Engineer Creates LED Engagement Ring

Struggling to think of really unique proposal ideas? What better proof of your love than to make your significant other a personalised wedding ring, guaranteed to be the only one of its kind in the world? This might have been the reasoning behind engineer Ben Kokes’ decision to utilise his knowledge of wiring and electronics to fashion a custom, LED-powered light-up engagement ring for his fiancée.

According to Kokes, the ring was supposed to be a temporary stand-in for the ‘real’ ring, eventually to be replaced with a more ‘standard’ bauble bought from a jeweller. However, the engineer’s girlfriend liked her personalized light-up band so much that she not only said yes to his proposal but has decided to keep his creation permanently, rather than have her tech-savvy boyfriend splash out for a larger, yet much more mundane type of jewel.

The ring in question is fashioned out of titanium and contains an LED and copper coil assembly, connected to a transmitter. The transmitter is worn as a sort of armband, under clothing, and its proximity will activate the LED sensors, causing the ring to glow. In a quaint touch, Koke is usually the one wearing the transmitter, meaning his fiancée’s ring will begin to glow whenever he is approaching, and glow continuously when the two are together!

The completion of this ambitious yet loving project took four months from start to finish, and Koke created no fewer than ten different versions of the ring before eventually hitting upon the right version. Motives for abandoning the first nine projects ranged from physical impossibility to material requirements or limitations. Working with titanium, a harder material than the usual aluminium or steel alloys, also presented a bit of a challenge for the engineer, forcing a learning curve which contributed to push the end date of this project a bit further back. Paradoxically, according to the creator himself, the electronics required to give the ring its special feature were actually the easiest part of the entire process!

In the end, however, Koke’s efforts were worth it. The idea of eventually contacting a professional jeweller and getting a ‘proper’ engagement ring was abandoned, and six months later the happy couple are still wearing their light-up engagement ring and matching transmitter! Proof positive that imagination, skill and inventiveness can actually prevail in modern society - a particular bit of knowledge which is certainly worth keeping in mind when planning how to propose.

Laura L Bolick is the founder of the F&L Designer Guides, compiled and written to help consumers choose the best and the most unique engagement ring designers in the UK. Join the F&L journey that covers topics related to proposal ideas, choosing the right stone, affording your engagement ring and how to work with talented designers.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.