Some proposals are planned around a ring. Others are planned around a moment, and the ring has to be worthy of it. For Jake, the moment was Italy. The ring just needed to match.
Jake came into Micheli with his partner so she could be part of the design process without losing the element of surprise. She knew what she loved. He would take care of the rest. It's one of our favourite kinds of brief: a collaboration that ends in a secret. And it's exactly the kind of brief Fiona loves to work with.
The Brief
She had a clear aesthetic in mind: a trilogy setting, yellow gold, and an emerald centre stone. The emerald was non-negotiable. Not a diamond, not a sapphire: an emerald, with all the depth and character that comes with it.
She also came in with a reference photo — a ring she'd seen and responded to, with stones stepped slightly above the shank, a softly rounded band, and a structured claw profile that felt considered rather than ornate.
For Fiona, a reference image is a starting point, not a blueprint. "It tells me what someone is drawn to emotionally," she says. "From there, I work out how to translate that feeling into a piece that's actually made for them." In this case, that meant refining the proportions for the specific stones, adapting the setting base to accommodate a straight wedding band in future, and specifying every detail down to the millimetre.
The Stones
At the centre of the ring sits a 2.07ct emerald, measuring 8.83 x 6.17mm. It's a generous, well-proportioned stone with the kind of rich green saturation that makes emeralds impossible to mistake for anything else. Unlike diamonds, emeralds are graded with an understanding that natural inclusions are part of their identity; what matters is how the stone carries its colour, and how it behaves in light. This one does both well.
Flanking the emerald on either side are two trilliant cut diamonds, a shape Fiona selected to complement the angular geometry of the emerald without repeating it. Where the emerald offers depth and colour, the trillions bring brilliance and flash. Together they create a trilogy that feels cohesive rather than busy. Each shoulder stone is set just slightly proud of the shank, so all three read as a unified elevated cluster above the band.
The Design
The ring is crafted in 14 karat yellow gold, a choice Fiona considers particularly well-suited to emeralds. The warmth of yellow gold draws out the richness in the stone's green in a way that cooler metals simply don't. It's a pairing with centuries of precedent, and for good reason.
The centre emerald sits in a four-claw setting with a gallery rail, a refined structural detail running beneath the stone that adds stability while giving the underside of the setting a finished, considered look. The two trilliant diamonds are held in a matching three-claw style with gallery rail, their angular corners secure while the setting remains open and light-friendly.
The band is 1.6mm wide and 1.7mm thick, with a low dome outer profile and a comfort fit inner profile. Slender, but with enough substance to anchor the setting above it.
One of Fiona's key modifications from the reference design was adjusting the base of the trilogy settings to accommodate a straight wedding band. It's a detail that's easy to overlook at the design stage and difficult to fix later. By building the curve in from the start, the ring is ready for the next chapter whenever it arrives.
A Ring for the Moment
There's something appropriate about an emerald for a proposal in Italy. Emeralds have been treasured since antiquity, worn by Cleopatra, favoured by the Renaissance courts, associated with love, growth, and the kind of depth that only deepens with time. They're not a safe choice. They're a deliberate one.
Fiona understood that when she took on this brief. The ring she designed isn't just a beautiful object — it's a piece with intention behind every decision, built to mark a moment that deserved more than the ordinary.
Jake chose deliberately. And somewhere in Italy, she said yes.
Planning a proposal? Book a design consultation with Fiona at our Moonee Ponds boutique and let's start building something worth the moment.
Ring specifications: 14k yellow gold trilogy engagement ring | 2.07ct emerald centre stone | Two trilliant cut diamond shoulders | Four-claw settings with gallery rail | Low dome comfort fit band | 1.6mm width
