First, let me introduce myself, I am Dale, long time lurker and longer term fan of DBL on ebay.  I have spent a few years checking DBL on ebay and saving my pennies.

I feel a bit like a flower child.  I want to turn bullets into tulips.  Let me explain.  My girlfriend is crazy about tulips, when I saw the snowflake sapphires in another thread here I thought of the perfect engagement ring.  Basically a 6 prong basket, containing a high white 1 ct round brilliant, cathedral ring with the metal cathedral replaced with yellow side stones modified from bullets to tulips.  Please see attached photos and excuse my scribble drawings.  I am thinking high white 1 ct round center stone with fancy light yellow or better side stones. 

I also attached another member here's picture of their cathedral solitaire, please excuse the fact I cannot find her post to give credit to her.  I cannot afford such a big stone, but love the setting, simple classic, beautiful.

I look forward to your input.
Dale

Welcome, Dale!  I'd love to see your idea made 'flesh' so to speak - you've come to the right place for input and ideas.

Carol   

Awesome idea Dale!!!!!  She is going to love it!!!! I am agreeing with Jen...I bet there are some out there somewhere!  Also, David might still have those tulip pronged heads.

...or use two marquises and a bullet, or even three marquises for the sidestones...

Oh, Hello, Dale!  I'm so glad you've come out of lurkdom.  You already know you're in the right place, and if it can be done, David will make it happen!

How about a  little center marquis with side pears on each side of the center RBC?

You hooo!  Nantam?  Can you photoshop that for me?

Hi Dale!

What about something like this set in yellow gold with bezel set yellow diamonds in the basket, high white diamond center?

Love it love it love it!  I like this even more than tulip sidestones, this is so cool!

Funny coincidence - I stumbled upon the same design this evening...

Thank you all for the suggestions.  I prefer simple timeless designs for engagement and wedding bands, but really like to tailor to the certain person. 

I need to tell one old story and one I hope to be my story.  My mother and father met on a blind date.  My mother had to be coerced by both an older couple she trusted and multiple friends to go on the date since she was considering her options including becoming an Episcopalian nun.  Well both my mother and father fell deeply in love.  They had discussed family plans and decided to try and have 12 children after marriage.  My father found the perfect wedding band, platinum with 12 doves and 12 diamonds speaking to both my mothers love of the Christian trinity and their desire for a very large family.  Circumstances brought 8 children instead of 12, and it took my father 25 years to find an acceptable engagement ring.  My parents celebrated their 44th anniversary in August.  Ok, now for my current and hopefully future story.  I live away from my parents and finally brought my girlfriend to meet on Easter of last year.  In advance I coerced parents and siblings to plant 1000 tulip bulbs on my parents property that could come up before our visit.  All went so well with the meeting that my siblings, parents and girlfriend cannot stop talking about it.  So now I have planned a trip to Holland in April 2010 to propose and am looking for the perfect ring that speaks to her heart and my love. 

I love colored diamonds and wanted something classic that incorporated her personality.  From indirect discussions, she wants a high white primary diamond.  I always think natural colored diamonds are a wonderful accent or as a primary for a right hand ring. 

Now seeing the super duper tulip setting above, I think a platinum basket with small pink diamond accents from the argyle mine in Australia would speak to both of us.  (I am in Australia and think Australian pinks are lovely).

Life is about options.  I do not believe in one right answer.
Dale

Dale, you can't go wrong with whatever you decide; however, the symbolism with the high-white tulip design and the little Argyle pinks sounds divine. Perfect for both of you. I'm sure you will make a gobsmackingly gorgeous custom ring.

And, I agree, life is ALL about options. 

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story. I, too, hope that you will continue to keep us in the loop. Your love and devotion is so apparent, I can't wait to hear how this turns out.

ummm...ok...so Dale is a little bit romantic.  HA!  Dale is a great deal romantic and you are making a man in this household look really bad!!!!!!   

I cannot wait to see what you come up with.  I am sure it will be beautiful.