Quote of the Day: Hilary Duff on Engagement Ring

In the latest issue of Us Weekly, actress and now author Hilary Duff talks about the difficulties of trying to wear a large engagement ring to bed.

“I woke up with scratches on my face one day!” she told the publication.

The actress got engaged in February 2010  with a humongous 14 carat engagement ring rumored to cost $1 million.

Celebrity Engagements! Prince William, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey and More

This must be celebrity engagement month! From Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo, to Prince William and Kate Middleton, all the stars seem to be heading down the aisle. Below is a recap of who’s getting hitched and to whom.

Couple	When did they get engaged?	Engagement Ring
Prince William & Kate Middleton	Well, if you haven’t turned on a television since yesterday, you’ll know the couple just recently announced their engagement. The two got engaged last month while vacationing in Kenya, but the engagement wasn’t officially announced until yesterday. He proposed with the engagement ring of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo	After dating on and off for four years, the couple finally got engaged November 4 while on a beach in California. “We’re enjoying the moment,” Nick told People.
Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson	Jessica Simpson announced her engagement to former NFL player Eric Johnson shortly after her ex-husband announced his. She insists it was just a coincidence, though. Eric proposed to her with a unique ruby and yellow gold engagement ring, which she happily flashed at a mall event November 13.
Leeza Gibbons & Steven Fenton	Blink and you might have missed them. The former talk show host and her boyfriend of two years is getting hitched. Although the couple got engaged in June, Leeza didn’t officially announce her engagement until yesterday. “I have a ring but we decided that I won’t wear it until we have a private exchange of vows,” she told People.	???

Real Housewives' Awkward Proposal

This past Sunday on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, one of the housewives got a surprise proposal. Cynthia, the newbie of the show, had been vocal about her apprehension to get married and engaged to her boyfriend, club manager Peter. Cynthia told Peter a few episodes ago that if they did get married she didn’t want the proposal to be a surprise (because she hated surprises) and she wanted a ring. So, what did Peter do? He invited friends over to his house to help set up the proposal. Then, once Cynthia got home, everyone surprised her (like a surprise party, but worse), and then Peter proposed.

Instead of the usual waterworks that accompany a proposal, Cynthia looked awkward, and at one point Peter said, “You’re not going to run away, are you?” Such romantic words! Cynthia later confessed in her interview that she would have preferred a more intimate proposal. Peter, however, disagreed and said he wanted to do things his way. Well, this marriage is starting off swimmingly.

Everything that took place on the show are things you do not want to do in a proposal. If you want your friends to help set up the proposal, that’s fine, but the friends must leave before the actual proposal (you can bring them back to celebrate when you’re done). Plus, if you know your partner is shy and wouldn’t like a public proposal, you definitely shouldn’t force a public proposal on her.

Having some problems embedding the video, so check out a video of the proposal here.

Madoff Engagement Ring Auctioned Off for Half a Million Dollars

Bernie Madoff, a former stock broker who schemed millions of dollars from clients, had his stuff auctioned off online yesterday. In addition to underwear, socks and boxers that were auctioned off for thousands of dollars (no joke), Bernie’s wife’s 10.52 carat cushion cut engagement ring was also auctioned off and won by an anonymous buyer for $550,000

According to The New Yorker, the buyer’s explanation for buying the ring is that “it’s just another diamond.” Wow.

Jessica Simpson's Engagement Ring

Jessica Simpson surprised everyone when she appeared at an event this past weekend sporting an unusual ruby and yellow gold engagement ring. The ring was given to her by fiance Eric Johnson. Even though the ring isn’t typical of most engagement rings these days, the style is still undeniably classic with a round ruby center stone flanked with two side white diamonds. The stunning Neil Lane ring is sure to turn heads. Check our more ring info below:

A similar ring by Gemvara.

ENGAGEMENT RING INFO
Stone shape:	Round or oval
Carats:	2-3 carats
Metal:	Yellow gold
Estimated Price:	$30,000 – $60,000

Proposal at Central Park: Real or Fake?

So I wanted to close the end of the week with a post about that popular viral video of a proposal in Central Park. I have avoided it all week because the video has literally been posted everywhere; even Perez Hilton sunk his teeth into it earlier this week. But because it’s Friday, I decided to go ahead and post the video here for the two of you who still haven’t seen it yet. But as I was watching the video I felt kind of odd. This is a strange proposal. Most YouTube commenters think it’s fake or that it’s an Apple ad.

But as I was watching the video the first thing I noticed was that Nadia, who’s the “accomplice” in the proposal, is the same Nadia we featured last week on our Real Proposals page. Nadia and Michael, who had a really cool “freeze frame” proposal, submitted their proposal to us a while back. The proposal was featured on the WEtv show Put a Ring On It, and Michael just happens to work for that show. SO, needless to say, but I think this viral Central Park proposal has ties with that show. But I’m just guessing. And it’s Friday. So take that however you want. But if you want to judge for yourself, watch the video below:

Beautiful Wedding Ring, Engagement Ring Photos

Piggy backing off of yesterday’s post, today I wanted to continue the topic of engagement ring pictures. But I’m not talking about those blurry, out-of-focus shots you take yourself; I’m talking about professionally shot pictures of your engagement and wedding ring. Usually, if you’re getting your engagement photos professionally shot, the photographer takes a few artsy shots of the engagement ring and wedding ring. This can simply be a shot of the happy bride-to-be showing off the ring on her finger, or it can be something a bit more creative, like a solo shot of just the ring by itself.

A photography blog recently did a blog post about how to take pictures of wedding rings in gorgeous and unique ways. Now, I’m not a photographer, and I have no idea how to use a macro lens or how to turn up my aperture, but I do know a nice picture when I see one. Below are some of their examples of beautiful, creative ways to shoot engagement rings. If you’re getting your engagement photos professionally shot, toss some of these ideas to your photographer.

[Credit: Lin & Jirsa]

Is Taking Pictures of Your Engagement Ring Tacky?

Kristi Gustafson, a writer over at Times Union, has a bone to pick with people who take tacky pictures of themselves and then post them on Twitter. Some of the tacky behaviors she lists are people who take pictures of themselves shirtless in the bathroom (with the toilet seat up), people who take pictures of themselves holding cash, and people who take pictures of their engagement, wedding ring.

I agree that bathrooms are not an attractive setting for shirtless shots, and flashing cash around just shows that you’re not use to having any, but is taking pictures of your engagement ring really that tacky? After announcing the engagement, it seems appropriate to also post a picture of the ring so friends and family can see it, especially those friends who don’t live near you and, most likely, were the ones pestering you to post pictures of the ring in the first place. Now obviously I’m incredibly biased, but what do you guys think? Is tweeting pictures of your engagement ring tacky?

Instant Resizing for Your Large Ring

Before and after

If you have a ring that’s too large, getting it resized by a local jeweler is your best option. However, if you’re looking for a temporary solution, check out Ring Guard Solution. The solution is a clear gel that is applied to the inside of the ring. When it dries it creates an invisible layer that slides over your finger and creates a secure fit. The gel stays in place for months, and if you want to remove the gel, just peel it off. According to their press release, the gel can make a size 9 ring into a size 6. Hmm, impressive. You can buy a tube of your own at most jewelry stores.

Karina Smirnoff's Engagement Ring

Dancing With the Stars contestant Karina Smirnoff might have gotten booted from the show, but she has the last laugh. Her gorgeous rock, given to her by baseball player Brad Penny, is absolutely stunning. The engagement ring is a platinum asscher cut with a channel setting along the shank. Check out more info about the ring below:

Similar ring by Bez Ambar

.

ENGAGEMENT RING INFO
Stone shape:	Asscher
Carats:	4-5 carats
Metal:	Platinum
Estimated Price:	$80,000 – $150,000