Stephanie Rice delighted fans earlier this week by announcing her engagement to Australian Shepherd Mark Lassey after a whirlwind seven-month romance.
But it wasn’t just the news of her proposal in Dubai that had everyone talking, it was her stunning 18-carat white gold engagement ring that stole the show.
The 36-year-old swimmer shared the news of her engagement on Instagram on Thursday, showing off her sparkling ring designed by renowned Perth jeweller Charles Edward.
More details have now been revealed about the luxurious piece of custom jewellery, which was specially crafted for the sporting legend at the request of his teammate Lassey.
Although its price is not known, the intricate piece features an 18-karat white gold band with a large center stone and is flanked by eight stunning diamonds on either side.
Jeweller Charles Edward, who shares his name with the workshop’s original founder despite taking over the shop in 1999, shared the fascinating story behind the dazzling one-of-a-kind ring.
He said he met Rice’s partner through a fellow pastor at Kingdomcity Church in Canning Vale, where Lassey works, but at the time had no idea who the special ring was intended for.
“He mentioned Stephanie Rice and I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ is this the lady you’ve been talking about?” Edward said. PerthNowremembering the moment he found out about the Olympic participation.
Stephanie Rice delighted fans this week by announcing her engagement to Australian Shepherd Mark Lassey after a whirlwind seven-month romance – but her dazzling ring stole the show.
The intricate custom piece, created by Charles Edward Jewellers, features an 18-carat white gold band with a large center stone and is flanked by eight stunning diamonds on either side.
The stunning engagement ring, which Edward describes as “individually crafted,” is a one-of-a-kind design, made exclusively for Rice.
“This is something unique because I haven’t done it for anyone else,” Edward confirmed, proud of his skill in such an important commission.
Lassey, 46, spoke glowingly about the experience of working with the jeweler to create the custom ring and attributed the smooth collaboration to their shared faith.
“It was a unique design that we had the opportunity to develop together step by step, and that was very important to Steph and me,” Lassey said.
On Thursday, Rice took to Instagram to confirm that she and Lassey were engaged, just weeks after they went public with their romance in July.
She shared a series of sweet snaps from the moment Australian shepherd and father-of-three Lassey popped the question at Dubai’s luxury Atlantis The Royal hotel.
The couple, who met about seven months ago, looked very happy as they smiled from ear to ear and shared a kiss, while Rice showed off her sparkling diamond.
The stunning engagement ring, which Edward describes as “individually crafted,” is a one-of-a-kind design, made exclusively for Rice.
On Thursday, Rice took to Instagram to confirm that she and Lassey were engaged, just weeks after they first went public with their romance in July.
In a caption, Rice wrote: “To new beginnings and second chances… Yes, to a life with you.”
He concluded the post with a Bible verse, writing: “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you the desire of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
Rice had been quietly dating the Australian Shepherd for five months before officially confirming their romance in early July.
“When we met almost 5 months ago, we both knew this was different,” she said at the time in an Instagram post alongside cozy snaps of her and Mark.
‘From the beginning there was a deep intentionality between us, and due to the complexities of our lives we wanted to keep these first few months among family and close friends, and enjoy the wonder of falling in love.’
Lassey has been the senior pastor of Perth’s Kingdom City Church since June 2015 and is “committed to creating a thriving community and leading people transformed by the gospel.”
They met through a mutual friend and later began a long-distance romance as Lassey lives in Perth while Rice moved to Dubai in November.
The couple bonded over their faith; Rice joined the church when she moved to Dubai late last year and is now heavily involved with Kingdom City.
Lassey has been the senior pastor of Perth’s Kingdom City Church since June 2015 and, according to an online profile, is “committed to creating a thriving community and mentoring individuals transformed by the gospel.”
The energetic preacher is the father of three adult sons: Tyler, Joel and Luke, from his first marriage, which ended in early 2021 after 25 years.
He is also active on social media and frequently shares photos of himself giving sermons on Instagram, along with heartfelt messages about his faith.
Although currently based in Perth, he often flies around the Asia-Pacific region as part of his role, which is how he met Dubai-based Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice earlier this year.