Why Is An Oval Cut Diamond The Ideal Choice For Your Engagement Ring?
When it comes to buying diamonds, aesthetics play a significant role. You might choose a certain diamond simply because you are enamored by it, rather than sticking to the recommended 4Cs chart all the time.
When it comes to Oval Diamonds, they are the closest variant of a Round Cut Diamond. Now, you must be wondering, why would anyone choose oval diamonds instead of the real thing?
Well, to be very precise, Oval cut diamonds do have an elegance about them and they look bigger on the fingers owing to their shape.
Are these two factors enough to choose Oval diamonds over other diamonds?
Let’s find out more about them.
What Is an Oval Cut Diamond?
The name itself is indicative of the shape of this particular diamond, like a round-cut diamond.
This diamond should be your preferred choice if you want a diamond with a bit of character. The stunning slender structure of oval diamonds creates a beautifully elongated look making your fingers seem slimmer.
Completely free of pointed edges, there are no chances of chipping, like in the case of Princess cut diamonds.
Primarily it is the exquisite fire and brilliance of this diamond that would make it the ideal choice. Also, a 1-carat oval diamond would appear bigger on your finger than most other diamonds.
It seems pretty straightforward until now,
Who would not want a big diamond with outstanding brilliance at an affordable price?
History of Oval Cut Diamonds
The earliest oval shaped diamonds date back to the 1300s. Although this diamond shape had existed for centuries, notable mentions about it came only in the early 1800s.
A Russian diamond cutter named Lazare Kaplan in 1957 perfected the technique of cutting oval diamonds. He had a knack for transforming undesirable stones into exquisite diamonds.
His process not only perfected the shape of the oval diamond but also enhanced its brilliance. The Kaplan process is still used today for cutting and perfecting the shape of Oval cut diamonds.
The Ideal Settings For Oval Cut Diamonds
Since we are talking about oval cut diamonds for engagement rings, let’s find out what settings are ideal.
Generally, a 4 or 6 prong setting highlights the shape of your diamond the best. How you want your Oval diamond engagement ring to look is a matter of personal choice. From vintage to solitaire to side stone settings, all of these can be used for oval diamond engagement rings.
There are a few settings that are recommended by our experts. These settings really showcase this exquisite diamond in all its glory. Let us find out.
Ideal Ring Settings For Your Oval Diamond
Halo Setting: A sparkling halo of melee diamonds around your oval centerpiece really enhances its brilliance. Irrespective of the carat weight, oval diamonds always work in a Halo setting.
Solitaire Setting: The ideal and classic choice for oval cuts allows them to be the star. Owing to their slender structure, a solitaire oval diamond engagement ring looks bigger than it is supposed to be on your fingers. This highlights the brilliance and the shape of the diamond.
Pave Setting: This setting embellishes the character and brings out the brilliance of any ring setting. This particular ring setting comes in a lot of forms, ranging from twisted bands to solitaire rings.
Side Stone Setting: Choose Oval cuts as flank stones in a three-stone setting. Owing to the spectacular brilliance and aesthetic structure of an oval diamond, it will highlight your centerpiece, while increasing the brilliance of your engagement ring.
Grading The Cut Quality Of Oval Cut Diamonds?
The Gemological Institute of America does not grade the cut quality of fancy-shaped diamonds. Generally in such situations, it is better to assess the depth %, table%, girdle, culet, and length to width ratio of the diamond.
In the case of oval cut diamonds, this does not wholly work. Contrary to recommendations, there is no specific set of numbers that offer a perfect diamond.
It should be noted that the perfect oval shaped diamond is subjective. It is largely based on the viewer and for this reason, the table and depth percentage and the length to width ratio also vary.
Having said this, we are giving you a ballpark estimate of the aspects that will help you pick out the right oval-shaped diamond.
Cut Quality Recommendations for Oval-Shaped Diamonds
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor | |
| Table% | 54-62 | 63-66 | 67-68 | 68-70 | <51 or >69 |
| Depth% | 59-61 | 63-65 | 67-70 | 72-74 | <51 or >73 |
| Girdle | Very Thin- Slightly Thin | Very Thin-Thick | Very Thin – Very Thick | Extremely Thick – Extremely Thin | |
| Culet | None | Very Small | Small | Medium | >Medium |
| Length to Width Ratio | 1.37- 1.5 | 1.31-1.34 or 1.52-1.53 | 1.25-1.28 or 1.57-1.60 | 1.20-1.23 or 1.62-1.64 | >1.21 or <1.63 |
The Bow-Tie Effect
A patch of darkness or a dark space stretching across a diamond’s center is referred to as the bow-tie effect. The occurrence of this effect is common in elongated diamonds like the Pear Shaped Diamond, Oval Shaped diamond, etc.
The severity of this effect varies from diamond to diamond. In certain situations, it is very pronounced, whereas in others it is hardly noticeable.
A pronounced bow-tie effect in any diamond will affect the beauty as well as the brilliance of the stone. We recommend you to check for this effect and only buy diamonds in which this effect is not prominent.
Picking the Right Clarity Grade For Your Oval Shaped Diamond
The GIA grades the clarity of diamonds from IF- Internally Flawless to I2- Inclusions 2. Owing to the shape of Oval shaped diamonds, their inclusions are very well hidden. In fact, in most cases, Oval shaped diamonds look absolutely flawless.
We recommend SI1 or SI2 clarity grades for your oval shaped diamond engagement rings. You may want to opt for a higher clarity grade, but it would be completely fruitless.
The main reason why we would not recommend a higher clarity grade is that close clarity grades are impossible to distinguish between with the naked eye. When it comes to premium clarity grades, even diamond experts have a tough time trying to tell them apart.
For this particular reason, we would only recommend SI1 and SI2 for oval-cut engagement rings. There is no point in paying for something you cannot see or showcase.
It is essential to get your diamond clarity grade and the effect of the bow tie on your stone checked by an expert.
How To Choose the Right Color Grade for Your Oval Shaped Diamond?
When it comes to diamond color, the GIA grades it from D-Z. The color of your diamond can be masked with the help of the right ring setting.
With regard to your Oval shaped diamond, we would recommend an H color diamond if you are going for a white gold or platinum ring setting.
Like close clarity grades, close color grades are extremely difficult to distinguish as well. For this reason, there is really no need to spend extra on a premium color diamond.
In case you are choosing a yellow gold ring setting, you can easily choose J Color Oval cut diamonds .
With regard to color grades, it is always recommended to consult an expert.
The Price Of Oval Cut Diamonds
Owing to the large yield from the diamond rough, Oval cut diamonds are reasonably priced. In fact, in comparison with Round Diamonds, the price of Oval cuts is distinctly lower.
Like any other diamond, Oval cuts are priced per carat. The price per carat exponentially increases with increasing carat weights. For example, if we consider an Excellent Cut G Color Oval Diamond with SI1 clarity, we find that a 1-carat diamond costs about $3,700. Whereas 2-carat Oval diamonds cost about $15,000. The main reason behind this increase is the fact that oval cuts of high carat weights are very rare.
Oval Cut Diamonds vs Round Cut Diamonds
Moving beyond the obvious difference between their shapes, there are other differences between oval cuts and round cuts.
Round diamonds are always perfectly round, although there might be slight variations in their length to width ratio, all round-cuts hold on to their perfectly round shape.
Oval cut diamonds on the other hand come in a variety of shapes owing to their length-to-width ratio. They may have a wide, slender, or normal appearance.
The difference in brilliance between these two cuts is very nominal. In certain cases, a round diamond may have more of a sparkle, but in general, their brilliance is pretty hard to distinguish.
Owing to their elongated shape, Oval shaped diamonds look bigger than Round-cut diamonds of the same carat weight.
Lastly, there is a staggering difference in price. As mentioned above, owing to a higher yield from the diamond rough Oval cuts might be almost 40% cheaper than their Round equivalents
The Best Way To Buy Oval-Cut Diamonds
The right jeweler can get you the best diamond at the right price. However, finding the right jeweler can be taxing. We at jewel hero have come up with an excellent solution for this problem.
Buying diamonds have never been easier. All you have to do is log in to our website, answer a few questions with regard to your preferred cut or shape of your diamond and that is it.
We will connect you with local jewelers, whom you can consult online. Going through our longlist of jewelers, we are sure you are going to find the right one in no time.
We connect eager buyers with authentic jewelers to make sure you get the best deal every single time.
So, what are you waiting for? Visit our website to get a step closer to buying the perfect Oval Cut Diamond.