What happens when one of your employees wants to get married? You’ve likely dealt with this scenario once or twice before, so we all know how this scheme pans out. Coworkers join forces to investigate her ring preferences. Pinterest pages are painstakingly analyzed. The subtle interrogation begins. “What do you think of this ring? Emerald or Princess cut? I love this ring box, don’t you?”
In honor of National Dog Day on August 26th, we’re featuring Erica Geoffroy, Stuller’s Content Specialist, and her tail-wagging engagement tale. Spoiler alert: it involves her dog Pistache, a few crafty coworkers, and a customized Stuller engagement ring.
It all started in November 2017, when Grant (Erica’s now-fiancé) reached out to her coworkers about creating a custom engagement ring. He had a hint of what she liked, but like most guys, needed extra help with the details. Luckily, with a little calculated teamwork, Erica’s cohorts were able to subtly probe her. The survey began: “What kind of metal do you prefer? Four prongs or six?” Since Erica loves rings and stones, these trick questions never seemed out of the ordinary.
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The ultimate setup
One December day, Erica’s fiancé was invited to Stuller’s Diamond Department to select the perfect stone. He met with Blaine Latiolais, Stuller’s in-house diamond expert, to pick a winner. He examined five different stones, each with different color and clarity combinations. But how could Grant be certain he’d make the right decision? After all, as a Stuller employee, Erica insisted she had a keen eye for diamond details. Her heart was set on a G VS2 stone, and she wouldn’t settle for less. But could she even spot the difference?
Coincidentally, Stuller was in the midst of its Diamond Days of December Campaign— an initiative to promote Stuller Diamonds every day of the month on Instagram. So the team devised a fool-proof plan! They lured Erica into the diamond department to look at those same five diamonds Grant examined earlier in the day, pretending to gather shots for social media.
In a playful exercise, the team gave Erica a loupe and tasked her with finding the G VS2 stone. “Is this the one?” “No.” “How about this one?” “Nope!” She was bamboozled. So the fateful question remained, “If, just if, you had to choose one of these diamonds as your own, which would it be?” Low and behold, Erica chose a 1.51-carat H SI1 stone. She had no idea that she’d just selected the diamond of her dreams.
Finding the right setting
Now that her diamond was chosen, it was time to find the right setting. The team realized Erica had an affinity for gold for its timeless appeal. Yet, she wanted a platinum head for maximum security. Through sly questioning, Erica expressed her attraction to the ring on the right in the photo below. It was a perfect fit! A 14-karat yellow gold band with a 6-prong platinum head. At last, Erica’s dream ring was complete. And the best part— she had no idea.
A puppy proposal
The only thing closer to Erica’s heart than Grant is her precious pooch named Pistache (French for pistachio, pronounced pee-STAHSH). A ten-year-old boxer, Pistache was Erica’s best friend long before she and Grant started dating. And since Pistache is like a child to her, Grant knew he had to incorporate him into his proposal.
Starting when he was young, Pistache’s specialty involved posing for photos with various objects on his nose. His restraint and discipline is remarkable! He even has his own Instagram page: @pistache_on_things. And once, he was even featured on National Geographic’s Animals Doing Things special hosted by Howie Mandel. So naturally, Grant saw this as the perfect way to include Pistache in their special moment.
On Valentine’s Day, as Grant prepared to leave for a work trip, he knew he had to pop the question first. That night, he cooked dinner, bought flowers, and gifted Erica with a few special presents. The night seemed like a typical Valentine’s Day celebration.
Then, while packing up, Grant planted the ring on Pistache’s nose. “Erica, can you help me out here,” he called from another room. As she entered, Erica found a stunning engagement ring balanced on Pistache’s nose, with Grant down on one knee. And the rest is history!
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All thanks to Team Stuller, Erica got her dream ring and the perfect puppy proposal! Don’t forget to hug your furry friends extra tight today. And if your dog has a cool talent like Pistache, let us know in the comments below!
