If you’re thinking of proposing to your girlfriend tomorrow or even a few years from now, it’s so important your money goes to the right place. Gay and lesbian owned and/or friendly businesses need all the support they can muster.
Our list covers mostly online retailers to be more inclusive and mindful of those who might have to travel far distances to reach an gay-friendly establishment. We’ve also divided up the findings into price points, so people on a budget and those with a little extra cash to spare are both covered.
Happy shopping and here’s to LOVE WINNING! 1. LYON Fine Jewelry Owned by lesbian and Girl On Girl star (and former cast member of the Real L Word) Lauren Bedford Russell, LYON Fine Jewelry offers a wide range of high-quality and eclectic pieces. Russell’s line is the perfect place to start if your lady love prefers edgier designs.
On A Budget: Octavia Ring In Sterling Silver for $90.00
Sky’s The Limit: Beaujolais Ring (price is determined by center stone choice)
Visit Russell’s store HERE. 2. Sparkles Fine Jewelry This Chicago-based store, owned by Rachel Meyering, is fiercely committed to serving gay couples. Numerous reviews on Yelp laud the establishment as a “local gem” and for being a “strong supporter” of the gay community.
In a conversation with The Jewelry Loupe in 2015, Rachel stated:
“You need to make people feel extremely comfortable. They’re nervous. I’ve heard horror stories about the way gay couples have been treated. In my store, I make sure everyone is treated fairly. Everybody should be able to love whoever they want to. It’s just love.”Bonus is you can buy your ring at Rachel’s shop or on her website.
On A Budget: 14K White Gold Diamond Ring for $660.00
Photo: Sparkle Fine Jewelry
Sky’s The Limit: Engagement Mounting for $2,375.00
Photo: Sparkle Fine Jewelry 3. Krikawa Jewelry Designs After a Krikawa engagement ring was featured in the 2014 “Gay Weddings” edition of Knot Magazine, the Tuscon-based retailer took off with members of the LGBT community. The site features a wide breadth of creative style categories, like “Futuristic” and “Science Geek”.
On A Budget: Flat Band In Titanium For $105.00
Sky’s The Limit: Constellation Wedding Band In Sterling Silver For $1,790.00
Photo: Krikawa Jewelry Designs
You can visit Krikawa HERE. 4. Equalli Jewelry Eqaulli has a longstanding commitment to equality AND sustainability. From generic designs to a pride collection, there’s a wide range of rings to choose from.
The company’s website states:
“When you dedicate your business to creating the jewelry that celebrates a love story, you need to have passion for love and beauty in all its forms. Equalli does exactly that with our devotion to using the highest quality gemstones, the most amazing artisans and the best service to focus on the love stories of all couples with collections of gay & lesbian wedding and engagement rings, LGBT pride jewelry, rainbow jewelry and collections to commemorate every milestone.”Visit Equalli HERE.
On A Budget: Vancouver At Night Ring In Sterling Silver For $74.80
Photo: Equalli
Sky’s The Limit: Achilles Engagement Ring In 14K Gold With Diamond For $1,990.00 5. Proposition Love Proposition Love is an amazing company that “proudly donates 10 %” of the company’s profits to “organizations that support Marriage Equality, Gay Rights, LGBT Youth and Anti Bullying, and HIV / AIDS activism”.
Visit the store HERE.
P.S. You can save 20% by entering LOVEISLOVE when you check out!
On A Budget: Contemporary Design With Cobalt and Rubber Ring For $275.00
Photo: Proposition Love
Sky’s The Limit: 1 Carat Diamond Eternity Wedding Ring For $2,495.00
6. Etsy If you and your future fiancée are into the whole matching thing, then Etsy is one of the best places to look for rings. Some stores offer Hers and Hers sets you can either customize or buy as is. Etsy gets bonus points for supporting local artists!
On A Budget: Women’s Engagement Ring Set In Recycled Sterling Silver and White Topaz For $340.00.
Photo: Metalicious
Lily Emme Jewelry
Sky’s The Limit: Hers and Hers Wedding Ring Set/Canadian Diamond Eternity rings/ 14K Rose Gold For $1,700.00
Photo: Lily Emme Jewelry
Buy it HERE. 7. Love and Pride What’s great about Love and Pride is that a portion of the site’s proceeds is donated to the fight for equality (Matthew Shepard Foundation, The Human Rights campaign). The owner, Udi Behr, carries a ton of gay and gay-friendly designers like Lauren Russell so you know you’re in good hands.
Right now the site is offering 30% off all items and a $50.00 dollar bonus for each $200 dollars you spend. The code is XMASPRIDE.
Shop Love and Pride HERE.
On A Budget: Rainbow Titanium Ring With A Center Stone For $157.50
Photo: Love and Pride
Sky’s The Limit: 8. Rony Tennenbaum For years, Rony has been a top designer for the gay community. Mr. Tennenbaum’s Bricks Collection, which is inspired by the building blocks of every relationship, is especially popular with lesbian customers.
The jeweler’s mission statement makes his position on same-sex marriage crystal clear:
“I am an avid believer that everyone has a natural birth right to wed anyone they choose, under their own personal belief system and confess their love to one another before the world in any manner. In turn, I believe that society has an obligation to accept every union, commitment, partnership, marriage equally without prejudice or judgment.”On A Budget: Bricks Collection – Sassy 14K Yellow Gold Stackable Wedding Band For $550.00
Photo: Rony Tennenbaum
Sky’s The Limit: Equality Collection 14K White Gold Diamond Wedding Band For $1,500.00
Photo: Rony Tennenbaum
Shop Rony’s collection HERE. 9. Carolyn Nicole Designs Speaking to Pridezillas, the company had this to say about marriage equality:
“We support marriage equality because, everyone deserves an equal chance at their own happily ever after.”The store gets bonus points for offering witchy styles featuring skulls and pentagrams. Whoever said engagement rings have to have diamonds?
While the company’s studios are based in Las Vegas and Chicago, they ship worldwide. Visit the site HERE.
On A Budget: Keum Boo 24K Gold and Silver Wedding Ring For $390.00
“As a gay couple and founders of Woolton & Hewitt, we are very proud that same sex relationships like ours are now being formally recognised in countries and states across the world. In the UK the first gay marriages took place on 29th March 2014. We celebrate this landmark in legal equality and gay rights.”
You can shop HERE.
On A Budget: Unusual 3mm Twist Pattern Diamond Engagement Ring $308.00 to about $914.00 USD
Sky’s The Limit: Beautiful Natural Pink Diamond Double Halo Engagement Ring For $3860.00
10. Woolton & Hewitt
This UK based company bills itself as a specialist in fine quality lesbian wedding rings. To top it off, the founders are a gay couple who only use conflict-free diamonds in their work.
The designers’ website boasts:
“As a gay couple and founders of Woolton & Hewitt, we are very proud that same sex relationships like ours are now being formally recognised in countries and states across the world. In the UK the first gay marriages took place on 29th March 2014. We celebrate this landmark in legal equality and gay rights.”
You can shop HERE.
On A Budget: Unusual 3mm Twist Pattern Diamond Engagement Ring $308.00 to about $914.00 USD
Sky’s The Limit: Beautiful Natural Pink Diamond Double Halo Engagement Ring For $3860.00
Photo: Carolyn and Nicole Designs
Sky’s The Limit: White Sapphire Skull and Pentagram Wedding Rings Set For $2,686.00
10. Woolton & Hewitt
This UK based company bills itself as a specialist in fine quality lesbian wedding rings. To top it off, the founders are a gay couple who only use conflict-free diamonds in their work.
The designers’ website boasts:
“As a gay couple and founders of Woolton & Hewitt, we are very proud that same sex relationships like ours are now being formally recognised in countries and states across the world. In the UK the first gay marriages took place on 29th March 2014. We celebrate this landmark in legal equality and gay rights.”
You can shop HERE.
On A Budget: Unusual 3mm Twist Pattern Diamond Engagement Ring $308.00 to about $914.00 USD
Sky’s The Limit: Beautiful Natural Pink Diamond Double Halo Engagement Ring For $3860.00
