Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger proposed to model Abby Champion over the extended holiday weekend with a unique "toi et moi" ring, featuring two bezel-set diamonds of different shapes.
The ring is front and center in the first photo of the couple's joint Instagram carousel of December 26, titled "FOREVER AND EVER." When zoomed in, we can see what appears to be round- and pear-shaped diamonds side by side on a yellow gold band. Jewelers call the setting a "tube bezel," which allows the diamond to be admired from the top-down, but not from the sides.
The romantic "toi et moi" ring represents two souls becoming one. (The French phrase “toi et moi” means “you and me” in English.)
The concept is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, who, in 1796, was an up-and-coming, 26-year-old officer and still eight years removed from the French throne when he presented a "toi et moi" ring to his beloved Josephine on the occasion of their marriage. The bypass-style ring featured two pear-shaped gemstones, one diamond and one sapphire, set in opposite directions.
Dressed for cool weather, the 30-year-old Schwarzenegger popped the question to Champion, 26, against the backdrop of an oversized heart-shaped wreath decorated with red roses. The carousel of Instagram pics show the couple embracing on a sandy beach strewn with rose petals.
Schwarzenegger, who has starred in HBO’s true crime mini-series,The Staircase, and Prime Video’s Gen V, is the son of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. Champion is one of the world's top runway and print models.
The younger Schwarzenegger and Champion made their relationship Instagram official in February of 2016, according to People magazine.
On the occasion of Champion's 24th birthday in February of 2021, Schwarzenegger turned to Instagram to wax nostalgic about their first date.
“I knew we would hit it off from the moment we had our first date & you ordered off the kids menu!!” he wrote.
The attractive couple has collaborated on a handful of modeling gigs, including a Fall 2019 campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans and a fashion shoot for Vogue in November of 2022.
Credits: Images via Instagram / patrickschwarzenegger.
