Recently, one of our customers shared with us his epic proposal story – a story so deliciously sweet – that we were compelled to share it with you all as he had documented the most important part of the proposal in a video for all to view on YouTube.
Meet Thys Benson, a 30-year-old assistant financial controller for a pub company in Inverness. For Thys, purchasing an engagement ring for his lady love was not quite enough. So driven by his love for his better half Claire, 29, an analyst for a bank, the die-hard romantic decided to take matters into his own hands and make the ring himself – and that too, with no background in jewellery making. After six long months of trial and error, he got the hang of the process and crafted the perfect ring – the ring he finally presented to Claire which melted her heart and of course prompted her to exclaim yes, yes, yes!
Thys and his lady-love, Claire
So, you ask, how is it that an accountant turns craftsman creates his girlfriend’s dream engagement ring? Well, the process was far from simple as Thys describes: “This was a challenge I truly underestimated!”
Step 1: Thys selected a Pear shape diamond from 77 Diamonds due to Claire’s fondness of the unique diamond shape. Step 2: Thys spent hours watching YouTube videos on how to make an engagement ring by hand and then purchased all of the required gear, tools and supplies. Step 3: He then made a few practice rings – the entire process from the first ring attempt to the finished item took six months but the final ring itself took a little over two. “I wanted to practice on cheaper materials so if it turned out I wasn’t capable of completing the task it wouldn’t have cost me an arm and a leg. I started out using platinum but due to its hardness I had severe issues drilling into it so I switched to palladium,” he explains.
The finished product
“I know it’s a major no-no to mix metals but I didn’t want my spare piece of platinum going to waste so the band is made of palladium and the rest of the ring is made of platinum. I chose these metals because they don’t have to be rhodium-plated which means I can clean and polish it myself for Claire. I’ve already set reminders on my phone to prompt me every six months!” (To get a detailed breakdown of the making process you can view the YouTube video at the bottom of the article).
The Proposal: Once the ring was all prepared and perfected, Thys proposed near Inverness where Claire originally hails from at a place called Carrbridge. “There is a lovely old stone bridge there and during my research into suitable places to propose, as soon as I saw it I knew it couldn’t be anywhere else. I told Claire we were going for lunch at a little place that I heard about and that was my cover. It snowed the night before which added to the scenery and after lunch I asked her if we could visit the bridge,” he shares.
“Once we reached the location, I asked Claire to take a few pictures of us and then asked her to take one of the bridge. I stood behind her and when she completed her shot and turned around I was down on one knee. She had the biggest smile on her face and said yes – it was the best and most nervous I have ever felt at the same time. Claire then asked if I made the box the ring came in – I said yes and that was the perfect time to reveal to her that for the last few months when I was acting cagey I was actually busy making her an engagement ring!”
Claire flaunting her handmade ring
The Reaction: “She was completely amazed; she could almost not believe that I had made it. I still look at it and think, my God I made that!”
The One: This May, the couple will be celebrating their 4th anniversary. Thys met Claire, who is currently living and working in Edinburgh, in late 2010 while they worked for the same pub company. “I instantly took a fancy for Claire but she played very hard to get and we eventually started dating in the summer of 2012.” It was the following year at a staff party when Thys was certain Claire was the one. “The theme for the evening was Casino Royale so the dress code was tuxedos and evening gowns. Claire wore figure-hugging grey dress and looked incredibly beautiful, the most beautiful I had seen her up to that point. I found myself admiring her and I started to think of how effortless it was being with her.” He continues, “Not that we didn’t put effort into our relationship, we absolutely did but it felt like the easiest thing in the world. Everything I always thought a relationship should be was there right in front of me.”
The perfect proposal spot