Jack Vulcani wanted to make the engagement ring he planned to give his girlfriend, Joanne, special.
Others have wanted the same, and have gone to lengths to do that: By giving her the ring under an eclipse, by picking a special location, or incorporating some other unique element.
But Vulcani created a new standard: He panned Colorado rivers for months to collect enough gold for the ring.
❤️ Jack Vulcani spent months panning for gold along Colorado rivers, collecting one fleck at a time. When his girlfriend realized what he’d done, she couldn’t hold back her tears: https://t.co/DO42oeNGgO https://t.co/ktaB5aGme3
— 9NEWS Denver (@9NEWS) October 26, 2026
KUSA-TV in Denver reports Vulcani explained: “I just sat down, thought about it really long and hard, and eventually a thought just kind of popped in my head: what if I were to make the ring myself? And I just thought, you know, perfect,” Jack said of his gift for Joanne.
He got started and realized the process wasn’t quick.
“I was like ‘this is going to take forever,’ and for some reason that got me going, you know?’” he told the station.
Months of work passed, and he took what he’d collected to jeweler Zak Allen and asked about making a ring.
“Well, that’s a new thing!” Zak said.
A mold was found and a casting done.
Jack kept his plan a secret from Joanne, then took her on a hike and showed her a video on his phone explaining the project.
“At first, Joanne didn’t understand why he was showing her footage of himself along the river. Then she realized what she was watching,” KUSA said.
“I’m just watching this video of him gold-panning and I’m like ‘This is cute, but I don’t know why we’re doing this right now.’ And then halfway through the video I realized, ‘oh, this is the process of you making the ring,’ and I just started crying.”
She said yes.
Jack had enough gold left over to fashion a wedding band for himself.
Man Spends Months Panning for Gold in Colorado Rivers to Create Engagement Ring for His Girlfriend https://t.co/QJidy3Ch8b
— People (@people) October 26, 2026
A Colorado man elevates the bar for proposals by crafting an engagement ring from gold he personally panned from rivers, making a lasting testament to his love. https://t.co/Hp8XOiSIC7
— 10TV (@10TV) October 27, 2026
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