My wife is very talented artistically, and always has been. She loves to paint and draw, and many of our friends love it when the holidays come around because they know that, more often than not, the gifts we give are going to be something that my wife has created. Knowing this about her, I knew that she probably could design a better diamond engagement ring than any I could find in the store. That was why when I proposed to her, I did everything just like you are supposed to…except one. The box I had her open was almost completely empty. Instead of a ring, it was an appointment at our local jewelry store.   Gabriel and Co Semi Mountings There we met with one of the talented craftspeople who was going to help us design the ring of my wife’s dreams. I had already spoken with him earlier so he would know the budget that I had to work with. Using the latest in computer assisted design software, he showed us the different looks we could come up with, including the various precious metals that were available and the many different cuts of diamonds.   Just as much as he knew about designing rings, he was equally knowledgeable when it came to loose diamonds. He explained to us the four C’s – cut, color, clarity and carat – and how each diamond was graded in relation to these four categories. With what he taught us, we were able to find the exact look that my wife wanted and still stay within our budget.   I know that every woman supposedly dreams of that moment when they open the box, or the boyfriend pulls it from his pocket, and they see their diamond engagement ring for the first time. I feel a little bad for not allowing my wife to have that moment, but I also knew that because of how creative she was, the moment of seeing the very ring she designed would be that much more powerful and meaningful to her. As beautiful as many of the diamond engagement rings are that I saw at the jewelry store, I knew the one my wife could design would be the most beautiful one of them all.