Oval Diamonds Shape
The
Oval Diamond
has beautiful brilliance that's similar to a round diamond.
Oval diamonds are also very popular as their length can accentuate long, slender fingers.
The history of the brilliant-cut oval diamond is relatively easy to track because it is a relatively young shape.
Created by Lazare Kaplan in the late 1950s -early 1960s, the oval brilliant cut is an elipitical variation of the
more common round brilliant.
The modern oval cut is a fiery diamond that reflects light brilliantly. It's a wonderful selection for someone who loves
the sparkle of the round brilliant, but desires a less common shape.
Choosing an Oval Diamond
When purchasing an Oval Diamond, it's important to select both the highest grade cut and color that's within your budget.
Our minimum recommendations for buying Oval Diamonds are as follows (please remember these
recommendations are opinion only, and your tastes may vary):
- Cut: Good
- Color: G
- Clarity: SI2
- Depth Percentage: 58-66%
- Table: 51-64%
Because an oval can be "short and fat" or "long and thin", always be sure to check the length and width of the diamond prior to purchasing.
For the most traditional length-width ratio of oval diamonds, look for ratios between 1.33 and 1.66.
However, some people prefer longer, thinner cuts, and some prefer rounder, softer cuts.
Like the pear shaped diamond, the oval cut can fall victim to the "bow-tie effect" --
an undesirable dark area near the center of the diamond.
It's not unusual to see "some" bow-tie if you examine an oval-shaped diamond from various angles and in different lights,
but what you don't want is an obvious black/dark spot that is dull from every angle and in all lights.
If you're "wondering" if the diamond you purchased is suffering from the bow-tie effect, it probably isn't.
It's one of those defects, that when present, is obvious.
Oval Diamond Ring
While not the traditional selection, Oval Diamonds make lovely engagement rings (either as a solitaire or with accent stones).
Oval Diamonds do require six-pronged settings (as pictured). Make sure to keep that in mind when making your selection.
To give you some ideas of what's available for an Oval Diamond ring, we've preselected a range of certified Oval Diamonds for you to
examine (all from Mondera or Blue Nile, two of the premiere diamond stores). Unless otherwise noted, these diamonds are within
our minimum requirements as listed above and are suitable for solitaire settings or settings with accent stones.
PLEASE NOTE: Most jewelers (including online) do not carry a wide range of oval diamonds below three-quarter carat. If you're set
on a oval diamond, but your budget won't allow you to purchase a stone that size, give yourself some extra time for researching
a variety of stores to find the perfect diamond.
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*PLEASE NOTE: All "Bargain Basement" diamonds fall below our minimum specification standards in one or more categories.
Where to buy Oval Diamonds
Any reputable dealer who sells loose diamonds will have a good selection of shapes, including the oval diamond.
For online purchase, we recommend the following stores:
