Vintage Engagement Rings |

I think the mistake you are making is that you are just looking at what these stores have out in the cases. Honestly, anyplace like zales is going to have very generic-looking jewelry. I would suggest going to Gordon’s Jewlers (if there is one near you). They were very helpful to my fiance and I when we were looking. They dont have any oval settings displayed as far as i know, but i DO know that they are able to work with you and send in requests for some of the more unusual cuts of diamonds (oval included). I actually did this because i was interested in an oval stone. They asked what carat weight i was interested in and what our price range was and they told us they would call us when the diamonds came in and we could take a look at them. They come in as loose diamonds (which is better because they are usually of a higher quality). Because of this, it allows you to be more creative with the setting. They can work with you to pick out a white gold setting for any loose diamond you choose for her. It is definitely worth checking into and I think it would be well within your price range. Trust me, she will thank you for getting her somthing one of a kind!
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i would recommend looking for a diamond wholesaler.

I did this to get my engagement ring, and we ended up spending half of its value to actually get it made than what it would have cost to buy in the shop.

im in australia so cant really give you too much help on where to go, but look online for a reputable dealer and then meet them. they should have different types of settings available and you can choose gold, white gold or platinum. i ended up getting platinum as white gold needs to be re-coated every few years otherwise it starts to go yellow.
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http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7255/

promising eye-clean I-1 http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7065/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5612/

consider this http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6873/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamondSearch.php
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I have to recommend moissaniteco.com. My ring came from there and it is just fabulous. Moissanite has far more fire and brilliance than a diamond, is incredibly hard and durable and at just a fraction of the price fo a diamond. They have a ton of settings to choose from and their customer service was excellent.

These might meet your criteria:
http://www.moissaniteco.com/10×8mm-oval-moissanite-diamond-engagement-ring-32ct-p-10425.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/oval-moissanite-antique-engagement-ring-p-5570.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/split-shank-halo-oval-moissanite-pave-engagement-ring-p-10757.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/oval-moissanite-split-shank-engagement-ring-p-6825.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/oval-cut-moissanite-antique-halo-engagement-ring-p-6707.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/10×8mm-oval-moissanite-diamond-engagement-ring-325ct-p-10426.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/antique-halo-oval-moissanite-pave-engagement-ring-p-6769.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/oval-moissanite-tiffany-legacy-halo-engagement-ring-p-6785.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/round-moissanite-antique-engagement-ring-setting-040ct-p-5017.html
http://www.moissaniteco.com/0875ct-round-diamond-engagement-ring-14k-w-p-3641.html
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Yep.
how bout this for a setting 695?
http://www.brilliance.com/engagement-rings/knife-edge-diamond-ring-white-gold-1/2-ctw

What I like here about this diamond:
.67ct that’s 5/8ths an off size, which saves you money its betw 1/2 ct and 3/4
D color the best
VVS2-very very rare and worth it
Ideal cut
depth is shallow without being outside excellent parameters of 58-64
table within parameters of 58-64
l/w ratio: in an ideal range at 1.41:1
girdle: thin-sl. thick you just don’t want anything very or extremely thin or thick
very good polish and symmetry
GIA cert
price 2,279.00 nice!
faint flourescence
nice measurements 7×5 is a great size actual 7.06mmx5.01mmx2.99

http://www.brilliance.com/diamonds/0.67-carat-oval-d-color-vvs2-clarity-ideal-cut-gia-certified-loose-diamond-D11987280

a beautiful high quality good sized ring for 3k

and it won’t fisheye
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You can get an oval diamond and a custom setting from Whiteflash.com. Check out their ring gallery AND ask them to price out a setting which inspires you. Provide them with your budget and you will get an estimate in White Gold/Platinum. Such a ring can exist. Custom Designs generally take from 5 to 6 weeks. So factor in a bit of time for development and execution. Here is a link to their gallery http://www.whiteflash.com/gallery/solitaire-engagement-rings.htm

Good Luck!
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Please do yourself a favor and go to an independent jeweler (ask around for ideas) and have him/her show you some ideas. Chain store jewelers are fine for some people, but I have found that by going to an independent jeweler is better.

Ask these questions: Is the jeweler GIA certified; what rating is the stone?; will you receive a printed appraisal? You’ll need to know what "color" the stone is (D, E, F are the highest. Clarity: Fl, IF, VVS1, VVS2 are the highest; VS1, VS2 have one teensy flaw unseen by the human eye). The least amount of color is the best.

I think you’d want the setting to be in white or yellow gold or platinum (which raises the cost considerably). You don’t want 18kt gold because it is softer than 14kt, because there is more gold in the setting. Remember, 24kt gold is pure gold and too soft to be practical. Softer is not better in this case for a ring. If you go to a reputable stone, you will get all this information.

Good luck. Just remember: if the deal sounds to good to be true, it isn’t. Also, make sure the diamond is not too deep. That way it won’t refract the light properly.
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Diamond characteristic information card.