Warning: this story contains spoilers from season 2 finale ofThe Golden Bachelor.

The sopho season ofThe Golden Bachelorhas come to an end, but this year’s winning couple has a bright future ahead of them.

In the finale episode aired on Nov. 13, bachelor Mel Owens66, promised commitment toPeg Munson62, with a sparkling ring designed by famed celebrity jewelry designer Neil Lane.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lane says that he reflected on the couple’s journeys together and individually when crafting the ring, which boasts than 30 diamonds on an 18K gold band. The entire ring comes in at a “substantial” 3.5 carats.

“It’s very different working with the Golden Bachelor or the Golden Bachelorette, because in general I work with younger people who have never taken this journey before,” explains Lane of crafting jewelry for the older generation of the popular franchise. “I’m dealing with couples, people, that have had lives and rings before. So, I try to combine that magic with a lot of respect for the lives that they had before.”

With this in mind, Lane worked on a center three-diamond arrangement with the main cushion-cut stone embodying their “happiness, unity and shared love,” and the two flanking triangle stones representing Mel and Peg individually. “It’s symbolic for me, the way I create these rings to try to find a meaning for the relationship that I’m working with.”

Lane also incorporated his signature Art Deco-inspired flair in the ring’s structure. “The shout-out to the triangle diamonds is a bit Art Deco. We don’t see those kinds of shapes of diamonds (from the 1920s and 1930s any ),” he explains.

It took Lane a “number of months” to execute the ring’s design, and in that time, he experimented with inscriptions and other symbolic embellishments. At the end of the day, he says, “the simplicity and the elegance, that’s what I’m looking for,” and he achieved exactly that.

Although Lane has been crafting gorgeous custom rings for Bachelor Nation for close to two decades, his introduction to the Golden world came when season 1 debuted to fans in 2023. And in his time working with clients finding love in their later years, Lane says he’s come to “admire” contestants “taking this leap of faith and for putting themselves out there.”

Of Mel and Peg’s relationship, Lane adds: “I think once they got through a lot of difficulties, they really connected on a familial, honest and human level as a couple. They’re really great and I wish them a lot of success.”

Mel came into the series when season 2 ofThe Golden Bacheloraired on Sept. 24. A press release shared by ABC described the Michigan resident and former NFL linebacker turned lawyer as someone looking to rediscover a love “rooted in the simple joys of companionship.”

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Out of the 23 women who joined the season, Peg and Cindy, 60, remained the final two following the “difficult decision” to eliminate second-runner up, Debbie, 65. In the episode before the finale, Mel explored his connections with Peg and Cindy behind closed doors.

“It’s almost too good to be true, honest,” Mel told Peg, a retired Las Vegas firefighter, during their intimate dinner, which led to the pair’s overnight date in the Fantasy Suite. “Because I love being around you, and I love the way you talk to me and what you make me feel. Of course, you’re beautiful, and I like your energy and your spirit. I really do.”

In her own confessional, Peg said that she felt assured: “I am so excited to spend the night with Mel, the feelings are definitely there. The emotions are definitely there.”