Burner emails and pretending to be a dentist: Jeweller's secret service to keep engagement rings a surprise

Claire Beatson is the general manager of Nightingale, an independent and ethical jewellery brand in the heart of York. The jeweller provides a ‘secret engagement ring concierge service’ to clients looking to propose to their partner.

“Over the years we’ve found our clients making some rather unusual requests when it comes to keeping the ring a secret from their partner, such as using a burner email and undertaking fake identities,” Claire says. The service aims to remove any stress around keeping the ring under wraps. “Essentially we do everything possible to help keep the proposal on the down low.”

At times, that can involve going to extreme lengths, including on one occasion when the firm posed as a building materials supplier to avoid giving anything away.

“In one case, a client planned to propose to their partner on a weekend away which saw our team hand deliver the ring to the hotel where they were staying,” Claire recalls. “I packaged the ring box in a non-suspect cardboard box and gave the receptionist strict instructions that our client’s partner was not to see the box and that it had to be given directly to our client.

“For another client, we carefully packaged the ring in an old iPhone box, for the gentleman to hide at home with zero suspicion from their partner. Because, who is going to go rooting through an old iPhone box?

“On another occasion, we created a ‘burner’ email, under a false name, which we used for all communications to this client. To be extra cautious, we made sure all emails made zero reference to a ring and instead we pretended to be a building materials supplier, as the client was having work done on his house so this fitted the narrative perfectly.”

The ‘secret service’ begins when a customer first gets in touch. Nightingale will ask if they need additional support in keeping the proposal a surprise for their partner and if they require discreetness during any communication exchanges.

“From here, we work with the client to uncover how we can best help them,” Claire explains. “Be it using a fake email address, organising secret meet-ups, avoiding telephone communications, hiding the ring in an iPhone box… We’ve done it all.”

There have been close calls though and Claire has had to think on her feet to make up a believable story. “One time the unimaginable did happen, and when I rang our client, his partner answered his mobile. Instantly I had to pretend to be his dentist looking to book him in for a check-up. Fortunately, his partner wasn’t suspicious and we were off the hook.

“This was a lightbulb moment which resulted in us asking all new clients if they would like us to undertake an identity to help keep communication top secret.”

People’s preferences on how to keep the secret vastly differ, Claire says. Some prefer email only and no phonecalls, others may request secret in-person meet ups and no digital communications whatsoever.

“Whilst there is definitely a noticeable rise in couples choosing to purchase an engagement ring together, we do tend to find that the majority of people are sticking with tradition and surprising their partner with both the proposal and the ring,” she says.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the romance of a big gesture. People feel it needs to be a truly extraordinary moment in your lives that you will both cherish forever. Most couples will tend to expect a proposal on the horizon at some point, but keeping the finer details a surprise adds some magic to the big moment.”

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