Cory & Danielle

Q: When did you first meet and how?

A: Cory and I first met back in 2012. We were both spoken for at the time. A year and a half later when we each were both single, we reconnected. We started officially dating in November of 2013. 

A: I actually created a Google Doc with all of my favorite designs so that Cory could look at it whenever he was ready. I still wanted him to make the final decision since it is his gift to me. I have to admit that I love the bigger stones, but I realized that diamonds are so expensive. We are still trying to save up money for a house, and I am still in the process of finishing nursing school. I started researching diamond alternatives and came across Moissanite, which I had never heard of before. The more I researched them, the more I fell in love.

Moissanite is a high quality gemstone, falling around a 9.25-9.5 on the MOHs scale (a diamond being a 10). They are super sparkly, with a lot of fire and a lot of brilliance, and they are like a quarter of the price. This is exactly what I wanted in a ring. The fire and brilliance.. I wanted my friends to all be jealous, but I didn’t want a $10,000 ring. I love the side stones and the cathedral setting, and I love that the stone is a 1.75 carat diamond equivalent. It is stunning and my friends can’t even tell that it isn’t a diamond. I am so proud of my ring and the decision my fiancé and I made together! 

Q: In each your own words, can you describe what the days leading up to the proposal were like? Can you tell us about the proposal? 

A: I was supposed to graduate from nursing school this May, but there was an incident that happened with my last semester clinical instructor which prevented myself and the rest of my clinical group from graduating. This was devastating for me. On top of that, the graduation ceremony where the rest of my cohort would be celebrating was on my birthday. I was depressed and having a hard time pulling myself back up. Up until Cory proposed, I was extremely anxious and just praying that I would be allowed to return for the Fall 2018 semester to graduate. On my birthday, we had planned a family lunch to celebrate and hopefully get my mind off of the anxiety with school. My mom was going to meet Cory and I at our apartment so that we could carpool. When she knocked, I opened the door to not only see her but also my dad who had flown down to Texas from Michigan to surprise me.

We met Cory’s parents and brothers at the restaurant and ordered our food. At one point during the lunch, Cory asked me how my birthday was so far and asked what he could do to make it better. I had been giving him crap about being ready for the next step, so I just kind of gave him a look. He responds, “Well, you know I love you a lot right?” He stood up and called out to his friend Luis, who had a camera ready, to stop hiding and come out. He then got down on one knee and said, “I would be honored if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?” I couldn’t stop smiling this goofy smile and of course, said yes! He put the ring on my finger, such a BEAUTIFUL ring, and we kissed. The whole restaurant clapped.

Later, my mom and dad were teasing Cory because they were pointing out how much his hands were shaking right before he did it. I hadn’t even noticed! I found out a few days later that I was readmitted to finish nursing school in the Fall semester. We have the wedding date set for December 15th, which will be right after my graduation ceremony. What started out as a pretty crappy year will end with tons of celebration and a whole new chapter to my life! 

Q: How was your overall experience with Fire & Brilliance? How did you first hear about us?

A: Before the proposal, I had watched many YouTube videos from Fire & Brilliance about moissanite and the different options. They were definitely on my top 3 list of moissanite companies to buy from. Cory told me after the proposal that he had a great experience with Fire & Brilliance. He said that he chatted with a representative online and was able to send her the multiple styles from my Google Doc. She worked with him to find a style that resembled these options and present him the different options for the final ring. Neither of us could have picked a better company to buy from! The ring came with a 1 year warranty, but Cory opted to purchase the extended 3 year warranty. The ring came with the Charles & Colvard card of authenticity which would be used for the warranty. The ring also came with free moissanite earrings which were just the icing on the birthday cake! 

Q: Lastly, we wanted to ask something of each our clients (for yourself or for both of you to answer) to be featured a question that is unique to their story.

What weird quirk does your partner have that you actually love/adore?

A: Cory cannot make a decision about something without researching every single alternative and option. He reads tons of reviews and does days of research before committing to a decision. I am more of an impulsive decision maker, which makes me rather impatient. As frustrating as this can be in the moment, I am always grateful in the end. Cory takes his decisions seriously, and when they are important to him, he wants to make sure they are perfect for him and everyone else involved. He is very thoughtful. He grounds me. This quirk took some getting used to in our first year or so of the relationship, but I am beyond grateful for it now. I truly feel that we are doing things the right way, in the right order, and with proper thought placed into each decision. He truly is my partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. He makes me better, in every sense of the word, and I can’t wait to be his wife!