The Story Behind the Huge Engagement Ring on Hoda Kotb's Finger

Hoda Kotb has a pretty impressive engagement ring. The Today host got engaged to her boyfriend of six years Joel Schiffman in November, and Joel clearly put the work in to find his future wife the perfect ring. In an interview with People, Hoda explained how Joel chose his ring, and how much work he put into thinking about what she might like. 

To have the engagement ring made, Joel reached out to Jennifer Miller, a friend of Hoda's who also happens to be a jeweler. He asked her for help to create the ring, which is composed of diamond and sapphire. "What touched me so much about this ring is that he thought about it,'' Hoda said. "And he thought about what I might like. He went to (Jennifer) and they were sharing things back and forth unbeknownst to me. He was giving her ideas." 

Hoda said that she was thrilled by the ring, but admitted that she wasn't exactly an expert on the subject. "He put it on and I was blown away by his choice, but I have to tell you I know so little about rings,'' she said. "I just don’t. I have worn the same bracelet and earrings for a year. If someone were to quiz me on what rings are which, I would be in last place. I wouldn’t know anything."

When she tried to describe the ring, she found that she was having some trouble doing so. "The diamond part is square and around it, it looks like a stop sign. And it’s blue on the edge. Sapphires? I don’t know. But I love it," she said. If she loves, what else really matters? 

Joel's proposal came during a romantic dinner, and Hoda said that it took her by surprise.  "We ended up having a little dinner on the beach," she said on Today. "And he was like, 'I have something else I would like to say,' and he said some beautiful things, and then he got down on one knee. Then he said, 'Would you be my wife?' I was totally shocked. He had a good poker face."

Hoda loves a beautiful ring as much as the next person, but she's more excited about the other perks of marriage.  "It’s a beautiful ring, don’t get me wrong,'' she said. "If it was anything I would have been 1,000 percent equally as happy — but the fact that he cared over the course of months to try to figure it out — I just assumed if it ever were to happen that he would have gone to a store and bought one. It’s beautiful." 

Hoda said that the fact that Joel put so much thought into the ring just showed how much he cared about getting it right. "He knows I don’t care," she continued. "He really does know that. But he said it was important for him to choose. And he did."