So, for our 15 year anniversary, I am planning to both upgrade my e-ring stone and get my dream setting. My current stone is a .82 ACA , 6.0mm (an upgrade from the .5 carat original engagement ring).
As a kind of "mind clean" issue, I want at least a 1 ct stone for this project. I am really hoping that this will be my "forever" engagement ring, and that I can move on to other things. With my lifestyle, social circle, et al., I'm not aiming for a big old honking diamond.
What originally caught my eye, however, was a 6.85mm stone, ~ 1.2 ct. I'd always imagined 1.2-1.3 as being my "final destination" for upgrades.
This is the dream setting (and please don't harsh my dream if it's not your taste, thanks)
I'd like to use blue sapphires in the "leaves" framing the center stone.
I'm looking for opinions on the following:
1. This will end up being a pricey setting. I'm still getting quotes, but spendy. Beautiful, delicate, heirloom-quality, but priced accordingly. In the original, the center stone is approx 6.5mm. I am thinking about dropping my original stone to around 6.5.-6.6 for budgetary breathing room. One thing I love about this setting is that it gives coverage like a halo and a three-stone ring, but isn't either. So I'm not sure whether I'd even notice the small difference between just a hair over 1 ct and the 1.2ish that I was aiming for. It's a difference of .25-.35mm. I would still be getting .5-.6 mm bigger than my current stone with the just-over-1-ct, and the extra coverage of the setting. Current setting is a solitaire. Thoughts?
2. I'd like to do marquise-shaped blue sapphires where the leaves are (ideally bezeled and milgrained). This has been quoted to me as feasible with a 6.85mm stone. Anyone think that dropping to 6.5-6.6mm would change that equation? Still possible to use marquise sapphires?
3. Another option that's marginally less expensive is to replace the round diamonds in the leaves with round sapphires instead of marquise sapphires. I know there'd be no problem going down in center stone size with this option. With round diamonds in a white metal, there's an illusion that the leaves are all diamond (marquise-shaped), but what do you think about this with a round blue sapphire? Would it look okay? Would you do it?
FWIW, diamond options I'm considering are H-I color (my current stone is H in white metal), and either branded stones from PS vendors or the "expert/select/premium" type stones that are either AGS0 or GIA ex/ex/ex with great HCA scores. Once I finalize my thoughts on the setting and what size I'm aiming for, I may post my budget and stones under consideration for a PS vote.

As a kind of "mind clean" issue, I want at least a 1 ct stone for this project. I am really hoping that this will be my "forever" engagement ring, and that I can move on to other things. With my lifestyle, social circle, et al., I'm not aiming for a big old honking diamond.
What originally caught my eye, however, was a 6.85mm stone, ~ 1.2 ct. I'd always imagined 1.2-1.3 as being my "final destination" for upgrades.
This is the dream setting (and please don't harsh my dream if it's not your taste, thanks)
I'd like to use blue sapphires in the "leaves" framing the center stone.
I'm looking for opinions on the following:
1. This will end up being a pricey setting. I'm still getting quotes, but spendy. Beautiful, delicate, heirloom-quality, but priced accordingly. In the original, the center stone is approx 6.5mm. I am thinking about dropping my original stone to around 6.5.-6.6 for budgetary breathing room. One thing I love about this setting is that it gives coverage like a halo and a three-stone ring, but isn't either. So I'm not sure whether I'd even notice the small difference between just a hair over 1 ct and the 1.2ish that I was aiming for. It's a difference of .25-.35mm. I would still be getting .5-.6 mm bigger than my current stone with the just-over-1-ct, and the extra coverage of the setting. Current setting is a solitaire. Thoughts?
2. I'd like to do marquise-shaped blue sapphires where the leaves are (ideally bezeled and milgrained). This has been quoted to me as feasible with a 6.85mm stone. Anyone think that dropping to 6.5-6.6mm would change that equation? Still possible to use marquise sapphires?
3. Another option that's marginally less expensive is to replace the round diamonds in the leaves with round sapphires instead of marquise sapphires. I know there'd be no problem going down in center stone size with this option. With round diamonds in a white metal, there's an illusion that the leaves are all diamond (marquise-shaped), but what do you think about this with a round blue sapphire? Would it look okay? Would you do it?
FWIW, diamond options I'm considering are H-I color (my current stone is H in white metal), and either branded stones from PS vendors or the "expert/select/premium" type stones that are either AGS0 or GIA ex/ex/ex with great HCA scores. Once I finalize my thoughts on the setting and what size I'm aiming for, I may post my budget and stones under consideration for a PS vote.
