Today host Hoda Kotb has further detailed her surprise engagement to long-time partner Joel Schiffman by opening up about the story behind her stunning ring.
The 55-year-old shared her exciting news live on the Today show Monday morning by flaunting her left hand now adorned with a large diamond ring surrounded by sapphire stones.
When speaking to People about the ring, Hoda said she was ‘touched’ by just how much thought asset manager Joel, 61, put into choosing the piece of jewelry.
Engagement bliss: Today host Hoda Kotb has further detailed her surprise engagement to long-time partner Joel Schiffman
Congratulations! The Today show host first revealed on Monday how she was engaged to her partner of six years (pictured) after a weekend getaway to Mexico
‘What touched me so much about this ring is that he thought about it,’ Hoda told the publication. ‘And he thought about what I might like.’
Joel visited with jeweler and family friend Jennifer Miller to design the radiant cut diamond ring, which Brilliant Earth engagement ring expert Kathryn Money told DailyMail.com could be worth $40,000 to $70,000.
‘He went to [Miller] and they were sharing things back and forth unbeknownst to me. He was giving her ideas,’ Hoda continued.
The bling: ‘What touched me so much about this ring is that he thought about it,’ Hoda said. ‘And he thought about what I might like’
‘The diamond part is square and around it, it looks like a stop sign. And it’s blue on the edge. Sapphires? I don’t know. But I love it.’
The center diamond in Hoda’s ring is estimated to between 3-4 carats, according to Money.
‘Hoda’s elegant engagement ring appears to feature an estimated 3-4 carat elongated radiant cut diamond surrounded by a halo of sapphires set in a diamond-adorned white gold or platinum band,’ jewelry expert Money shared.
Money also revealed the shape and style of Hoda’s ring is very on-trend, gaining more points for her husband-to-be.
‘Hoda’s ring reflects a trend we’re continuing to see rise in popularity: elongated fancy shaped diamonds,’ the jeweler detailed. ‘Fancy cut (non-round) diamonds have been steadily increasing in popularity, both when used as a center stone (like seen in Hoda’s ring) and as accent diamonds.’
She added: ‘However, Hoda’s ring does stand out from the crowd given the unique art-deco inspired setting with a sapphire halo surrounding the center diamond.’
Despite the estimated hefty price tag on the engagement ring, Hoda was more focused about the thoughtfulness Joel put into selecting the item and organizing the proposal.
‘It’s a beautiful ring, don’t get me wrong,’ she said. ‘If it was anything I would have been 1000 per cent equally as happy – but the fact that he cared over the course of months to try to figure it out – I just assumed if it ever were to happen that he would have gone to a store and bought one. It’s beautiful.’
Surprise! Hoda, 55, said Joel worked with a family friend and jeweler to create the ring. He also carried it around for a while before popping the question
Team celebration: She shared the news with co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager, Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker live on air Monday morning
Priorities: The ring is estimated to be worth $40,000 to $70,000, but Hoda said she cared more about the thought into it than the actual price tag
She added: ‘He knows I don’t care. He really does know that. But he said it was important for him to choose. And he did.’
The couple, who have been together for over six years, were on a romantic trip in Mexico this past weekend when Joel popped the question.
‘We went for our usual vacation we ended up having a little dinner on the beach, and I was like…we were done with the dinner and I was eating the churros, like licking the bottom of the bowl, and he was like: “I have something else I’d like to say,”‘ Hoda shared on the Today show about the special moment.
‘He said some beautiful things and then he got down on one knee and he said, “Will you be my wife?” And I said, “Yes!”‘
On Monday, Hoda waited an hour and a half before revealing to her co-hosts she was engaged.
‘I have to tell you something – a friend of mine, a friend of ours, asked me to let you guys in on a secret,’ Hoda started out her announcement. ‘I’ll give you her initials, her initials are Hoda Kotb and she’s engaged.’
This put co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager, Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker into a frenzy of on-air excitement, as they all leapt out of their seats over the engagement news.
‘What are you talking about? Savannah screamed, while Craig said of her ring: ‘When did you put that on? Have you had that on the whole time?’
‘No, I had it in my bra, I just put it on,’ Hoda confessed.
Partners: The couple celebrated their six year anniversary in June
Family: Hoda and Joel have two adopted daughters together, Haley Joy, two, and seven-month-old Hope Catherine
Proud parents: Hoda confessed that she and Joel have yet to work out out to explain their engagement to their children
Speaking more on the engagement during the Monday show, Hoda revealed how Joel was actually carrying the ring around for a while to decide the best time to pop the question.
‘I guess Joel had been carrying the ring around because he was trying to find the right spot,’ she shared. He apparently considered doing it during a bowling night but later decided against it.
‘You know what’s funny,’ she continued. ‘He is such a cool customer, so super cool that I literally [had no idea] – because we had discussed it maybe a year or so ago and not really talked about it since…
‘So I guess he was carrying the ring around, he brought it with him when we went on a couple-day vacation, and I guess he had it tucked away in his pocket and this is how cool he was. We were out, we were having so much fun, we were just having tequila, we were on the beach lounging, I go, “Couldn’t you just go to sleep and just forget about everything?”
‘And he was like, “Yes but let’s just eat dinner and then we’ll crash out.” Zero indication.’
Everyone was over the moon about the news of Hoda’s engagement, just five months after she and Joel celebrated their six-year anniversary.
The couple has two daughters together – Haley Joy and Hope Catherine – whom they adopted together. But they have yet to tell their daughters about the engagement for fear it would cause confusion for the youngsters.
‘How are we going to explain, your parents are going to get married. We’re still trying to figure out that part of how exactly to explain that to them,’ Hoda said.