The highlight of a single-owner jewelry and watch collection, it’s estimated to fetch up to $7 million at auction this December.
Propose Too: A Platform That Wants Women to Pop the Question
Engagement 101 Founder Severine Ferrari dishes on the revolution she’s trying to ignite around proposals and what it could mean for jewelry.

Marriage has changed a great deal in the modern world. With the marriage equality movement, more people are allowed to get married, and with living together before marriage no longer stigmatized, more people are waiting longer to say ‘I do.’
And yet the tradition of proposing for straight couples—in particular, who is expected to take charge to pop the question—has not evolved along with it.
Now, Engagement 101 wants to help bring the tradition of the proposal into the 21st century and tip the scales towards women’s empowerment by bringing the suitor into the spotlight.
The brainchild of Engagement 101 founder and Editor Severine Ferrari, “Propose Too” is an initiative intended to update the proposal tradition to match today’s societal norms and to start the conversation around who’s proposing: namely, to encourage women to propose first or propose back.
“In the past five years, the biggest revolution in the proposal planning world has been that women have become very involved in the engagement ring selection and purchase. In parallel, in larger cities, more and more women are getting married/engaged in their late 30s,” she said.
“Truth be told, it’s already happening behind closed doors, and the more these stories will be shared through our platform, the more it will convince other women to do the same.”
Since Propose Too launched, she said more women who proposed to their boyfriends—many of whom previously would not release their names and pictures for publication—have become open to sharing their stories.
Ferrari herself popped the question to her now-fiancé and documented the occasion for readers on Propose Too.
When asked whether she was influenced by the initiative or if the initiative was influenced by her own action, she said it went both ways.
“My relationship is an equal partnership and my boyfriend is a feminist, so we both decided to get engaged. Then while my ring was being made, I was working on launching the movement so I decided to propose first.”
Multimedia is a huge part of the initiative, particularly since Engagement 101’s audience connects the most with the
For this reason, sharing all kinds of content on social media is key for the campaign.
“We are starting a conversation,” Ferrari said, “and we want it to go viral.”
Engagement 101 has produced videos for the past 10 years, but Ferrari said she wanted to come up with fresh content just for Propose Too that could show how romantic a woman proposing to a man could be.
Engagement 101 Director Lisa Hammer, who also proposed to her now-husband, came up with short movie called “Double Proposal,” posted on its YouTube channel.
Ferrari said she intends to make more short rom-coms this year with Hammer and other female directors. Propose Too also features unique content, research and testimonials.
Adding to the question of why straight men are still expected to be the ones to propose in 2018, Engagement 101 also is questioning why women are the only ones wearing engagement jewelry.
To counter that, she collaborated with jewelry designer Chris Ploof and others to create a special line of products sold on the website that were designed for the woman to return or initiate the gesture of a proposal.
When it came to making jewelry for the man to wear as an indication of his commitment prior to the wedding day, Ferrari said she wanted to look beyond the “mangagement ring,” which has gained little traction.
So she worked with Ploof to create unique merchandise to signify the male engagement.
“I approached Chris Ploof (the metal master, I like to call him) with the idea and I love the pendant he made. James, my fiancé, never takes it off. We decided to collaborate together to offer a version of the pendant for sale to inspire other women to propose back or first this engagement season.”
Ploof and Ferrari designed a proposal pendant that the bride-to-be can gift to her suitor after he says yes or that can be used to initiate the proposal.
It’s a reversible dog tag-style pendant in stainless steel featuring an “Engaged” engraving on one said and a 1.5 mm diamond on the other ($99).
“Making these Propose Too pendants is an amazing feeling,” Ploof said. “To challenge and change social norms and to be able to help a couple celebrate the very first steps in their union is truly special.”

Additional Propose Too merchandise includes a cotton “I Put A Ring On It” T-shirt ($25) and a Propose Too pin bundle by Engagement 101 x Pizza Ships ($29).
Ferrari said she hopes that, as Propose Too picks up speed, not only will she have more stories to tell of women proposing first, but also that the jewelry industry will find a way to support the movement, including coming up with more proposal jewelry options for men.
“I think retailers should talk about it with couples purchasing an engagement ring ASAP. Why not get a nice add-on sale Jewelry designers should start thinking about creating proposal jewelry for men that could work within their lines/style.”
After all, more engagements only means more opportunity.
“If everything goes according to plan, double proposals = double the jewelry,” Ferrari said. “We started this collaboration with Chris Ploof to show how it could be done one way. However, as with the engagement ring, proposal jewelry for guys could become bespoke, one-of-a-kind. A women texted me today telling me she was planning to propose with a vintage Viking ring. How cool is that?”
The Latest

CEO Efraim Grinberg noted a resurgence in the fashion watch market.

The “Bullseye” necklace, with vintage bakelite and peridot, August’s birthstone, is the perfect transitional piece as summer turns to fall.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Sponsored by Clientbook


It will classify lab-grown stones into one of two categories, “premium” or “standard,” in lieu of giving specific color and clarity grades.

President Duma Boko addressed the country’s medical supply chain crisis in a recent televised address.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Former Free People buyer Afton Robertson-Kanne recently joined the retailer.

The jeweler teamed up with two local organizations for its inaugural “Back to School and Bling” event.

Dubbed the “Imboo,” or “buffalo,” emerald, the rough gemstone is part of Gemfields’ latest emerald auction, which is taking place now.

Plans for dining out, booking vacations, and buying big-ticket items were down.

The “Play” collection centers on nostalgic toys that have kinetic elements to carry playfulness and wonder into adulthood.

Designer Christina Puchi, the creative force behind CCWW Designs, has created charms and pendants based on iconic candies and crackers.

The Jonas Brothers star showed off new timepieces against the backdrop of his favorite spots in his home state of New Jersey.

The family-owned jeweler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in the hands of the second generation.

In his latest column, Emmanuel Raheb shares tips for encouraging customers to treat themselves to new jewelry.

The new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.

The Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.

Wrap jewelry is more than just a trend; it’s the perfect motif for the coming season of layering, scarves, and pumpkin spice.

The three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.

Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.

The one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.

Three C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”

The retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.

Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.

The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.