Engagement Rings
How to Propose Without a Ring in Australia (and Design the Real One Together)
Honestly? You don't need the real ring to propose — you need a ring. Anny's provides a silver sample ring set with cubic zirconia (a diamond look-alike stone) for the moment itself, convincing enough that no one's going to be checking it under a loupe mid-proposal. Your partner says yes, then you come back together and design the real ring — their taste, their exact size, no guessing. The custom-manufacturing window begins at CAD sign-off: approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. (Want the full traditional surprise instead, with the real ring in the box from the start? The secret ring-size guide for a full surprise covers that pathway.)
Can I propose without a ring in Australia?
Yes — plenty of people do, and there's a genuinely good reason to. You can propose with a ring that isn't the ring: a convincing stand-in for the moment, so the surprise stays intact, while the real engagement ring gets chosen afterwards with your partner's actual input. It's a different mechanism to skipping a ring altogether or proposing with a non-ring gift — you still get the classic moment, kneeling down with something that sparkles, and neither of you has to guess on the ring that follows.
What is a proposal (sample) ring?
A proposal sample ring is exactly what it sounds like: a real ring you can propose with, not the final piece. At Anny's, it's a silver ring set with cubic zirconia — silver for the look and feel of a genuine setting, cubic zirconia for a stone that catches light convincingly in the moment. It exists for one job: getting you through the proposal with something real on the hand, so the actual ring is never rushed or guessed at.
This is different from just grabbing a cheap ring online as a stopgap. It's an offered, considered part of how Anny's approaches a proposal — you're working with the same in-house workshop from the sample ring right through to designing the real one, so the whole thing feels like one continuous, cared-for process rather than a placeholder hack followed by a separate, disconnected purchase.
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Will my partner be able to tell it isn't the real ring?
Almost certainly not — that's the whole point of the sample ring. In the middle of a proposal, nobody's inspecting a stone under magnification; they're looking at you, not the girdle of the diamond. A well-made silver-and-cubic-zirconia ring reads as a real ring in every way that matters in that moment: it catches the light, it sits properly on the finger, it looks like an engagement ring.
If you're worried about the conversation afterwards rather than the moment itself, that's a fair separate question — and it has an easy answer: tell them straight after (or they already know the plan) that this ring got them to "yes", and the real one gets built together from here. It's an invitation to design something together, not a compromise on the moment they just had.
How soon can we design the real ring after the proposal?
As soon as you're both ready — there's no clock running from the proposal date. The design consultation happens when you choose; after CAD sign-off, custom manufacture takes approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. Nothing is rushed to hit a proposal date, because the sample ring already did that job — take the time you need to enjoy being engaged first.
| Stage | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| The proposal | You propose with the silver, cubic-zirconia sample ring | Whenever you're ready |
| The design consultation | You sit down together and start designing the real ring | Whenever you're both ready — no deadline |
| The custom build | Manufacture after CAD sign-off | Approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to complexity and workshop capacity |
What does designing the ring together actually involve?
It's the same considered process behind every custom piece Anny's makes — a consultation, a 3D scan of any stones, an in-house CAD design, a 3D-printed model you can hold and approve, then casting by a specialist casting house, with setting and a final size check back in our workshop. Because your partner is in the room for all of it, their finger gets measured properly on the day, and every choice is theirs to make with you, not a guess. For the full step-by-step walkthrough of each stage, see how a custom engagement ring is made, and how long it takes.
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Can we use a family or heirloom diamond in the new design?
Yes — a family stone works beautifully in a ring designed this way, arguably better than in a rushed solo purchase. Because your partner is present for the design, an heirloom stone gets discussed, measured and built around properly, rather than you trying to guess how to honour it alone.
Anny's approaches this kind of remodelling work the same considered way as any custom commission: examine the stone, discuss what it could become, then design and 3D-print a model before anything is committed to metal. If a family diamond is part of your story, mention it at the design consultation — it's exactly the kind of detail that pathway is built for.
What deposit do you take on a custom engagement ring?
Anny's takes an 80% deposit at CAD sign-off, with the remaining 20% due on completion or collection — the same structure for every custom commission, sample-ring proposal or not. See the full payment terms on our FAQ page for the complete detail.
As a light budget anchor (not the full picture — see what an engagement ring costs in Australia for that), Anny's custom engagement rings typically run AUD $3,000–$6,000 for a lab-grown centre diamond, or AUD $8,000–$30,000 for a natural one, depending on the stone, metal and design.
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Full surprise or design-together — which pathway is right for us?
Both are genuinely good choices — it comes down to what matters more to you: keeping the ring itself a total secret, or keeping the proposal moment a secret while designing the ring together afterwards.
| Full surprise (the real ring) | Sample ring, then design together | |
|---|---|---|
| What's in the box at the proposal | The actual engagement ring your partner will keep | A silver, cubic-zirconia sample ring |
| Sizing | Secretly sourced beforehand — borrow a ring, guess and resize if needed | Measured properly together, in person, at the design consultation |
| Style and stone choice | You choose alone, reading their style from what they already wear | You choose it together, with their full input |
| Best for | Couples who want the ring itself to be part of the surprise | Couples who want the surprise moment but no guessing on the ring |
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If the full-surprise route is more your style, the secret ring-size guide for a full surprise covers exactly how to size and read their style discreetly, without giving anything away. Either way, the same in-house team handles the custom ring, with manufacture taking approximately 3–4 weeks from CAD sign-off, subject to complexity and workshop capacity.
Browse Anny's engagement rings or our custom engagement rings whenever you're ready to start picturing what you'll design together.
Frequently asked questions
Do most people propose with the real ring?
There's no single norm — plenty of couples do it either way. What tends to decide it is which detail matters more to you: the ring itself being a surprise, or the proposal moment being a surprise while you choose the ring together (see full surprise or design-together above).
About the author
Written by Chris Ozkoch, who does Anny's in-house CAD and 3D-design work and signs Anny's-supplied written valuations. Reviewed by Harry Ozkoch, Master Jeweller — a diamond setter since the age of 16 and the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards People's Choice winner (2019) for "A Drop Of Love". Anny's Manufacturing Jewellers is a family business Established in 1990 in Frankston, Victoria.
Ready to talk through your own proposal? Email us or visit the Frankston workshop, and we'll help you plan both moments — the proposal, and the ring that comes after it. You Imagine. We Create.
A note on these facts
Everything in this guide — the silver sample-ring option for the proposal, the approximate 3–4-week manufacture window from CAD sign-off (subject to complexity and workshop capacity), how our payment works, and our in-house process — is Anny's own policy and craft, not an outside statistic. If you'd like the exact detail for your own ring, just ask us; you'll always get a straight answer across the counter.
Written by Chris Ozkoch · Reviewed by Harry Ozkoch, Master Jeweller. Last updated 8 August 2026.
Typical engagement and bridal ring turnaround: 3–4 weeks from CAD sign-off. We also have 2-week and 48-hour options for engagement and bridal rings. Get in touch and we'll help find an option that works for your timeframe.