Pip's Engagement Rings
When Pip's fiancee Ed decided to propose, he knew she'd want something unique, personal. Pip's love for heirloom jewellery and free-spirited soul led Ed to Ruusk, where we created a beautiful personalised Engagement ring stack for Pip to treasure.
Keep reading to learn more about Pip, her custom rings and the story of how Ed proposed.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
My parents are both from the country, but our family grew up in Sydney. I was a social worker with homeless youth for eight years, and then spent two years living and working in rural Kenya as the Director of Programs for an incredible education organisation called Flying Kites. I returned home to Sydney three years ago, with a desire to run people-centred businesses. I now spend my time marrying couples, running creative retreats for freelancers, business owners and creative teams, and am also building a social enterprise which aims to support and empower vulnerable women.
When I’m not working, I make the most of living in Bondi and try and spend as much time as possible with Ed -- which often means road-trips to Scone, his hometown. I love the contrasting worlds we seem to inhabit. It reminds me of what an incredible country we live in, and how lucky we are to be able to have one foot in the city, and one foot in the country.
How did you first find out about RUUSK?
Tania and I met about a year ago and instantly connected. I already knew about RUUSK, and had been falling in love with her pieces for a while. We made an effort to stay in touch, and whenever we catch up, our “quick coffees” turn into three-hour chats. We talk about what it’s like to run our own businesses, our millions of ideas, and champion each other’s endeavours.
How did Ed propose?
We were in Byron for my best friend’s wedding. My twin sister Ali was flying back from San Francisco for the wedding, and my parents were invited as well. It coincided with their 40th wedding anniversary so my entire family made the trip up to Byron -- aunty, parents, my twin, my older brother and sister and THEIR kids… We rented a big house in the hinterland so there was plenty of space to stretch out.
My twin sister and I are really close, Ed knew it would mean a lot to have her there when the time came to get engaged. As it turned out, she was literally right there. The three of us had planned a morning together after the wedding, starting with a soft sand run on the beach. We woke up early and headed down, but when we got there, Ali said that she would prefer to run on her own so she headed off in the opposite direction.
Ed suggested we downgrade our run to walk (any excuse) and midway through me telling a story, he got down on one knee and proposed. I was so surprised, and at the same time, it felt like the most normal thing in the world. Ali wasn’t far away, she’d done a PB to get back to us so quickly as she knew Ed was going to propose. The three of us hugged, went for a swim, debriefed over breakfast, and headed to Comma for massages. It was a morning filled with my absolute favourite things -- Ed, Ali, the ocean, coffee, and a massage.
What do you love about your rings?
I love that they are hand made by a friend, in her sun-filled studio in Centennial Park, using Australian sourced ethical gold. I love that they don’t fit the mould of a ‘traditional engagement ring,’ and rather feel like a true reflection of me. They’re not too polished, but feel organic and true. As soon as I put them on, they just felt so “me”. There was no adjustment period or getting used to them.
I like the idea that the stack will evolve as I do. The only thing that is constant is change, and this applies to my style, taste, relationships, marriage. I can wear them in a combination of ways, and every day the rings could look different if I wanted them to just by rearranging the order.
My sisters and I all have a thing for heirloom jewellery. We remember trying on all my nan’s jewellery when we were little, trying to agree on who got to wear which ring. We all hoped that when we grew up, we would have fingers full of rings like Nan. The best part was that she didn’t always wait for Pa to buy them for her -- she loved jewellery and if she wanted a particular piece, she would go out and buy it for herself. She was a woman ahead of her time.
My mum now has some of my Nan’s rings that she wears every day. Whenever I see them, I’m taken back to those days, with me and my sisters taking turns trying on all of those precious rings. I love that as jewellery is passed down, so too are the stories behind the pieces. I hope that one day, my grandkids will ask to try on my rings and I’ll be able to tell them the story of how Ed proposed, on the beach in Byron, on a perfect April morning.
