My fiance and I got engaged last year and are still hunting for the perfect engagement ring. We are based in the UK and have looked in local stores but the range of settings is very limited, and the prices steep compared to online options. I've been lurking on the forums for some time now, absorbing the plethora of useful information, and as a result, I feel far more informed now than some months ago, but I'm still not 100% sure of what/where to buy. We have narrowed down the ring choice to a round brilliant with pear side stones (similar to this Tiffany setting http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/Item.aspx?GroupSKU=GRP10024#f+0/0/2005/0/0/2005 ), and for our budget (~£3,000 - £3,500) we are hoping to get a centre stone of something close to 0.6-0.7ct F/G VS2 ideal cut, with 2 pear sidestones of 0.2 ctw.
At this stage, we are considering purchasing a custom setting via a US website. The Brian Gavin 'Summer' setting is probably the closest to what we are after, but the side stones are a little large, hence we will need to go custom.
After MONTHS of looking, it felt like we had almost reached a decision....but then I read about cast v handmade and started to worry about how the finished article would look. I have tried on both in local shops and found the handmade ones to be noticably finer in finish (and more preferable to me). So...does anyone have pictures of custom made three stone settings from online websites that would put my mind at rest. Alternatively, is there any way I could get a handmade ring of the same specifications within budget?
I want to make sure we make the right decision, but trying on all these rings and coming home empty handed is getting old! Thanks to all in advance for (hopefully!) getting me one step closer to my diamonds!
At this stage, we are considering purchasing a custom setting via a US website. The Brian Gavin 'Summer' setting is probably the closest to what we are after, but the side stones are a little large, hence we will need to go custom.
After MONTHS of looking, it felt like we had almost reached a decision....but then I read about cast v handmade and started to worry about how the finished article would look. I have tried on both in local shops and found the handmade ones to be noticably finer in finish (and more preferable to me). So...does anyone have pictures of custom made three stone settings from online websites that would put my mind at rest. Alternatively, is there any way I could get a handmade ring of the same specifications within budget?
I want to make sure we make the right decision, but trying on all these rings and coming home empty handed is getting old! Thanks to all in advance for (hopefully!) getting me one step closer to my diamonds!