What Was Tom Schwartz Really Thinking While Engagement Ring Shopping?

Over the course of the self-described Year of Tom, we've seen Tom Schwartz grow leaps and bounds in his personal life. From opting for a semi-permanent hairstyle to redeeming himself after a few missteps with Katie Maloney, Schwartz is all grown up. And as we saw in last night's episode of Vanderpump Rules, he's ready to take the next step. 

So how did he know the ring was the one? Easy. Katie dropped hints. "Well, initially, I knew it had to be my ring because I was very not so subtle about the components that I wanted in the ring," Katie told The Daily Dish.  "And he knew some things — like, he knew I liked rose gold. And our friend that designed the ring knew that I wanted a colored stone. There was like a rough idea of what I had [in mind]." Tom enlisted the help of designer Kyle Chan, as well as Tom Sandoval and Scheana Shay, but he wasn't shy about noting his own achievements in an area that can typically leave many clueless. "I wheeled and dealed my a** off for that thing. I pulled a lot of strings," Tom explained (no pun intended). "I thought about putting it on a string — I really did. That's a joke." As for Katie's reaction? "When I saw it, it was bigger and more beautiful than I thought it would be," she said. Take a look for yourself, below.- Reporting by Jocelyn Vena

Photos by Kateri Lopez/Bravo

And get an exclusive look at Katie and Tom's July engagement, below.