All the Details on Avril Lavigne’s Heart-Shaped Engagement Ring from Mod Sun: ‘I Love It So Much’

Lavigne tells PEOPLE the special meaning behind her engagement ring from pop-punk rocker fiancé Mod Sun

When Mod Sun proposed to Avril Lavigne in Paris, he surprised her with a blinding engagement ring befitting a punk rock princess.

And Lavigne tells PEOPLE that the gorgeous, heart-shaped diamond sparkler is representative of their love story.

“It has the words ‘Hi Icon’ engraved in it, which were the first words he ever said to me. And it has Mod + Avril on the inside,” Lavigne, 37, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “He knew from the very beginning I wanted a heart-shaped diamond because on the day we met, we had matching heart-shaped paved rings on. We’ve worn them every day since, so it’s only fitting to have a heart-shaped engagement ring. I love it so much.”

For more on Avril Lavigne’s engagement to Mod Sun, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

Mod, 35, popped the question with a custom-designed, heart-shaped diamond ring from celeb-loved Beverly Hills hotspot XIV Karats. The stone is set in a royal setting designed with little diamond hearts on the band.

Avril Lavigne Gets Engaged to Mod Sun in Paris: ‘The Day We Met I Knew You Were the One’

The couple got engaged on March 27 in Paris and shared their special news on Instagram Thursday. Lavigne opened up to PEOPLE about the “most perfect, romantic proposal,” which was a complete surprise.

“We were in Paris on a boat in the Seine River,” she says. “We had a violin player, champagne and roses. It felt like time stood still, and it was just the two of us in the moment.”

Mod Sun Avril Lavigne engaged
Avril Lavigne & Mod Sun. MARC MOITESSIER
The Grammy-nominated singer first sparked dating rumors with Mod Sun in February 2021, and they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the MTV Video Music Awards in September of that year. Following their proposal, she tells PEOPLE that their connection was immediate.

“I knew we had a very strong unstoppable connection from the first week of writing and working together in the studio. Immediately,” says Lavigne, who met Mod while working on her latest album, Love Sux. “He made every day better. It was like I had known him forever. As time went on, things kept getting better, and it felt incredibly natural.”

Avril Lavigne — Wearing a ‘Love Sux’ Tutu Dress — and Boyfriend Mod Sun Kiss on the 2022 Grammys Red Carpet
She adds of the future: “I look forward to having fun, creating, working together, touring together, growing together. It feels good to have someone who can help celebrate the good times, hold you through the tough ones, and be there for all the moments in between.”

mod sun and avril
Mod Sun and Avril Lavigne. ANGELA WEISS/AFP/GETTY
The couple hid their engagement at the Grammys on April 4, but still packed on the PDA in style.

They stole a few kisses on the red carpet before making their way inside for music’s biggest night. Lavigne wore a custom MOI MOI Paris high-low gown with a tiered tutu skirt; the waistband of the dress included a shoutout to her album, Love Sux.

Avril Lavigne Was on a ‘Break from Men’ Before She Met Boyfriend Mod Sun: ‘I Followed My Heart’
“I wore a dress like this in a photoshoot and I was like ‘Oh my God, I love this so much’ so we contacted the designer — it’s House of MOI MOI — and they, like, custom made this,” she explained on the PEOPLE & Entertainment Weekly red carpet Grammys pre-show.

“We put, like, Love Sux around the band, that’s my album title,” she added. “And so, I feel like this is just fun tutu vibes … I feel like so myself right now.”

And yes, Lavigne knows it’s ironic she met her fiancé collaborating on an album called Love Sux while “on a break from men.”