With high living costs, traditional expensive engagement rings have gradually deterred some couples. Recently, an American couple’s wedding proposal has sparked heated discussion online—the man didn’t buy a ready-made diamond ring, but proposed to his girlfriend using 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms) of sapphire gravel, saving money while being creative, and winning praise from many netizens.
According to the New York Post, a female netizen posted a photo of colorful sapphires in the Reddit gem forum, revealing that her boyfriend proposed with "100 pounds of sapphire gravel," causing a lively discussion. Many were initially confused, questioning how gravel connects to a proposal. The couple explained further: the gravel came from a sapphire mine in Philipsburg, Montana, USA, and they specially ordered it and participated in the selection process themselves.
It’s understood that the two picked out about 105 rough stones from the gravel and, together with family and friends, selected the better-quality ones to be professionally processed. After these gemstones underwent “heat treatment,” their color and clarity improved, with about 43 eventually reaching gemstone grade, the largest being around 4 carats. The woman said she plans to pick 4 to 5 stones from these to be cut and made into a bespoke engagement ring.
This participatory proposal approach, from raw stone to finished product, struck many netizens as both refreshing and romantic. In the comments, most people praised the man’s creativity and thought the idea carried more sentimental value. Some said this was one of the most unique and sweetest proposals they’d ever heard, while others suggested using the rest of the gems for other jewelry, such as earrings or necklaces. Although the total cost wasn’t disclosed, outsiders speculated that this method may cost less than the US average engagement ring price of $5,000 to $7,500 (about RM19,775 to RM29,662).