“It was important to Derek that the diamond was rare and had tremendous sparkle, fire and brilliance, just like their love,” jeweler Chau Lui tells PEOPLE
Derek Hough just put a ring on it!
The Emmy Award winner, 37, worked with Chau Lui, co-owner of Paris Jewellers, to design the “extraordinary and rare” custom diamond engagement ring he used to propose to fiancée Hayley Erbert.
“Derek cared deeply about designing a ring that was extraordinary to honor this new journey with Hayley,” Lui tells PEOPLE.
“It was important to Derek that the diamond was rare and had tremendous sparkle, fire and brilliance, just like their love.”
The jeweler and dancing star chose a flawless oval diamond, which Lui describes as “breathtaking,” set in platinum with a pavé band and a hidden halo “that sparkles from all angles.”
“The ring is perfect for Hayley as it’s elegant and timeless just like she is,” she explains. “Having a diamond that was extraordinary and rare was so important to Derek. He wanted Hayley to be wowed every time she looked at it.”
“Throughout the entire process, Derek’s love for Hayley always shone through,” Lui adds.
Lui also explained on Instagram that she listened to the couple’s favorite song, Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s “Someone To Stay,” to help inspire the ring’s design. The track was included, along with Richard Walters’ “Unconditional” and Ben Platt’s “Imagine,” in a playlist Hough curated for the occasion.
Hough announced Thursday that he and Erbert, 27, were engaged after seven years of dating, sharing a photo of the two of them embracing during his beautiful proposal. “It’s only the beginning… the beginning of forever,” he captioned the post.
Event planner Troy Williams of Simply Troy Lifestyle + Events told PEOPLE that they decorated the pair’s home with 250 oversized candles, 1,600 roses, orchids, white peonies and pampas grass for a beautiful proposal.
“Derek surprised her and got her out of the house for the afternoon. He wanted their home transformed,” he said. “They’re an adventurous couple and have seen such big moments, but their home is their sanctuary and it’s where they fell even more in love.”
Williams added: “After she said ‘yes,’ it was just everything — such a special, beautiful moment and just so them.”
The couple began dating in 2015 after meeting on Dancing with the Stars.
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