ROMANTIC George Maciver proposed to his girlfriend with a ring made from gold he sifted at the river where they met. George, 53, spent a year searching through sediment to make the ultimate gesture to lover Tina Lear.
He trekked for two hours, three times a week, to the water in a remote area in the Scottish Highlands to unearth enough nuggets for the ring.George thought of the unusual way of creating the band after he met Tina at the same spot two years ago.
They had been on group trip to search � or pan � for the precious metal.
Now Tina, 31, has labelled George the ultimate romantic for creating the piece of jewellery.
The council worker said: "It was absolutely beautiful � it symbolises our whole relationship perfectly. He's such a romantic.
"We were brought closer together through a shared passion for gold panning.
"I knew straight-away that the engagement ring was gold from Scotland."
George, from Highland village Brora, made a staggering 156 trips carrying a 66lb bag of panning equipment. And he said: "It was worth it."
George, who reckons he has gathered up to �5,000 worth of gold in five years, added: "Most of the gold I used for the ring was probably found with the help of Tina."The pair have not yet set a date to tie the knot but they already know that the wedding band will also be made from Highland gold.
George added: "I'm getting better and better at it as time goes on.
"I can find the best places to pan in, which speeds up the process.
"I'm hoping to be able to make the wedding ring in a few months' time � rather than the year it took for the engagement one.
"The gold is very precious and in such a high demand because it is scarce.
"Call me greedy but I don't want to reveal the exact location for fear of a gold rush!"
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