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The whirlwind romance between DK Metcalf and Normani keeps getting sweeter. The jeweler behind the design shares with PEOPLE that the Seattle Seahawks star did the heavy lifting when it came to designing his fiancée's ring.
Metcalf sparked dating rumors with the former Fifth Harmony singer in the summer of 2022. They later went public for the first time the following year after being initially set up by Ciara and Russell Wilson. After dating the R&B singer for two years, the wide receiver found himself in conversation with his jeweler to make the “most important purchase” he says he ever made. According to Jason Arasheben of Jason of Beverly Hills, the 27-year-old wide receiver wanted not only the proposal to be a surprise but also the ring design — something that is unheard of with future grooms.
“That happens a lot, where we have someone that comes in, and he wants her to do all the heavy lifting as far as picking out the stone and the design and everything like that,” Arasheben explains. “He just sits back and pays for it. This was very different. He wanted to make the decisions. He wanted to be in control of everything so that it would be a complete surprise to her.”
It all began with a phone call to Arasheben on his “special request.”
“He reached out to me, he said, ‘Jason, I have a very special request. This is going to be my most important purchase I've ever made,'” the celebrity jeweler tells the outlet. “And I'm like, ‘Okay, what are we talking about here?' And he says, ‘I want to pop the question. I'm ready to do this. I want to create a ring that's going to be timeless, something that she's going to love not only now, but 50 years from now, and I want to make a statement.'”
How Designing Normani's Engagement Ring Was Different For DK Metcalf
Arasheben and Metcalf have worked together previously on pieces, but he describes his dedication to making Normani's ring something that he was none other any other custom jewelry project of theirs.
“He was very intentional with every little design element,” says Arasheben. “He wanted to be part of the process. He wanted to see how the ring was being put together. He wanted to give his creative input on the underbelly of the ring, how the basket looks, every little detail. Even though the ring looks simple, there's a lot of detail that went into it, and he was a part of every single decision.”
“He's never put this kind of energy into it,” he added. “He said this is somebody that's very special to him, and that he wanted to create something that was not only personal, but something that would be very special to her.”
Metcalf proposed in Houston with both of their families surrounding them in support. The athlete gave the singer flowers with notes on them so she could figure out all the clues leading to his big ask. On the last note, it read, “Will you marry me?”
The engagement news follows Metcalf's new NFL home with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension with $80 million guaranteed.
