This diamond is definitely forever! Joanna Gaines shared an adorable story about the origins of her engagement ring in her new book, The Magnolia Story, which she co-authored with husband and Fixer Upper costar, Chip.
In it, the 38-year-old explained that the original diamond ring that Chip presented her 12 years ago holds such sentimental value that she declined to trade it in for a bigger, better jewelry years later.
According to an excerpt from the book, Chip took Joanna to a shopping center in Texas near where his parents grew up under the pretense that they would be attending a private concert later on that evening. There, the adorably goofy reality star got down on one knee and proposed, and the couple immediately visited jeweler Billy Holder, who helped them find the exact right ring.
“I was able to pick out a nice round diamond and a beautiful, antique-looking platinum setting,” Joanna wrote in the excerpt. “I had a blast sitting there with Billy, designing the perfect ring. Chip just sat there, patiently observing every second of it.”
Afterward, the newly engaged pair joined their family for a memorable dinner — but with Joanna wearing a substitute bauble while her real ring was getting worked on. Their families weren’t too sure about the over-the-top temporary ring, however.
“It’s funny to me that, even way back then, they all seemed to realize that a flashy ring just wasn’t my style,” Joanna wrote. “They expected to see me wearing something a little subtler, a little smaller, a little more classic, maybe. But we strung them along for a good long while, and we all had a good laugh when Chip finally revealed that the ring was fake.”
Years later, when Chip requested that jewelry designer Holder help Joanna pick out a new diamond to replace the original one, the Fixer Upper star graciously declined.
“I looked him in the eye, and I said, ‘I’m sorry, but no,’” Joanna recalled in the book. “This is the original diamond I picked, and it’s perfect just the way it is.’ It wasn’t a ‘perfect’ diamond, but it was perfect for me. I felt bad that Billy wasn’t going to make the big sale he was hoping for that day, but I don’t ever want to replace that diamond or that ring. To me, my ring is part of our story.”
