More young couples are getting engaged this Christmas as festive decorations make for better social media photographs, jewelers have said.
Sales of engagement rings are up 85pc this December, compared to last year, according to retailer John Lewis, and diamonds remain the most popular stone.
Lizzie Hannaford, jewelery buyer at John Lewis, said: “With more Christmas lights in towns, villages and historic properties across Britain, there are lots of very romantic backdrops for a sparkling proposal which looks – as well as feels – magical.
“With #engagement now gathering more than 18.5 billion views on TikTok, it definitely lends itself to sharing the special moment on social media.”
Jessica Flinn-Allen, of jewelers Jessica Flinn, said she’d seen a 12pc rise in rings bought this autumn, and sales were not slowing down ahead of the Christmas break.
She said: “Last year we saw quite a lot of younger proposal couples, people going on trips to see the Christmas lights. They were in their mid-twenties.”
The jeweler said couples were telling her that Christmas was the perfect time for a big engagement, and that young couples were often combining the festive season with a holiday for the proposal.
She said one man had said he was taking his partner to the Edinburgh Christmas market to find a beautiful spot to propose, while another had made a trip to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire for the Christmas lights.
Ms Flinn-Allen said: “We had a couple last year who went to one of those light shows that they had at country houses, and he proposed in a light tunnel and they made this gorgeous Instagram reel and it was all over their socials.
“It was very much an influencer-style proposal. It was really about the public location and the imagery they created in that moment.”
It comes as jewelers told the Telegraph last month that many Generation Z couples were choosing second hand rings because of environmental or ethical concerns.
Pre-owned rings were previously considered bad luck because the jewelery was linked to a relationship which might have ended badly. The pre-owned rings are often cheaper than new rings, but the stones are worth less than those bought new.
It’s not just the young who are jumping at the chance to pop the question at Christmas. Nikki Vallance, 58, was proposed to on Christmas Day in 2015 by her now husband.
She said: “I was delighted he asked but just wasn’t expecting it in that way, so it threw me a bit. Mind you, the ring was in a box, within a box, within a box, etc. so I had guessed by the time I got to it.”