Ladies, go ahead and pop the question!

Once upon a time a man would get down on one knee to ask his girlfriend the most important question he will ever ask: the proposal of marriage. It was tradition, but these days “untraditional” has become the new tradition.

In the past, women were only allowed one day to propose marriage to a man: the 29th of February, which only happens every four years. Some legends say that this tradition began in Ireland during the 5th century when St. Patrick pronounced that a woman can propose to a man during a leap year. We know for sure that in 1288, Scotland made it legal for women to do the proposing during a Leap Year.

Men traditionally pay for the engagement ring. This tradition originated when the man had a family heirloom to give to his bride. Today the ring is usually purchased prior to the proposal. With so many couples are already sharing a home and expenses, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be sharing the expense of the engagement ring as well.

Whenever and however these traditions started one thing remains true, we’ve sure come a long, long way! In this generation, not only are men not getting down on one knee to propose marriage, they may not even have to do the asking. Future brides are taking matters into their own hands. Whether its setting the date, asking for his hand in marriage or picking on the ring, women are taking charge.

And the jewelry industry may be catching on too, well at least in the UK. This past January, the British jeweler H. Samuel released a $130 male engagement ring, a titanium band embedded with a small diamond chip.  So far in the U.S. no major jeweler is marketing a men’s engagement ring but I’m sure it will only be a matter of time until they do!

For all you ready to propose, here are a few great deals and beautiful rings I found while browsing through the site:

Bidding Starts at $5,000!

Bidding Starts at $4,000!

Buy Now for $4,350!

Valentine’s Day I Do’s

Valentine’s Day is a very special day for most relationships. In fact, it’s the second most popular day to get engaged.

In honor of Valentine’s Day proposals, what would be more perfect than reading about one? Maybe it will inspire you to get engaged this Valentine’s Day too….maybe not.

Check out this story and diamond engagement ring selling on our site:

“I was madly in love with Nick when he proposed to me in front of a large audience at a hula show in Hawaii on Valentine’s Day, 1996. We got a standing ovation. Who wouldn’t have fallen for this man, who courted me as if I were a princess. He sent me roses every day for a week after our first date, each time with a poem. There were romantic dinners with great wine, often with a lovely piece of jewelry for dessert…..”

Bidding starts at $1,000

Baby It’s Cold Inside

Do you like your home to literally sparkle during the Holidays?  Then pick up a diamond ring for your beloved and see how its fire stands up to the new “Eye Catcher” black fridge adorned with 7,000 Swarovski crystals.

Perhaps you’ll only want to store Champagne and caviar in this model. But it is well equipped to be sure. There’s a built-in radio, recipe book and voice recorder/player to suit your technological needs.  All in a built-in LCD touch screen.

Just ten Eye-Catchers will be produced worldwide. We’re pretty sure that the Royal Family will have to have one. Or perhaps a member of hip-hop royalty. Certainly Damien Hirst can afford one after selling his diamond-encrusted skull for $100 million. For the average Joe, they are selling a lower-scale commercial version of the fridge with a mere 3,500 crystals at Harrods.

Not ready to pop for that kind of ice? We’ve got you covered. For the diamond lover in your life, surprise her with our own diamond eye-catcher:

Buy The Retro Style 1.10 ct Princess Cut Engagement Ring Now For $6,000!