All About the Custom Ring Comedian Hasan Minhaj Designed for His Wife: 'I Couldn't Wait to Surprise Her'

Hasan Minhaj is the first to admit he has never been a huge fan of buying fine jewelry, as it often feels "generic and meaningless." But that all changed when the comedian discovered jeweler Zameer Kassam, who he enlisted to create a new diamond ring for wife Beena Patel before the birth of their second child in March.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, the Patriot Act star opens up about the design process, incorporating details representative of their love story and the look on Patel's face when she saw the triple row diamond engagement ring with a massive center stone.

"What I love most about Zameer's work is that he infuses storytelling and personal history into every piece of jewelry," Minhaj, 34, tells PEOPLE of the New York City-based jeweler. "I still can't believe that our story could be woven into a ring in such a meaningful way. It is so much more than a ring. It's an heirloom I can't wait to share with our kids."

The Netflix star worked with Kassam to include several relationship milestones in the design, and started with 15 diamonds framing the pattern of the ring to celebrate their 15 years together.

It also has a nod to the University of California Davis fountain where he saw his future wife (and college sweetheart) for the first time. The prongs holding the diamond are also inspired UC Davis (specifically, Thoreau Hall), where their relationship became serious.

The step-cut diamonds are based on the panels of the Duomo, to represent their romantic getaway in Florence, Italy. A blue topaz honors the birth of their daughter, while the pale shade of yellow gold was chosen to weave in family and south Asian cultural traditions.

And finally, lyrics to Minhaj and Patel's wedding song ("Everything" by Michael Bublé) are hand-carved in Minhaj's own handwriting inside the band.

"When I first saw the ring, I couldn't wait to surprise Beena," Minhaj said. "I knew she would be blown away by all the meaningful details that tell our love story."

And he was right — Patel says she was "stunned" and completely surprised when her husband gifted her the custom piece.

"It's a little bit of everything I wanted. It's casual enough to wear all the time, but still adds some glam to my everyday life," she says. "It's unique but not over the top, and I love the retro look of the yellow gold. But what really blows me away are all the meaningful details. Every time I look at my ring, I can't help but think about our incredible journey together."

Patel adds, "True effort is the sexiest trait in a guy, and when I saw this ring, I couldn't believe how much effort Hasan put into capturing our love story. The fact that Hasan took time out of his crazy schedule to do this for me makes me feel so special!"

In March, the couple welcomed their second child, a son, amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The comedian made the exciting announcement on Instagram writing, "even in these crazy times there are so many beautiful moments," alongside a sweet photo of himself cradling the newborn as his wife looks on.

"Welcome to the world little guy," the Daily Show alum added. "The Minhaj family grows, and according to Beena it's done growing. But ya never know, shooters shoot."

Minhaj previously welcomed a daughter in April 2018, at which time he posted his baby girl's tiny foot on Instagram, writing, "Welcome to the 🌎 baby girl. God willing I'll be with you every step of the way…"