Huge congratulations to Made in Chelsea stars Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey! The couple, who have been together since 2016, are engaged to be married - and the engagement ring is absolutely beautiful! Ryan, 28, made sure he pulled out all the stops to design the sparkler, created by 77 Diamonds. The fitness buff showed off his softer side after it emerged he spent weeks choosing the perfect ring for his co-star girlfriend, making sure Louise's brother Sam Thompson and mother Karen were involved with the planning too.
MIC stars Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey are engaged
Sophie Lomax, Head of Design at 77 Diamonds, has since opened up to HELLO! about how Ryan helped design the white gold and diamond ring, revealing: "Ryan chose a cushion cut diamond, as this is a brilliant cut meaning it is one of the most sparkly cuts, while being very soft and feminine with rounded corners. Louise's effortless style was always at the forefront of Ryan's decision, as he wanted something she could effortlessly wear with all of her outfits and jewellery."
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She added: "The stones were loose, which is quite magical. We showed him different styles including round, princess and asscher cut diamonds and it was the cushion cut with diamond-set halo and band that he decided on." But it seems Ryan would not have been able to carry the proposal off well if he hadn't had a helping hand from Louise's family. "It looks like he got a bit of input from Louise's mum for checking the size too," continued Sophie. "I sent him a few designs over and there was lots of communication going back and forth. He got very into it in terms of the creative side. The ring has narrow shoulders as we thought if it was any chunkier it would look too much on her finger - it draws attention."
The ring was designed and created by Ryan and 77 Diamonds
When it came to picking up the ring from the London-based shop, it seems both Ryan and fellow reality TV star Sam were a bag of nerves. "I was away for the collection but he came in with Louise's brother," explained Sophie. "So he knew it was going to happen and obviously approved. Both Ryan and Louise's brother were both very happy with it - they were very nervous about collecting it. A bespoke piece like this takes up to six weeks to create as it requires a high-level of craftsmanship - they are made and designed in Mayfair. All we knew about the proposal is that it was going to be abroad and he was still finalising the details."
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The popular jeweller added: "He was joking he had bought a ring for her and it featured on Made in Chelsea around Christmas - it was a commitment ring. She doesn't wear it, it's far too big and it wasn't really her style so he said the pressure was really on to get this one right. He said he would show the designs to a close family member to decide between two different styles - one was a bit more vintage and the more delicate one that he actually chose.
