It is hard to tell how wide the ring is, but I would guess around 4 to 5mm, you have a $10,000 budget so I would think you should go as large as it will allow, I havent priced diamonds lately but I think you will get around 1.25ct, which I think would look pretty darn good on a size 8 finger. I wear a 8.5 and I have a 1ct and I wished it was a little bigger....
I am the giver, not the wearer. Unfortunately she seems just as clueless when hinting on this topic. I don’t think she wants anything obnoxious but nothing small either. I guess I am asking what would look most balanced.
Yay, I am also a size 8. I think it comes down to personal preference and style. I tried on 1-2 ct diamonds before choosing a 1.2 ct. For me (this may sound crazy) 2 cts didn't suit me. I don't wear any jewelry or dress up normally and worried that a 2 ct on me would look out of place. I was also afraid that 1 ct would get lost on my rather large hands. The setting I chose is a 3mm band that tapers to 2.5 near the stone.
I have not seen it on my hand yet but according to the boyfriend (not yet fiance :p) it gives great coverage. Try taking her to a local B&M just to try on different sizes. I know it's hard for ladies with bigger hands to find display rings that fit. I tried them on my pinky to see how it would look like on my hand overall. Good luck.
In these trying times ( high diamond prices! ) I would spend as little as possible on the setting and go for the highest amount possible on the center stone.
If she's not averse to picking a setting with you at a later date, then I would put all of my "eggs" (read: cash) on the center stone. G color, excellent cut and SI1 (VERY EYE CLEAN) or VS2 clarity. You have a healthy budget for the center stone but in my opinion, it's always easier to wrangle up say another 3k for a setting over a span of "x" amount of months and have a better sized center stone which (seems) like it takes forever to save up for...lol