We had this globetrotting romance

They meet

Intrepid travellers, Steph and Johanna meet despite all odds, a world away from home.

It was our pleasure to meet Steph and Johanna, whose love story began in Tasmania. Steph was doing research about Antarctica, while Johanna was finishing her Masters of Business. There, they enjoyed what they call a ‘lovely little chunk of time together.’

Johanna is from St. John’s while Steph hails from Colorado, so the couple was unsure of what would happen when they left Australia. They did long distance for awhile, both applying for school and work near the other.

“We have this sort of globetrotter-like romance situation going on,” Steph says, laughing.

Steph got a job offer in Newfoundland first, and so she moved here, sight unseen – in the middle of a blizzard. They’ve lived here ever since.

Sharon was absolutely fantastic

Steph Goes Ring Shopping

Steph knew Johanna wanted her engagement ring to be a surprise. Working with Design Consultant Sharon, she chooses a gorgeous solitaire Lazare diamond. 

Steph says that she originally chose Diamond Design because she wanted to ensure that Johnanna’s ring was conflict-free and the perfect choice.

She reports being a little intimidated on her first visit – jewellery stores aren’t really her ‘vibe.’

“But once I got in there, Sharon was the first person I ran into, and she is just so bubbly and warm,” she says. “Everyone there was so sweet. They wanted to know the whole story. So the intimidation factor just melted away, and it was such a fun experience.”

Like many of our clients, Steph picked the diamond first, and then built the ring around it. Our Design Consultants often start by showing several diamonds, and letting their clients pick the most beautiful.

Sparkle, brightness, beauty – these all matter more than simply how big or expensive a diamond is. That’s why we hand select all our diamonds, only choosing those with superior cut and quality.

Learn more about how we help clients use the 4Cs to find the best diamond in their budget here.

It was a beautiful day

Steph Proposes

Steph finds the perfect opportunity to pop the question (even if it was a little risky!).

Steph made several elaborate plans to propose, but had them all foiled because Johanna travels so frequently for work. So when Johanna suggested a drive around the bay on a beautiful Friday, Steph thought she’d bring the ring, just in case the moment was right.

And the moment was right – when they were sitting on a secluded rocky beach, enjoying a picnic lunch.

“It was just so perfect. We had such a lovely conversation. And so that is when I proposed,” Steph remembers.

The ring was in a flat box, which is an option we offer clients. The design makes it easier to conceal the box, depending on how you plan to propose.

“These little flat boxes are nicer for women because they fit in your pockets. A huge ring box doesn’t fit in women’s pockets that easily. So I was able to finagle that open and get it out,” Steph reports, laughing.

For her part, Johanna was absolutely surprised.

“I genuinely was really surprised … I remember Steph saying a bunch of things. And then I asked her, ‘did you actually ask me to marry you?’ I just didn’t remember anything that happened because I was so excited,” Johanna says.

“So I told her that she answered ‘yes,’ even though she had no idea. She’s roped in now!” Steph jokes, and they both laugh.

It’s custom and it’s one of a kind

They Design a Custom Ring

With Johanna’s ring down, the couple returns to Diamond Design to custom design Steph’s.

After the proposal, it was time to get Steph’s ring, so they made another appointment with Sharon

Over the course of several appointments, the couple designed Steph’s perfect ring. Steph knew that she wanted something a little more unique, and the couple also wanted their rings to match.

“We used the same diamonds and the same cut, so our rings speak to each other,” she says.

Knowing Steph wanted a simple band, they worked with Sharon to create something from scratch.

“Figuring that out was really fun – I love my ring,” Steph reports. “It’s custom and it’s one of a kind. Diamond Design took into account everything that I wanted and used their artistic license to bring me something, and it was fantastic. It was perfect.”

I was so confident and so proud

Marking Their special connection

Steph and Johanna reflect on their experience.

For Steph, who says that jewellery and rings are not in her repertoire, shopping with Diamond Design was a unique experience.

“After working with Sharon and all the people at Diamond Design, it made me feel different about the entire proposal experience, because I was so confident and so proud of what I had created. It made me even that much more excited to propose to Johanna and share my experience with her and move forward,” Steph remembers.

“And I think Johanna was also so happy to see me excited about the process as well,” she continues. “So for anyone who thinks that ring shopping should be done online, I would say that you should try Diamond Design because you will have a lot of fun doing it.”

Johanna agrees, seeing their rings as a reflection of their life together.

“Starting in Australia and then Colorado, and now we’ve been in Newfoundland together so long that I guess the experience we had picking out our rings matches how special our life together has been,” says Joahnna.

“We knew for sure we were going to buy from a local Newfoundland store whenever we got married. But the actual experience at Diamond Design kind of matched the specialness of the rest of our journey … is that corny?” she asks, laughing.

“That’s so sweet,” Steph chimes in.