Hi jpup - sorry I've been a little tardy in getting back to you!
I LOVE this setting. Even my mother likes it (she' impossible to please, this is the first time she's ever admired a piece I'm wearing). I do like it very much with the oval centre, it's a nice organic shape. Mine is set East - West across the finger, which is slightly more unusual. I think it looks really delicate, although the close up photos do show how robust it is for a micropave setting.
It's one of these rare settings that will work with pretty much any shape of diamond. I've seen a fair few of these Hal 1 rings over the years and they look wonderful with all sorts of shapes and colors of centre stone. Oval is my favourite, but it's also a really nice way to set a cushion. If you take a search through our Show off Your Jewels pages on CDI, you should come across a few versions of this setting. The nice thing is how it takes on the personality of the centre stone, so it will look unique. Prongs or bezels are available, and two tone if you have a colored centre stone.
Page three of this thread has a ton of photos of my ring, including a few handshots.
http://coloreddiamon.../advance-warning/50/I'll get rough measurements later - my best friend borrowed some of my jewelry last night to go to a formal dinner, so it's out on loan at the moment.
Sorry - I just wrote you a novel here, but I really am charmed by this ring and excited to have it!
Hope it helps a little. Ask any questions, that's what we're here for! Feel free to email me if you want to chat about it, too.
Jen
ETA the measurements of my stone un-set are 6.74 x 4.55, and it's 0.69ct, with around 0.20 white melee stones in the shank and halo. I'll get a measurement of the finished ring's dimensions later.