Whether it was the tennis bracelet, or the three stone ring, in the past, it has been observed that new concepts in diamond jewellery have provided a boost to the market.

And now, an innovation from Helzberg Diamonds, which has introduced what it calls The "Will You?" Ring, which, the jeweller asserts, breaks the “Rules of Engagement”.

Explaining their reasoning the jeweller says: “Many couples dream of that moment when one partner gets on bended knee and asks the big question with a small box – but what if their partner doesn't love the ring inside?”

Hence,The "Will You?" Ring – “a new way to get engaged that preserves a romantic surprise while celebrating the partnership of today's relationships”, says Helzberg Diamonds.

"He wants to be the hero with the perfect ring that she'll love for a lifetime and he has no worse fear than thinking he may disappoint her by picking the wrong one," said Beryl Raff, Chairwoman and Chief Executive of Helzberg Diamonds. "The 'Will You?' Ring is a ring before 'the' ring. A ring he can confidently propose with knowing they'll be able to shop together for the ring they'll both love."

The Company cited a recent survey of young adults which found that nearly three-quarters of men (73 per cent) and two-thirds of women (63 per cent) in relationships think marriage proposals should be a surprise. “However, both men and women are stressed when it comes to selecting the engagement ring – 62 per cent of men in relationships say the hardest part of a proposal would be picking out the ring, and half of women say the hardest part would be letting him know what style of ring they want,” the Company elaborated.

That is the gap Helzberg is hoping to address; especially as nearly half of women in relationships surveyed say the engagement ring doesn't need to be present at the proposal.

Conducted in late May on behalf of Helzberg, other findings of The Engagement Attitudes Survey, as presented by the Company are: 

•   Nearly half (47 per cent) of men think modern proposals should reflect the kind of egalitarian relationships people want today.

•  Only one-third (37 per cent) of women in a relationship said a traditional engagement was important for them.

•  More than half (55 per cent) of men said it is important to have their partner be involved in the process of picking out an engagement ring.

•  Of all respondents, 41 per cent agree that couples should pick the engagement ring together.

"The old rules of engagement simply don't resonate with many of today's couples, who are seeking ways to create new traditions that celebrate their love and bring them closer together," Raff concludes. "The 'Will You?' Ring helps merge the beloved traditions of a romantic surprise proposal with a desire for joint decision-making."

The jeweller is offering The "Will You?" Ring for US$ 50 on its website and in Helzberg stores across the U.S.

Moreover, couples who buy The "Will You?" Ring and return to Helzberg Diamonds to choose their engagement ring together will receive a US$ 200 discount off rings priced between US$ 999-US$ 1,998, and a US$ 400 discount off rings priced at more than US$1,999.