They say good things happen to good people and we truly believe in the beauty that lies within each of us. We applaud the selfless steps taken by Brianne Sinks and believe her simple act of giving has created a deeply personal experience for us. Quality & Integrity are values we consider when designing styles that we produce. This young lady is living our values and keeps us inspired to believe. We will always remember this real-life example of the beauty in the unexpected and having faith in God’s grace.

We went on to live separate lives. In winter of 2012, we finally crossed paths again. The minute we laid eyes on each another it was as if we were teenagers once again. Our puppy love didn't translate automatically into our adult lives. It was hard for us at first, but eventually our love for one another meshed perfectly into our imperfect lives.

On December 12, 2018, we celebrated our six year anniversary. Marco was in the living room and the Beauty and the Beast's "A Tale as Old as Time" song was playing Mariachi style. As we danced, he revealed an enchanted rose with a jewelry box inside of it. Coincidentally, I was wearing a yellow cardigan (the color of Belle's dress) and he wore a blue suit just the Beast. It was beautiful, romantic, and absolutely perfect! After I said yes, Marco said to me... "December 12, 2012, may not have lasted forever but December 12, 2018, will."

Not to mention the perfection of my ring! Last year, I was doing a lot of wedding related searches because I was the Maid of Honor for a friend. I would send him screenshots of the engagement ring ads and say, "a girl could only dream." He actually took note my suggestions, went to a Gabriel retailer near me, and handpicked the center diamond. He wanted it to sparkle as beautifully as the diamonds on the setting, and he did an amazing job! To me it's perfect!

Tiffany recalls, “Last year, we went skydiving and he proposed to me with a custom Gabriel & Co. ring! Obviously, I said “Yes,” and now we’re due to get married this December. It has a combination of rose gold metal, a diamond halo, and (omg!) really intricate bridge work. He said he knew I would love it and that it would look good on me.”

“Last month, he chose three bands that he thought I would like and let me pick my favorite. I chose a stackable band that looks similar to a crown. He said he knew I was going to pick that one because I am his Queen. We just got married on December 1st. My set is SO breathtaking. The quality and detail of these rings is unmatched. Thank you Gabriel & Co.!”

We went shopping at Rogers and Hollands in Janesville, Wisconsin. This is a store that is important to us because his parents got his mother’s ring there, and my parents got their rings there. When I found my ring, it was perfect and exactly what I have always wanted in a ring! I had it custom made to yellow gold which made it even more perfect! It is literally my dream ring, and I am so happy to wear this for the rest of my life!

I hope this inspires couples to not give up on finding their ring until they find their perfect dream ring like I did! Thank you Gabriel & Co. for making my dream ring come to life! I still get all giddy when I think about the day we found my ring. It’s just perfect for me!”

We met at his brother and now sister-in-law’s wedding. Once the wedding was over, everyone left filled with love and excitement, but we wanted to keep the celebration going. At the wedding, his brother and sister-in-law had a mustache themed photo booth, so to commemorate their special day, I decided to get a mustache lip tattoo which apparently intrigued Josh at the time. He asked his brother and now sister-in-law to set us up for a dinner date, and the rest is history.

After 6 years of making memories together, we decided to make it official. We wanted to make ring searching something special for both of us as it is a piece that can represent our unique bond: Something we can always look at knowing all the happiness it represents. During our search, I realized my love for oval cut diamonds. He took all of the ideas I had given him and found the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen! We say that the 6 side stones represent out 6 exciting years together with the center stone being the year ahead of us.

He is my true soulmate and just makes life so much sweeter. Our love story is anything but traditional, but it is ours to cherish and I will be forever grateful.”

Fast forward to June 2, 2018, that police officer [Jaime] became my fiancé and proposed to me with a breathtaking Gabriel ring! On August 9th, 2018, we had our engagement party. I come from a Middle Eastern family, and Jaime is half Puerto Rican and half Irish. Regardless of our different backgrounds, we found the purest most genuine love for each other. Despite our busy schedules, we still find time for each other. I believe that our love story is different: It’s empowering to other females of Middle Eastern backgrounds because normally, it’s uncommon for Middle Eastern women to marry outside of their race. I stood up for love and I stood up for us.

Every time I look down at my hand and see my beautiful ring, I think of how loved I am and how I’m beyond blessed to be marrying the man of my dreams. Thank you Gabriel and Co. for creating such a stunning ring!

Also, if you’re wondering why my ring is on my right hand, it’s because Middle Eastern women typically wear their ring on their right hand when they’re engaged, and when they are officially married, they wear their ring on their left hand.

Kirby recalls, “I told him that if he wanted to meet me, he could drive to Austin. A day and a half later, he was in Austin and we spent the next three days together. We both knew, without saying anything to one another, this was it. This felt right. This was the start of our lifetime together.”

About six months in to their newfound love, they began to speak about marriage, but by the eighth month, Kirby could no longer contain her excitement and desire to be with Matt.

“This was my person and I wanted to marry him,” says Kirby, “so my not so subtle, smart aleck hints persisted until month eleven when we took an impromptu trip to San Diego. Within the first few hours of our arrival, he surprised me with a proposal in Balboa Park! He even hired a professional photographer to capture the whole thing. I was absolutely shocked. I kept thinking it was going to happen in Chicago on our one month anniversary trip, but of course, men like to catch you off guard.”

“It was the perfect surprise and the perfect ring. I only asked for a three-banded rose gold ring (the three bands symbolizing a bible verse). And I know he searched endlessly. I had sent him Pinterest pictures galore, and he finally stumbled across Gabriel and Co. and immediately thought “This is her ring.” He knew without a doubt. And I absolutely love it!”

“Jesse proposed to me in the middle of an apple orchard: both of us are native Vermonters and fall apple picking was an honored tradition for us. As if this single gesture wasn’t enough, he surprised me with a hot air balloon ride soaring above Vermont’s peak foliage!” says Kelsey. “Everything was just as perfect as it sounds! Now two years into our marriage and almost a decade of us being a couple, I still chalk that up to one of the greatest memories we have shared!” says Kelsey.

“Jesse knew I always admired the entire Gabriel & Co. line, so he knocked it out of the park with my Victorian halo! Not only do I get to admire the beauty of the ring itself, but it’s a constant reminder of that magical moment!”

“I’ve had my ring picked out for the past year, I knew I wanted a Gabrielle & Co. ring since the day I knew I found ‘THE ONE.’ I love your unique designs, and I had my ring picked out, but no fiancé. I met Frank over six years ago. We were best friends for four years before dating, but have officially been together for about a year. I think I sent him a picture of the ring at least twice a day, but I guess he got the hint.

I told Frank I wanted to go pumpkin picking since August, so he knew a hayride was the perfect opportunity. We went to an orchard in Pennsylvania, and I had no idea that 20 of my family members and closest friends would on a hayride waiting for me. There was a line wrapped around the corner, but he ensured we had VIP tickets. As I walked up the hill, I was in shock. In an instant I turned, and he was on one knee asking me to marry him. I don’t know if I was more shocked about the beautiful ring or by all the love from my family being there. The ring is more than I could have ever imagined, I always dreamed of having a ring like this. And my amazing fiancé with the help of Gabriel & Co. have made my all of dreams come true.”

At Courtney’s urging, Sam asked Kelly to accompany him to the Army Ball, and the couple’s first date was planned.

The evening of the ball, Kelly got all dolled up, curling her hair, and putting on her favorite lipstick and a brand new gorgeous burgundy gown. She walked in with Courtney and greeted Sam with a big, nervous hug. They chatted all through dinner, barely able to take their eyes off each other. Their flirting continued through the ceremony, and that evening they danced and partied the night away with their closest friends.

A month after their first date, Kelly came home and wrote in her journal, “This was the weekend I found myself looking into Sam's warm eyes and falling in love. I do not know why he was brought into my life. All I know is that I want to discover these feelings, discover me and discover what exists between us.”

Who knew a year and a half later Kelly would be reflecting on those early memories with so much joy and laughter?

“We've certainly grown into our love story, and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I'll save all the sappy reasons why I love this man so much for our vows, but for now, I couldn't be happier to say that I'll be the future Mrs. Soutsos!”

As for the ring, Kelly knew she wanted something vintage inspired and unique.

“We are both ‘old souls’ who love history and have an eclectic design aesthetic, but we still relish in traditional modern style.”

She tried on rings at a local jeweler in San Diego but didn’t find anything that captured her imagination. Deciding to take her search online, she logged on to Instagram, searched #VintageEngagementRing and came across Gabriel & Co.

“I immediately loved all the unique styles and fell in love with so many different rings.”

She sent the designs to Sam, and he selected the Annadale style. He found a local jeweler in Los Angeles that carried the line and helped select the center stone.

“I absolutely love the different petal-shaped diamond clusters on the side; they remind me of my grandma’s ring.

“The look on my face in the proposal photo says it all!”

Days after filming, Ephraim visited that same bank to apply for a business loan. During his sit-down, Heather, who works as a bank teller, walked over to hand something to the loan agent. And this is how he remembers it -- “I looked up from my seat at this vision of pure beauty with the slightest of southern accents and thinking “This woman TOTALLY has a boyfriend. There’s no way you can ask her out. But then she looked at me and smiled a perfect smile beneath some beautiful brown eyes, and I got a little more confidence.”

After handling business, the loan agent shuffles over to Ephraim and tells him, “So her name is Heather Falcon, she’s single, she thinks you’re cute, and she likes flowers.” With that bit of information, he mustered up enough courage to wait in line for a chance to speak to her at the teller window. Once he was able to stop fumbling over his words, he asked her out for coffee, handed her his business card, and within an hour they were texting and had hit it off automatically.

In preparation of the proposal, he found the perfect ring from Gabriel & Co., the HALSEY engagement ring. His reason for choosing this gorgeous vintage-inspired ring – “It has subtle Fleur-de-lis-esque designs on either side of the center stone which I loved. Heather was born in Louisiana, so I liked the connection. We wanted to get a ring that would age well and could be passed down to grandchildren with pride and fond memories. I knew the minute we saw it that it was the one.”

To complete the magical fairytale-like proposal, Ephraim planned to get on one knee in a castle during their graduation trip to Scotland. He knew the Eilean Donan Castle near a town called Dornie in the Highlands of Scotland would be the ideal location to sweep his Queen off her feet. Ephraim made the extra effort to reserve the secret hidden chamber in the castle and arrange for wine and candles to be set up.

The day finally arrived and after admiring all the castle’s rooms, a Scotsman working at the castle escorted them to the front of the secret chamber and pulled back the tapestry curtain which revealed a spiral staircase leading up to the secret chamber filled with romance.

Funny how age differentials minimize as we get older. Suddenly, "Andrew and I hit it off from the start” according to Ashley. “In fact, we were together just three months before we got engaged. I never dreamed such a whirlwind romance would happen to me, but now I cannot imagine our story any other way. Like people say, “When you know, you know.” Ashley and Andrew wanted to get married at The Silos in Bono, Arkansas around Christmastime. Knowing how quickly dates fill for that venue, they visited The Silos to meet with the owner. What Ashley didn’t know, though, “was that Andrew had some tricks up his sleeve; he brought our mothers along to visit the venue, which at first I thought was odd. He had already spoken to the owner about his plans for our visit. After walking over the property, Andrew asked me to take a picture with him. I turned to look at the spot Andrew was pointing toward, and when I turned around he was down on one knee. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I think the words, “What are you doing?” were the first ones out of my mouth, but I quickly squealed, “YES!” two or three times to be sure he knew my answer. Our mothers were not just “tagging along” to look at The Silos, after all. They caught the moment with both video and pictures. Andrew said he couldn’t think of a more meaningful place to propose than where we would be married. It was by far the most shocking, but most exciting moment of my life,"

Ashley joyfully admits that the best was yet to come when she learned more about her engagement ring. "Both my engagement ring and my wedding band are Gabriel & Co. from the Sissy’s Log Cabin Jonesboro location,” she says. “Interestingly, Andrew proposed without us having looked at rings together. He knew I really loved both rose gold and vintage-style jewelry. He picked the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. However, after the shock of the proposal wore off and I looked at the ring more closely, I couldn’t believe what I was staring at. Two days before his proposal, I clicked on a Gabriel & Co. advertisement and found the ring of my dreams on the Gabriel website. It was the exact same ring! At first, Andrew and Ashley couldn’t believe the coincidence, but they also thought, why not, if things are meant to be. Like some people say, “When you know, you know.”

Josh picked me up that night for a hockey game, and pizza - two things we both love. We sat and talked the whole night, through the game, through pizza and even drove around town for a couple hours afterwards talking about everything. To be honest, I believe in our first two dates he put over 300 miles on his truck just from us driving around the city. We could both tell, neither one of us wanted to get out, because the connection was unavoidable. Right from the beginning, everything was so easy for us. Previous relationships always generate a little caution, but we both knew very early on, there was no one else for us.

Our third date is probably our favorite. He came home early from work since he was leaving for a trip the very next day. I had gotten off work late, however, so we didn't have many options for food but there was no question we had to see each other before he left. Well, we ended up at McDonalds for McFlurries, which Josh totally suffered through just to impress me since he really doesn't like them. Even though we hadn't even kissed, something felt different, different in the best way.

After we finished our ice cream, we drove around town again of course, talking for hours. It must have been after 1am when he dropped me off. Finally, he kissed me, and I knew, that night, that this was it. He was and still is, the sweetest man to me."

"My fiancé, Joshua and I love going for drives around town, it’s what we did our first few dates around our special town. There’s a few spots we always go, and this one area of town has a Gazebo that looks over downtown Fort McMurray, AB (in Canada).

On August 11, 2017, we drove to one of our favorite areas, The Gazebo that overlooks downtown Fort McMurray in Alberta. Josh suggested we get out and walk to the gazebo to see the view. We took a couple photos together and as we were getting ready to leave, I turned around and he was on one knee, looking me in the eyes and asking if we could spend the rest of our lives together! Of course I said yes. I wasn’t ever letting him go, and now this year, on August 11, 2018, we will say “I do!"

Our future shines as bright as the Gabriel ring we picked out. Joshua is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm so excited to build my life with him.”

"Phil and I met through mutual friends at the beginning of our freshmen year at the University of Iowa in 2006,” Sarah recalls. “He claims he liked me from day one, but it took me a whole year to give him a chance. We even dated other people during that time. In our sophomore year, however, all of our friends moved off campus. Suddenly, we were the only two still living in the dorms, so we started eating meals together and hanging out a lot, and that’s when I started falling for him. When he first kissed me at a friend’s Halloween party, I swore I saw fireworks. I thought the whole fireworks-knees-buckling-tingly-everywhere feeling was something that had been made up for movies. With Phil, I discovered it was real.

By Thanksgiving, we had made our relationship official, when Phil broke the news that, for academic reasons, he would be transferring to Purdue the following semester. As devastated as we were, we were determined to make this long distance relationship work. It spanned the next seven and a half years, across three different states.

Finally, we finally moved in together in June of 2015. He had a job in engineering and I was teaching. He proposed on New Year’s Eve, 2016. Well, he tried anyway, but Phil couldn’t get me alone outside all night because Illinois winters can be brutal. It actually wasn’t until after it turned into 2017, that Phil took me to the some nearby train tracks, stopped underneath a security camera, to insure his request would be preserved for was for posterity, and asked me to be his forever with a gorgeous Gabriel & Co ring.”

Life however, had yet one more challenge in store for this intrepid couple. This past summer, in July of 2017, Sarah woke up one night with a piercing headache. Over the counter pills didn’t do a thing, so Phil rushed her to the ER, where they did a CT scan and found a large tumor on Sarah’s pituitary gland. The tumor turned out to be Rathke’s Cleft Cyst, which leaked and developed into meningitis. Happily, Sarah’s surgery last September was successful. “I was in the hospital for a week,” Sarah says, “and Phil stuck by me the entire time. And although we won’t be saying our vows until I’m well, Phil has already proven he will walk through life with me in sickness and in health."

Derek knew quickly that he wanted to be with Sharlene every day of his life. And Sharlene could hardly wait to spend her life loving him. But Derek was praying to know when the moment was right. Happily, they both got what they wanted, thanks to a little help from their friends and family.

Sharlene admits, "I’d been looking at rings long before fiancé Derek and I ever dated. In fact, I blabbed so much that Derek would sometimes look at another woman’s hand and say, “What kind of ring is that?” and he’d understand every color/cut/clarity/carat size that was described to him. Still, I’m no savant when it comes to diamonds, but Derek knew who to ask someone who was.”

“My mother’s best friend, Phyllis, is the most genuine woman you’ll ever meet, and also pretty intelligent when it comes to rings. Derek went to her to help guide him in the right direction.” Her guidance led them to Jeffrey Scott Fine Jewelers in Amherst, NH.” Derek then invited his mother to look at the Gabriel rings he was considering, and together they picked out a beautiful cushion cut diamond with a cushion halo setting.

When Derek got home, he hid the box for what he later told Sharlene, “felt like years, but was really only days,” right before the couple was about to embark on their annual family trip to the beach. The day before their departure, Sharlene’s parents ‘surprised’ the couple by showing up a day early. Sharlene recalls, “My mom gave me some pseudo-hip excuse that she suffered from FOMO (fear of missing out), so she and my dad had to come visit. What I didn’t know at the time is that Derek had asked my parents to come to the beach early, because he knew I’d want them there for what he was planning. Smart boy.”

Once they got to the beach, Derek woke Sharlene up so that they could watch the sunrise. She literally and figuratively dragged her feet the whole time because it was cold and the hour far too early. However, as soon as the sun appeared on the horizon, Derek called his brother and girlfriend to join them. He wanted them in charge of taking pictures,

“Once they arrived,” says Sharlene, “Derek knelt on one knee, pulled a ring box out of his sleeve and asked me to marry him. It was completely surreal, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. After the initial excitement subsided, Derek told me he had been praying about our engagement, asking the Lord to prepare his heart, and to reveal to him when would be the right time to propose. He got his answer when we woke up to watch the sunrise.” For Sharlene, it couldn’t have been better. “His family was there, my family was there, to join us at the beginning of the happiest day of my life, that has led us into the most blessed life anyone could ask for.”

As a couple, we have been through as much together in 4 years as other couples have been through in a lifetime. But we are good and solid, and we are both grateful for our relationship and never take it for granted. You can't really appreciate something (or someone) until it gets pulled away from you. Thankfully, we have had love and faith to guide us through these multiple difficult situations, and each time we came back closer and stronger.

To us, our engagement is unlike any other engagement. Stephanie and I chose to go with Gabriel for her ring because it their jewelry also bears a distinct quality, unlike anything else we saw. We had a story that was ours alone and we believed the unique Gabriel’s ring we created perfectly symbolized that story.

Even better, Gabriel came through for us big time by not only producing a ring in less than two weeks, but setting the diamond in it as well so that I was able to propose to Stephanie in the real Bryant Park during our visit. Even though it was hundreds of miles away from where we originally met, it felt exactly like the place we first locked eyes on each other.

On any given day, there are roughly 4 million people in Manhattan, but on Friday, September 8th, Gabriel & Co made Stephanie and I feel like we were the only 2 people on the island and for that I will forever be thankful!

Thank you to everyone at Gabriel & Co, but especially Barbara Ryan, for a creating one of a kind experience.

I knew this man would do anything in the world to keep me happy. First we worked out together at each other’s gyms, but then he switched to mine even though even though mine 20 minutes away from his home. In the summer time we hike in outdoor parks for our physical activities. We are known as the “the big and little beast”.

Rose gold has been an obsession of mine for all my accessories ever since it’s become more available my vision. I told Harmeet my dream was to make my engagement ring unique, for the diamonds to really stand out from the ring base itself, and for the base to be rose gold. I went into our local jewelers which carried Gabriel & Co. and I selected a white gold base to be remade in in rose gold, which the jeweler said would not be a problem. In addition, I customized all my diamonds. This is process took about 5 months to complete

On the night of September 21, 2017, along the shore of Granville Island in the midst of downtown Vancouver right in front of the famous Telus World of Science globe, Harmeet went down on one knee on the deck of our private yacht and finally popped the question, opening the Gabriel & Co box to reveal our custom made ring; rose gold with a center stone of 3.75 ct. and a total of 5 carat. When I saw it on my ring finger, the sight blew me away. Harmeet had brought the vision of my dream ring into reality. What’s more it’s completely unique and forever mine.

Turns out, trips weren’t the only adventure that Adrian excelled at planning. Starting over a year ago, Adrian and Lena would be out shopping and Adrian would stop at a jewelry store and suggest they go inside, where they’d look at various pieces, musing on what each liked and suited their respective personalities. This went on casually, but persistently, until Adrian had managed to steer Lena into most of the jewelry stores in the New Jersey area where they lived.

Once he was confident that he sensed the kind of ring Lena would love, Adrian embarked on Phase 1. He contacted Mya at Gabriel and explained that he wanted to enlist her time and expertise to create the perfect engagement ring. Mya suggested Adrien first look on the Gabriel website to view Gabriel’s vast range of possibility and then she met him at Gabriel’s handsome New York showroom to zero in on one surefire, unforgettable setting for the perfect emerald cut diamond Adrian decided Lena would most desire. The finished product had Adrian in awe. And now he was ready or Phase 2.

With the ideal ring tucked safely in his backpack, Adrian and Lena headed for another vacation, this time in the Bahamas. At the RIU resort where they were staying, Adrian contacted the management in order to coordinate his proposal as part of the Bahamanian Dance show being presented as that night’s entertainment.

Lena did think it was odd that Adrien had so far carried his knapsack everywhere during their trip, including the nightclub where the dance show was being performed. Twenty minutes into the show, Lena was “randomly” chosen by the emcee to come onstage, and sit in a chair surrounded by the dancers. He then asked to blindfold her. She was hesitant, but Adrien insisted. And then he made his move. As the music started up softly, and the dancers took a step back, the emcee had Lena remove her blindfold, to see Adrien on bended knee in front of her, holding the Gabriel box he had finally been taken out of his knapsack.

Lena will take the story from here:

I had no idea that Adrien had done all this planning and research. It’s just phenomenal that he was able to keep the ring a secret from me. It warms my heart that he put so much thought and energy into getting the perfect ring. I was overjoyed because the ring has everything I wanted. It’s elegant, bold, sophisticated and timelessly beautiful. Every time I look down at it, it takes my breath away. Gabriel provided us with something we will treasure forever. Thank you or making our love dream come true.

That was 7 years ago, in a small Louisiana town called Boutte. Since then, Lisa says, "we have learned so much from each other. This man has taught me how to become a better person, to be content with myself." Daniel has a unique perspective, due to his unusual prowess. He is a serious competitor in the world of professional arm-wrestling. "We get to travel all over the world in support of his competitive arm-wrestling," says Lisa. "And not only do we enjoy our time together no matter where we go, but Daniel has helped me to love life and live it. But Daniel cannily used his natural showmanship to secure the most important match of his life without ever breaking a sweat or lifting a finger. The stage was set on Lisa’s birthday

She recalls, "Back in January, me and my girlfriends decided on a double birthday lunch with our better halves. When we got to the restaurant (Sobu in New Orleans) our table wasn’t ready, so we were directed to wait in the courtyard. One of my girlfriends decided it was the perfect time to give the birthday girls their gifts, so she handed me a gift-wrapped-box and said, "This is from all us girls." Inside the box, Lisa discovered a YSL clutch. "I got so excited," said Lisa "because I’ve been wanting one for such a long time. But when I opened the clutch and looked inside, there was something even better – a beautiful diamond ring"

Daniel had enlisted all of Lisa’s friends to help conceive the moment – the lunch, the wait, the desired YSL clutch, and the surprise ring tucked inside. Before Lisa could get the ring on, there was Daniel on one knee in front of everyone, but more importantly, in front of her, with Christina Perri’s beautiful love song "A Thousand Years" playing in the background, telling Lisa "I want you to know that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met as well as the nicest, most generous, sweetest and even the meanest woman, all in one, and I love you for all that you are. That’s why; I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Lisa will you marry me?

"Of course I said ‘Yes!"" says Lisa "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that perfect ring slide onto my finger." OK, so maybe Daniel did have to lift one finger to win. But it was Lisa’s, which means we can declare this a Perfect Match®.

Rachael says "I was a tomboy and not once was I ever interested in dating Jason or "crushing" on him." After graduation, Jason was drafted to play for the Colorado Rockies team. Rachael went off to nursing school in Texas and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee in her quest to save lives. Years flew by. And then they found each other again six years ago. Where? Why on the ball field, of course. “Our sons were playing baseball against each other in Houston, Texas, when I saw Jason standing by the fence near the dugout. You can’t miss him. He’s 6’4…big ol’ guy!

Both had been through divorces but were raising their children to love baseball just as much as they did. They finally started dating. Though Rachael has been caring for her father, a long term victim of dementia, while welcoming Jason's children into her son and daughter's life, she says "we are very blessed that our families blend well.”

It’s not easy for Rachael to take a break but she did last Christmas for a weekend trip to Natchitoches, Louisiana to be with Jason.

While out holiday shopping, Jason urged Rachael to go sit on the store Santa's knee to tell him her Christmas wish. But as she began to confide in Santa, Jason got down on his knee, and proposed. "We're engaged," exclaims Rachael “It was such a marvelous surprise. Thanks to Gabriel for having creating such a beautiful line of jewelry. I love my ring. Best advice the two of us can offer anyone is to forget about the past and make the best of your future. Communication, honesty and forgiveness is key to a great relationship!” Rachael and Jason have now hit a home run in life in more ways than one. Not only did they finally find each other, both of their boys are now going on to be playing college baseball on scholarship.

Cassi was just doing what she could do to acknowledge those who often get forgotten. But thousands of miles away a soldier in Afghanistan named Vincent saw the post and became fascinated to know more about the person who always had a place for men like him at her table. She, in turn, was curious about the service man that was so moved by the gesture.

Their digital connection was instant, as if they were old friends who had known each other for a lifetime.

After months of getting to know each other, they decided to take the leap into the real world and meet for the first time. In exactly seven days both of them knew they were destined to be together . His certainty was so deep that Vincent knew in less than a year that he would follow Cassi anywhere. When he learned that Cassi was planning a trip around Europe, he decided to do just that.

Vincent surprised Cassi by joining her as she at Downhill Beach, Ireland, even more so when he proposed with a Gabriel & Co ring. Vincent heard the magic word right when she took his hand on that cold bright beach and said "Yes", and together they traveled to the back roads of Poland, across natural splendor of Germany and to the handsome cities of the Czech Republic.

All along the way, Vincent took pictures of her leading the way, wanting the world to remember them holding hands as they embraced life's other surprises and uncertainties of a future together.

"Having Vinny in my life means it is always going to be an adventure! He makes me realize that a life without challenges is not what I want. Getting the privilege to marry this man means we will always have the next adventure to plan," said Cassi.

Spent and exhausted, Ciara posted on every yard-sale website here in Clarksville. Her message was simple. "If there are any good people left in this world, my wedding bands & engagement ring were lost last weekend...Please, please be a good soul and turn it in. I'm hoping it turns up. My husband and I have looked for 2 days now." Ciara also emailed all the local news websites, lost / found pages and soon had hundreds of people sharing her story across social media.

That same day, a woman in Clarksville found a ring in a parking lot. Naturally, she didn't know to whom it belonged but she noticed two engravings inside the ring. The first said "Gabriel & Co." The second engraving was a serial number. EVERY GABRIEL & CO. ENGAGEMENT RING HAS A UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER. NO TWO RINGS ARE ALIKE. Because of what this woman - who prefers to remain anonymous - noticed, this story went from tragedy to triumph. Knowing our brand, she reached out to Gabriel & Co. to help find the owner. She went directly to our Gabriel & Co. website and through it contacted one of our community managers, who received the message within the hour and immediately enlisted our social media and sales rep teams in order to track down the owner of the ring. The ring was traced to a Rogers & Hollands chain store in Tennessee. One of the store clerks not only recognized the ring immediately, but remembered Ciara and how happy she had been to get it.

By the next morning not only had the ring been safely delivered to the Rogers & Holland store, but Ciara had been notified of its return. For Ciara it was an unforgettable experience. "I had stayed up till 6 am that morning keeping up with social media,' she recalled, "seeing if anyone had heard anything. I finally fell asleep at 10am, awakening to discover I had a missed call on my phone. Little did I know it was my local Jewelry store calling to tell me "Ciara, we have your ring". I broke down in tears of joy. I couldn't believe it had been returned! Me and Brandon now joke we already have the best bedtime story to tell our future children,"

Had the ring bore another brand name, it's unlikely Ciara and Brandon would be the bearers of such a happy bedtime story. Each engagement ring's inscribed individual serial number is Gabriel & Co's way of helping a couple fulfill the promise of eternal love. It is a commitment we take seriously. It is a commitment that sets Gabriel & Co. apart from all other creators of bridal jewelry. We couldn't be more proud of this singular reputation. And we couldn't be more pleased to know that because of our commitment, Ciara will never forget that the return of her ring was "One of the best days of my life!"

However, both of them shared many of the same passions and both had children in their early twenties from previous long-term relationships. They were coming from the similar places in life, so perhaps it was the right time for Carrie and Tony to take a chance on each other.

Like many modern love stories, it was a different aspect of technology that helped bridge that gap. "We actually met on Match.com but were living only about 2 miles apart. I'm not sure we would have ever met otherwise," said Carrie. "It was instant attraction and admiration". After only 6 months, they were spending all our free time together.

Tony decided he was going to sweep her off her feet while working and traveling.

"Last year, we went to Europe," said Carrie. "We were able to work there and also take vacation time. On our trip to Venice, Tony asked me to marry him. I had a specific vision in mind for my ring. and Tony wanted me to have exactly what I wanted. When we got back home, we started our search for my ring. After many months of looking, we found both the stone and the setting in the same weekend, but at different places."

Carrie and Tony found Gabriel & Co. after an extensive search for the perfect setting. Instead of a diamond Carrie chose a large Portuguese cut sapphire. Tony is a Portuguese developer after all, so it only seemed fitting. Tony is from the country of Portugal and is a software developer. They chose a sapphire that is called a Portuguese Cut Sapphire. It matches up nicely. They intend to keep it in the family forever as proof that love happens, even when it takes it time.

"For both of us, we pinch each other every day because we cannot believe how perfect we are for each other,” says Carrie. “We are more in love every day and when we are apart we cannot wait to be back together. Others may think this is strange or corny. Maybe before I met Tony, I would have thought so too. But now I believe that if you don’t feel this way, maybe you haven't found your perfect match. I know I have!"

“We had been dating for quite a while when his brother approached me and told me that he was planning to surprise his wife with a new ring for their anniversary but had no idea what kind of ring she wanted. He asked me to help him out in finding the perfect ring,” she said.

Together they did a little digging on Pinterest to get some ideas for his wife’s gift. She wasn’t suspicious but it did strike her as a little odd that he was so confident in her opinion.

“Every time I brought him suggestions, he would ask what I liked best. He insisted that I would know better than he would, which ring to go with. I was really hesitant about giving my opinion because what I loved might not be what she loved, but he was very reassuring when I offered my insight. We picked out every detail together from the cut and size of the center stone to the gorgeous classic setting it would be placed it. When I saw the finished product, it took my breath away. I have to admit I was little jealous because the ring was pretty much my dream ring that I had helped him create,” she said.

It isn’t hard to imagine what happened next. For Natalie it was like a dream, one that seemed to be taking a lot longer to be realized than she thought. She really wanted to see her sister-in-law get that ring and make sure she got it right.

“Two months went by and he still hadn't given her the ring when his family planned a camping trip out of town. I just knew this would be when he did it because he rarely took time off work to go on trips and with the whole family gathered, it would be the perfect opportunity,” said Natalie. “On Saturday during our trip my boyfriend told me he wanted to go hiking. I was a little irritated, he wanted to go off on this hike and pull me away because I was worried I would miss the special moment but he insisted that we go. We found a beautiful trail and after hiking for a few minutes we climbed a rock that looked out over the whole mountain. When we got to the top Jon pulled out a book and handed it to me. It was blank inside except for a note he had written saying, "This is the story we will write together for the rest of our lives." I thought it was such a beautiful gesture and started to hug him when all of a sudden he dropped to one knee and pulled out THE RING I had created and asked me to spend forever with him.”

Natalie was in the best kind of shock. She said, “Wait, what?" out loud multiple times as Jon explained that she had been designing her own ring. He knew the best way was for her to make it and think it was for someone else. That way he could give her exactly what she wanted, which is what he hoped to do for the rest of his life. “When I realized he was serious I immediately began crying. I think I said yes at some point. The ring is my dream ring from Gabriel & Co. and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful symbol of love,” said Natalie.

I was given the opportunity to go visit her on her floor during my nurse training at the hospital. Seeing all she does amazed me. She is so incredibly smart, yet I never see her talk down to people in any part of her life. Some of these babies can fit into the palm of your hand, and she's been able to care for them so they can get strong and healthy enough to go home with their parents.

She surprises me every day with her unconditional love. There was a very young baby who was abandoned on her floor after the parents were taken away. My mother, not wanting this baby to be given to the state, fostered her! This baby had many medical issues, and they did not stop my mom.

My mother is never one who doesn't stop by a scene of an accident, who doesn't stand up for those who can't, and she never has made me feel anything but loved.

On top of all the amazing things she does, she raised me and my 3 younger brothers. Helping put us through school, working nights and over time to afford taking care of us, helping me with my wedding coming up this fall (yes my honey chose a Gabriel ring for me! He has great taste!). She always made sure our needs were met, and also tried meeting our wants. She did not have anyone helping her. She has not bought herself nice jewelry because she puts her family before her own wants.

She has inspired me to be the best person I can, and I have followed in her footsteps to be a nurse. If everyone had even a tenth of the love my mom does for others, the world would be a better place. She is always putting her needs behind the needs of others, and that is why I believe she is deserving of this.

It's hard to describe why my mother is the best person I know in just a few short paragraphs: but if you were to talk to her for just a few short minutes, you would see she radiates love and selflessness. Thank you for taking the time to read this and allow me to enter my mom into this contest of love.

Adoption was written in the stars for my mother.

The year is 1995 and she is waiting patiently. She is unsure who she is waiting patiently for, though. She is surrounded by love. And there is a new hope for a baby who is also waiting.

April 28, 1996 I was adopted. I don’t remember exactly what happened on that day, for I was only seven months old. But my mom tells me that it was one of the happiest days of her life. I consider myself beyond blessed. The love that my mother and I share is so special to me.

I often think to myself and ask, “How did I get so lucky?” A mother who traveled halfway around the globe for me. A mother who sacrificed so much to have me.

A couple years ago, I asked my mother if she ever felt sad about not having her own children. Had she ever looked at other mothers with children who resembled them and felt a sense of emptiness inside? Was that feeling something that she longed for but could not have? She looked at me, her eyes gazing into mine and said, “You are the greatest gift a mother could ever ask for. You are my daughter, and you will always be mine. Never once have I wished anything different.”

Our love story is unlike any other. My mother and I were meant for each other, before either of us knew it. I am unconditionally loved by the greatest woman in my life. And for that, I thank her. I thank her not only on her one special day in May, but I thank her every day for being my mother.

My mother is everything you want a mother to be - and some more. When I was younger I always wanted to be just like her. She was hardworking, independent, and always truly dedicated to her work. She worked for 20 years as a registered medical assistant helping to save lives, and being involved in those lives. She was always so caring and had a special place in her heart for her patients.

She faced many challenging, personal obstacles throughout her life; she lost her sister when she was very young, divorced my father when I was young, lost her mother in 2011, lost her healthcare job after 20 years, and lost her furry best friend this year, our family dog Bentley. And although she faces these obstacles and challenges, like many people do, she always kept it together and more importantly, us together.

In 2014, my mother fell in love - again. But this time, it wasn’t a love for someone; it was a love for something. With increasing enthusiasm, endless inspiration, and an enormous amount of determination, my mother made a life-changing career switch and Shore Luv Travel, an independent travel agency, was born. Becoming your own boss and starting a business from the ground-up is definitely not easy. It’s take a special type of person to be able to put in the time and effort, and be brave enough to start something completely new that you know is going to be a challenge. I never saw her more motivated and inspired to make this change.

From the day she told me she was going to become a travel agent and forward, this business has been her love (and we’re all just chopped liver now!). Her clients have been her priority and her focus has been on making sure their happy. From working long days to late nights, to working on the holidays and taking client calls the day of my sister’s wedding, she is truly dedicated to this. She took a chance, something that could have been a financial risk, and proved that you can “make it happen.” Sure her hard work and dedication played a huge role in the success of her career-change, but what I learned through this experience is that it ultimately stems from the love she has for her work.

The funny thing about love is that doesn’t always have to be what we know it to be and this couldn’t be clearer to me.

Now that I am older, I still want to be like my mother. I hope that I teach all my future children all of the valuable lessons she has taught me over the years. I hope that I can prove points to them like how she proved to me that love really does come in many different shapes and forms.

My mom now has what she always wanted. She has her family and her business to love. This is her happily ever after. This is her love story.