This past August, the newly engaged Heather Rae Young told her Instagram followers that she was “absolutely obsessed” with the 8.08-carat emerald-cut diamond she received from fellow reality TV star Tarek El Moussa.
“It’s perfect for me in every way!,” the Selling Sunset host exclaimed on Instagram. “Thank you Mr. El Moussa for making me the happiest!”
She said that emerald was her favorite diamond cut. What's more, the carat weight of 8.08 was significant because Young’s lucky number is "8."
But, despite the perfection of the diamond, El Moussa, who is best known for his show, Flip or Flop, explained at the time that the ring was still a work in progress.
“Right now, I just got her the main stone, but what I want to do is design the rest of the ring together,” he said. “I provide the stone, and now we actually build the ring.”
The 39-year-old El Moussa made good on the promise and his 33-year-old fianceé revealed the results in a video posted to her Instagram Story this past week. It was titled “Breathtaking.”
In the video, Young is modeling the newly restyled engagement ring. Instead of a simple band of yellow gold, the ring now features emerald-cut diamonds all the way around. The prong-set diamonds perfectly complement the much larger center stone.
“I never planned my ‘dream wedding’ but I saved rings I loved for the past 10 years,” Young wrote. “Gold with emerald cut was always my dream ring.” Young also added a note to her fiancé: “My love, future hubby, you have my whole heart.”
El Moussa recruited jewelry designer Benny Hayoun of Newport Beach-based Benny and the Gems to assist with the original and improved versions of the ring.
The jeweler shared Young's video and offered his take on the project: “We did the upgrade for the ring and it came out perfect. A touch of sparkle, not too much, just enough to make the center look even better. What [do] you guys think about the new ring?”
Young and El Moussa are planning to tie the knot some time later this year.
Credits: Redesigned ring screen capture via Instagram / bennyandthegems. Original ring image via Instagram / heatherraeyoung. Couple image via Instagram / therealtarekelmoussa.