Christmas is a wonderful time of year, full of love, anticipation and celebration. This is probably why Christmas Eve is the most popular time to propose. That being said, it can be a struggle to fit in a meaningful proposal at a time full of arrangements with family and friends. But don’t let that put you off. We’ve come up with some fun ideas to help you propose to your loved one and make this Christmas one to truly remember.

Why not propose to your loved one this Christmas with an engagement ring or loose gemstone :

There you both are at the farm or shop, surrounded by beautiful Christmas trees. Why not pop the question when you’ve found the perfect one? After all, you’ve already found your perfect partner. And you get to take home the tree you’ve picked out to act as a reminder of your proposal throughout Christmas.

Get the fire going and a cup of mulled wine in hand as you decorate the Christmas tree together. Place your engagement stone or ring in a clear bauble, perhaps with ‘Marry me’ written on the side and pass it to your partner to place on the tree. Once they realise what they are holding, they could turn to find you down on one knee.

Put out the traditional glass of sherry, milk and mince pie for Santa and carrots for the reindeer this Christmas Eve but once everyone else has gone to bed replace the mince pie with your engagement ring or proposal stone. In the morning, when checking if Santa has been, instead of a half eaten mince pie your partner will find a wonderful surprise waiting for them instead.

Everyone loves a present and while a ring box is a beautiful thing, it can look insignificant under the tree. Why not put your proposal stone or ring a box, that’s in a box, that’s in another box? Watch as your loved one opens each box with growing anticipation until they reach the last, precious gift. For an even more thoughtful touch add a special message expressing your love to each box for them to find.

If you still do stockings then perhaps hide the proposal ring or engagement gemstone at the bottom of your loved one’s stocking. Imagine how pleased they’ll be to find that instead of the usual tangerine?

When it comes to choosing an engagement ring to present to your partner when you propose, the choice is seemingly endless. Diamonds have long been the traditional gemstone  for engagement rings, but coloured gemstone rings can express a very personal touch and make the perfect partners to diamonds . It can also be a good move to present your loved one with a loose gemstone, to be made into an engagement in a design of their choice.

If an engagement ring is to be worn daily, and most are, it is good to choose a tough stone that will withstand the test of time. Sapphires and Rubies  are the obvious choice. Both have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale so will not show signs of wear. One of the assets of Sapphires is that they come in all colours, with the price dependent on the colour, size and clarity.

Designing an engagement ring together can be a hugely rewarding and memorable thing to do as a couple and will guarantee you get the perfect ring. Jewellers are quiet after Christmas, making it a good time to take on such a project. Do your research first by visiting a number of shops to try on rings in a style similar to the one you want, and decide on the metal that you want to use for both the wedding ring and the engagement ring. They should be made out of the same metals or one will wear away the other.

G F Williams will happily help you choose the right stone with which to propose. We recently did so for one of our colleagues, who was presented with a stunning loose, round Sapphire when her fiancé proposed. Together they have designed her engagement ring with diamonds from a bracelet that was her mother’s and created a beautiful ring full of precious memories.

Gemstone specialist GF Williams supplies a huge range of high quality coloured gemstones and is an expert and experienced gemstone supplier to designers, manufacturers, collectors and private clients.

Find out more about how GF Williams can fulfil your gemstone requirements by browsing our online gemstone catalogue or contacting our friendly team of gemstone experts on +44 (0) 207 405 5477 or email office@gfwilliams.co.uk.