When we asked theMamamiacommunity to share the stories behind their engagement rings, we didn’t anticipate we’d receive so many heartfelt, brilliant and funny stories.

From spontaneous announcements, to meticulously planned projects that were months in the making, each story was as unique as the the rings proposed with.

Some women opted for unique gemstones, while others chose family heirlooms. Then there were the couples who got theirs redesigned in the years after their wedding.

Here are just some of our favourites:

Engagement ring trends through the decades, from the 1900s to now. Post continues below.

Alena: ‘He proposed with a note on the back of a Ryanair ticket.’

We had discussed the idea of getting married and had decided not to as it wasn’t really our thing. But it seems like three weeks after sailing across the Atlantic, and a couple of close calls changed things. He called my dad as soon as they reached land in Morocco to ask permission and worked himself up to asking as he met me at the airport. Little did he know my flight was cancelled and as my phone wasn’t working I couldn’t let him know, so he waited at the airport all nervous for me and I didn’t turn up. He had to do it all again the next day when I did arrive, but even with the extra 24 hours, biro on the back of a Ryanair ticket was the chosen way of proposing.

The ring itself was a placeholder ring from the only jewellery shop on the tiny Caribbean island he sailed from. He knew I wasn’t into standard rings and wanted to use family jewels, so I got his ring designed using diamonds from my great grandmother’s and grandmother’s engagement rings, based upon an art deco brooch from my great aunt.

Image: Supplied.

Helen: "These rings are very precious memories of life’s twists and turns."

I proposed to my hubby. He was trying to work up the courage (his mates informed me) so I was very excited when he said yes. We chose a ring together but unfortunately it was stolen along with other precious items. He said he would go with me to the San Francisco jewellery district on a trip we had planned previously.

My hubby loves marquise-cut diamonds, while I like round so we comprised and had this made. He was very sweet and got down on bended-knee to put it on my finger even though we’d been married for 12 years at the time. Now 38 years married, these rings are very precious memories of life’s twists and turns.

Image: Supplied.

Jasmine: "My partner proposed with a fake ring."

My partner proposed with a fake ring and said we could then have my cousin make it for us as he’s a jeweller. We picked the stone together and had it made. Most recent photo was from my maternity shoot. I just love it though. Centre stone is a tanzanite.

Image: Supplied / Sara Bresser Birth Photography.

Janine: "He proposed with just the diamond."

My husband and I had looked at a few rings before we got engaged so he knew the style I liked. So he proposed with just the diamond and then we went in together to get it designed. I love my ring and it's exactly what I wanted. I'm glad that we both got to be part of the process and could choose and design it together.

Image: Supplied.

Michelle: 'Mine includes a bunch of history.'

Mine originally belonged to my grandma and was an heirloom for her (I believe it was her grandmother’s). It in turn was given to my mum while she was pregnant with me because Mum had toxemia and had swelled up like a balloon. Of course in 1970 no respectable lady walked around pregnant and unwed so Grandma gave Mum the biggest ring she owned so Mum could be “respectable”.

After I was born, Mum went back to her own rings and put this in a drawer. Years later my boyfriend was looking for a ring and here was this beautiful old world ring that nobody wanted. I had both my wedding ring and eternity ring made to fit in but I love that it isn’t flashy or fancy.

Five small diamonds, 24k gold and a bunch of history.

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Nikita: "I still can’t believe it’s mine."

My fiancé designed and had my ring made all by himself, and I honestly couldn’t have dreamed it up more perfect if I tried. We had jokingly looked at a couple on Instagram but I didn’t think we were at that stage yet so was very surprised when he proposed. I liked the oval shape but never expected three diamonds! He also made the band in rose gold because he noticed all my other jewellery was in rose gold, something I never would have thought of! It’s got a beautiful antique feel to it and even a year after he proposed I still can’t believe it’s mine.

Image: Supplied.

Sarah: "It was perfect... until I realised it was the wrong one."

I chose the ring with my now-husband from this lovely little jewellery store in Manhattan Beach, LA when we were living there. We had to get married for visa reasons so I could stay in the country despite being together for 10 years and having two children. He then bought THE WRONG ONE accidentally on his own sneakily and proposed to me on this beautiful pier at night with the fairy lights and our baby strapped to his front and our other little one holding his hand.

It was perfect... until I realised it was the wrong one and really ugly. We had to go back the next day and swap.

Image: Supplied.

Claire: "He took so much effort to get THAT ring."

My now-husband and I met in 2012, in 2013 we were in Tiffany & Co looking around, and I saw a ring that I LOVED beyond words but it was huge and ridiculous. He said "let's try it on for fun" so we did, we got taken out the back, given champagne. As it turns out it was 3.5 carats and $213k.

They told me the style name at the time, which I promptly forgot. Fast forward to 2014, and we'd broken up.

But on December 31, 2015, he reached out to me on social media and we ended up back together by February 2016. We kind of talked about getting married and by chance we stumbled across the exact style of ring again in Tiffany in New York in March 2016.

Finally I had the name of the style again, Tiffany Legacy Ornate! But then they told me that style was discontinued and not being made anymore. It was soooo expensive and we weren’t quite ready at the time so I told him to forget about it and get me an antique art deco ring maybe one day. In September 2016, he proposed to me on the top of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. I opened the box he had clumsily shoved in my hand saying, “Guess what, will you marry me?” and it was THE ring! (not the 3.5 carat, the smaller version, still crazy though).

I thought he had gone and got a replica made, to which he was very offended, as I knew they were discontinued. No, it turns out he had worked for months with the sales assistant in Tiffany, Brisbane, to source the right ring. They finally found one in New York and had to write a case letter to Tiffany HQ to ask them to please sell it in Australia (as only a certain amount of each style is released in each region) and they had to convince the team to send it.

It finally arrived the day before we left for Singapore. Honestly, I would have been happy with anything at all but the fact he took so much effort to get THAT ring means the world to me and the style is me to a T!

Image: Supplied.

Aimee: 'It belonged to my late mother.'

My engagement ring belonged to my late mother, it was a gift from my dad for her 50th. He designed it and had it made for her. For me, the ring is a symbol of all encompassing love, representing the three people I hold closest in my heart - my mother, my father, my love.

Image: Supplied.

Elise: 'It was my mum's.'

My beautiful engagement ring was my mum’s. She passed away after a short battle with leukaemia 12 months before we were married. Growing up, my sister and I always adored her ring and used to jokingly argue over who she would leave it to. As heartbreaking as it still is, everyday I look down at the ring and feel like I have a little bit of her with me.

Image: Supplied.

Alicia: "My husband proposed with a $12 ring."

My husband proposed with a $12 ring from Lovisa! My then-boyfriend asked for my dad's blessing on Christmas Day 2011 and later that day, knowing a proposal was imminent, Mum gave us "the rock" - a beautiful 1.55 carat diamond ring my pa gave to my nanna when I was about eight-year-old. My mum inherited the rock when my grandparents passed and told my boyfriend she would like me to have it.

After he proposed I asked why he didn't use "the rock" and I was told he wasn't going to trust anybody with it - the Lovisa ring was served on top of a chocolate souffle!

Mum was happy for us to reset it, and as I adore rose gold, we had the ring reset loosely based on a Cartier ring I'd seen in a magazine. To this day I still ADORE it for its simplicity, elegance and sentimentality.

Image: Supplied.

Bianca: 'The diamonds are over 50 years old.'

My now husband proposed with his grandma's ring with the notion of then re-setting the diamonds into another ring. It was gorgeous! And over 50 years old! This is the finished product which we then went and designed together. All the diamonds are from the original ring.

Image: Supplied.

Ariel: "I can’t wait to one day pass it along to my daughter."

My father gave the ring to my then-boyfriend and it originally belonged to my late step-mum. My dad had purchased the ring for her while they were holidaying in Amsterdam. After my step-mum passed away my dad wore the ring on a chain around his neck for a few years, before secretly giving it to my now-husband. He said he wanted it to have another life and be admired and treasured as it deserved.

He gave my hubby free reign to redesign it as he desired (it was originally a solitaire with gold band). My husband had it reset by a local jeweller friend and proposed to