‘Stunt double’ ring for proposals
Popping the question is nerve wracking enough for a guy, without the added worry of whether his girlfriend will like the
ring.
Nelson’s Jewel Beetle has come up with a solution that jewelers Yvon Smits and Allison Judge say takes the worry out of
finding the perfect engagement ring.
“We’ve created the ‘proposal ring’, in sterling silver with the option of gold plating, shaped to look like a diamond
solitaire, with the words 'will you marry me' engraved on the band,” Yvon explains. “Before a guy pops the question he
can buy this ring for just $249, then if all goes to plan the couple come back here and work with us on the design for
their ultimate engagement ring.”
Allison says an engagement ring is a lifelong investment, so it is important to get it right. By using the proposal
ring, the couple can take their time to choose the design elements they want for their custom made ring.
“For the proposal ring we wanted something that looked like an engagement ring but cost a lot less,” she says. “It’s a
sort of ‘stunt double’ for the real thing and takes the pressure off the guy making the choice by himself. It’s a fun
thing really.”
In their ten-year business partnership, Yvon and Allison have seen plenty of nervous men in the workshop trying to
decide what kind of ring to buy, and they’ve also had girls coming in asking for alterations on engagement rings that
weren’t quite what they wanted.
Once the couple has chosen their real engagement ring, the price of the ‘proposal ring’ is deducted from the engagement
ring, for rings of more than $2000. The couple also keep the proposal ring, which can be resized, worn as a pendant or
used as a replacement for the real thing.
“We are often asked to make silver replicas of a woman’s precious ring,” Ali says. “For instance, if they are into
mountain biking or going on holiday and don't want to take it with them but feel naked without it, the proposal ring can
be used as a stand-in.”
Proposal rings can be bought at the Jewel Beetle store upstairs in Trafalgar Street or online at jewelbeetle.co.nz
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About Jewel Beetle
The workshop name comes from the incandescent jewel beetle, highly prized by collectors with shining bodies that were
worn as jewellery in ancient times.
Jewel Beetle is known for bespoke wedding and engagement rings, but also produces a range of critters: dragonflies,
bees, beetles, kiwi, geese, dogs, and cats.
Yvon Smits and Allison Judge are both fully trained manufacturing jewellers and between them have 48 years of
experience. Yvon trained as a goldsmith at the Vakschool, Schoonhoven in the Netherlands, while Alison is a graduate of
the Kent Institute of Art and Design in the UK. Both women have lived in New Zealand since the 1990s.