Advice on setting for oval 1 ct

[tunamelt]

Hi, I''m new here

I''ve learned a lot from just lurking the forums, and now have a question of my own.

My GF is pretty much leaving the ring shopping up to me, but has said she loves oval cuts, and the Lucida-style band. I can afford a nice 1 ct oval diamond, and have found a great jeweler who will make the setting. I really like the X-cross design, but I''m wondering if the Royal X-Prong style (with the tapered shanks) might show off the diamond a little better on an oval than Lucida where the shanks are flared (I hope I''m using the term "shank" correctly). I couldn''t find pictures of either setting with an oval stone.

I''m just getting up to speed with all of this stuff and would really appreciate your input! Thanks!

Also, can anyone recommend a good place to buy the stone? My jeweler wasn''t confident he could find exactly what I''m looking for and is happy to make the ring if I provide the diamond.

 

[JulieN]

I think I prefer the Royal Crown style over the Royal X-Prong for an oval.

 

[Tuckins1]

You can look for loose stones at

James Allen
Whiteflash
Good Old Gold

I would also recommend looking through their selections of settings to see if anything strikes your fancy...

 

[LoveJC]

I''m an oval junky and I think a thinner band would show off the stone and make it look larger. Maybe a thin pave band or small side stones.

 

[tunamelt]

I''m thinking about a simple solitaire to start with, and then maybe half-moons at some point a few years down the line... she definitely wants a thin band, I''m just wondering whether to have a slight taper to the shank. The Royal Crown that JulieN mentioned does look very nice.

So my jeweler doesn''t have too much experience with ovals, but called yesterday to say that he got a few in, including a 1.5ct that is $6000 and a couple of 1ct stones for ~$5k. Unfortunately, the 1.5 ct does not have a certificate. How can I know whether it is even worth the trouble of getting appraised by a 3rd-party?