Instagram for bridal inspiration, jewelry trends, and a closer look at their latest designs.
