Around the World in Seven-ish Rings: Romantic Cities to Get Engaged

Rome isn’t just a city. It’s more like a love story carved in stone, with ancient ruins, sun-drenched piazzas, and baroque fountains. There’s a reason it’s been featured in so many romantic scenes throughout history. A trip to Rome is a bucket list event with so many amazing places to see, do, and eat. The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps might all spring to mind when thinking of iconic proposal spots, but, unless you’re keen to have an audience of thousands, there might be a few other places worth considering. Of course, unless a 4am sunrise proposal is of interest to you and your partner.

The Giardino degli Aranci, or the Orange Garden, on Aventine Hill is a gorgeous spot with panoramic views of the city and St. Peter’s Basilica. It tends to be a more peaceful and poetic backdrop for popping the question. Then there are the hundreds of adorable side streets, each leading to an iconic building or historical landmark. You could book a quiet trattoria or get down on one knee by a jasmine-covered facade and produce that dream ring.

Any engagement ring will be welcomed with open arms during a Rome proposal, but a vine-inspired ring like the Lierre could riff on the aura of the eternal city quite nicely. The intricate metalwork in yellow gold will echo Rome’s classical architecture and golden afternoon light. A centre stone like an old round diamond or a warm tone champagne sapphire reflects the city’s rich history and the famous glow of golden hour.

London’s romance lies in its unique blend of tradition and modernity. The iconic skyline is such a great example of that, with centuries-old buildings standing alongside sleek skyscrapers. The sprawling metropolis is also packed with so many great ideas for date nights and proposal spots. Candlelit dinners in Mayfair, strolls through Hyde Park, and river views by the Southbank all lend themselves very well to romantic gestures and butterfly moments.

With classic rom-coms like Notting Hill, What a Girl Wants, and Love Actually all set in the capital, there are plenty of places to choose for inspiration and scenes to emulate. But if you’d like to find respite from the buzzing urban setting, head to Primrose Hill at dusk for sweeping vistas, or immerse yourself in the lush flora of Kew Gardens as you stroll hand-in-hand among exotic glasshouse plants.

A three-stone trilogy ring could be a lovely way to symbolise the past, present and future, which will mirror your relationship as well as the feeling that London evokes. The Affinity or Mirror rings are the perfect choices that capture the spirit of the city. Lyra with central sapphire or emerald flanked by diamonds pays homage to British royal engagement rings, adding that final crowning detail.

The concrete jungle of ambition, energy, and infinite love stories, New York offers engagement moments that are as vast as its skyline. It’s a city known to look spectacular at any time of year, so whatever season you love, there’s potential for the perfect proposal. It could be ice skating at Rockefeller Center at Christmas; at the fair on Coney Island with a gentle spring breeze in the air; enjoying the air conditioning at the Guggenheim in late June, or walking the streets with a pumpkin spice latte, watching the leaves fall.

Central Park’s Bow Bridge is pretty iconic and a great spot to cement your love story. A rooftop terrace in Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline in view would also feel straight out of a movie.

A statement ring with a large central diamond or unique gemstone, like a two tone sapphire. New York calls for bold settings like bezel-encased solitaires like the Purity, Art Deco designs like the Trinity, or even a fully custom design, inspired by the city’s geometry and dynamism, perhaps engraved with a little apple.

With its golden beaches, harbour views, and laid-back luxury, Sydney is a stunning setting for couples who feel most at home under open skies and beside sparkling waters. There’s natural beauty everywhere, and some of the most interesting modernistic architecture is perfectly represented in the famed Sydney Opera House. As the blockbuster Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell rom-com, Anyone But You, showed us, it’s full of pretty romantic places.

A sunset proposal on Milk Beach with the Harbour Bridge looming in the distance would feel like an absolute dream, or along the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee, which embraces the beauty of its surroundings. A boat trip with the Opera building in full view also seems like a fabulous choice.

A blue sapphire would capture the rich aquatic influence of the city and would look spectacular set within the Nalu ring. Sydney’s iconic seascapes could also be represented by the Neptune design, which might seem on-the-nose, but would actually be very sweet. Picking a kite shape diamond as the centre or side stones would be nod to the Opera House’s design, and if you’re going fully bespoke, there are ways of bringing it to life in many different ways.