Joined on
01-05-2012
UPSTATE NEW YORK 6636613862436253
Posts: 72
First: 1/31/2012
Last: 4/21/2012
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One of my old coworkers had a moissanite engagement ring. It was almost 2 carats and the stone was and is very VERY beautiful, but she had it set in silver. It was a modern style ring, so when the silver began to wear, the metal gave it away. No one would set a 2 carat near flawless diamond in silver. It looks fake now, even from a few feet away.
Mind you, my ring is set in sterling silver, which has been higher maintenance than gold. It is an antique replica, so as it ages, it looks more and more like an authentic antique silver ring. It is covered in small diamonds in highly detailed silver. It sports all the advantages of the softness of silver by having a highly detailed setting with little gaps meant to tarnish, without huge stretches of highly polished silver to grow dull over time.
I know metal's not part of the question, but I bring this up to illustrate my belief that the best budget rings are not trying to be something they're not. Be reasonable in your expectations. If a ring is silver, it shouldn't be trying to look like it's gold, because in 3 months, it won't, yet a beautiful, classic silver ring crafted to age will stay pretty for as long as it's taken care of. A $600 ring shouldn't try to look like a $15,000 ring, because as time goes on, it won't. And a huge stone in a cheap setting never looks "right," and gives itself away.
Diamonds were actually the more affordable option for us. Though only 0.25 carat TDW, it looks like a 1 carat ring because it has smaller stones strategically placed so that they are all on top and highly visible, so that stone weight is not being lost in the setting where no one sees it. Because really, in big stones, most of it is inside the setting, where no one sees it, unless they look at the side of your hand.
If you are set on a big solitaire, choosing something other than diamond might be a better idea. But a lot of diamonds have inclusions and color discrepencies that no one is going to be unnoticable in a smaller stone. I can see the inclusion in mine if I put it under direct light and look really really close, and actually find it endearing. It's my little secret, a reminder that as the stone isn't perfect, neither are we, no matter what people who look at us from far away might think! 
Moissanite, white sapphire, and white topaz are quality stones, and if it's reasonably sized in a quality setting, you should have no trouble getting away with it! I, personally, am not a fan of CZ. It clouds up over time and does not look real for very long, and I think it's overpriced for what it is.
My fiance's picked my ring himself before we were engaged. I'm glad. Yes, I would have picked something quite different myself, but I wear a piece of his personality on my hand. Have you considered following the tradition and letting him pick it?
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