Executive summary

Popular diamond cut that is used mainly for engagement rings and pendants. It has an illusion that allows the finger of the wearer to appear longer than it actually is. Depending on the buyer’s preference, they can either get a wide oval diamond or a narrow oval diamond. The overall shape of the diamond is determined by the length to width ratio of the diamond.

The oval diamonds are one of the fancy diamond shapes that is very susceptible to the bow-tie effect. The presence of this effect in the diamond is a big disadvantage to the diamond as it reduces the beauty and attractiveness of the diamond, especially if it is very obvious. If the bowtie is little or not very visible, you can still buy the diamond at a reduced price. But if it is very obvious, you should stay away from such a diamond.

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The symmetry is also very important for this diamond as it determines the overall outlook of this diamond. If for some reasons the symmetry of an oval cut diamond is not intact, or there’s just slight disproportionality in the oval diamond, it will be noticed very easily. So it takes a lot of expertise to successfully cut the oval diamond to its right proportions to have a brilliant and beautiful diamond.

The pattern of the arrangement of the facets in oval cut makes them very brilliant and this brilliance that they exhibit also means that they can hide color effectively. This allows you to go down on the color grade when buying. You can settle for an H or I grade oval diamond. This also depends on the setting that you are choosing. Some setting allows you to go as far down as the K grade.

The diamond also hides inclusions in them. This allows you to go as far down as SI1 or SI2. As long as it is eye clean.

This type of diamond cut is known to be used for engagement rings as well as in pendants and drop earrings. This brilliant-cut was first created midway through the 20th century, specifically around the 1960s by Lazare Kaplan. The oval cut diamond looks something in between round brilliant cut and pear shape diamond except that it does not have pointed corners. The oval cut has 58 facets just like the round cut and therefore also has fire and excellent sparkle. Many people actually refer to this diamond-cut as a modified round brilliant diamond.

The oval cut diamond has the effect of making the hand of whoever wears them appear longer and thinner than they actually are, it is usually very beautiful and works well with a lot of styles and also a lot of settings. One thing you must be careful of in getting an oval diamond is to ensure that the diamond is well cut. A well-cut oval diamond always looks stunning but a badly cut one would definitely look very bad on you.

Analysis of the Oval Cut

Analysis of the Oval Cut

The length to width ratio of the oval cut diamond can vary depending on the preference of individual buyers. The length to width ratio determines what the overall shape of the diamond would look like. It could make the diamond either appear wide or narrow. It depends on what you want the diamond to look like and the kind of setting you would prefer to place it in. the ideal length to width ratio of the oval cut is between 1.40 and 1.50. If you would prefer your diamond to be wider, then you would have to settle for a length to width ratio of between 1.40 and 1.30. But if you drop below 1.30, the shape of the diamond would not appear to be either round or oval but it would look rather squat. If you would rather prefer to go for a narrow and longer. Just so you know, the wider oval cut would be suitable if you’re planning to use side stones on your ring. The traditional oval-cut cuts it better as the center stone for your ring. And the narrow oval cut is more suitable for pendants and drop earrings.

One issue that you might find out that oval diamonds have is the bow-tie effect. This is common to diamond cuts that are elongated and is a very huge disadvantage to such diamonds if present. In case you don’t know, a bow tie on diamond refers to a dark area that cuts across the center of the diamond. It has a shape that looks like that of a bow tie, tiny at the middle and wider as it extends towards the sides of the diamond from the center. This is something that you must be wary of when you are going to buy your diamond. This bowtie effect usually occurs when the diamond is not properly cut and the facets of the diamond are misaligned. This causes an interference with the light of the diamond and gives it that dark shade across its center. Make no mistake, there are different degrees of the bow-tie effect. There are those that are obviously visible (even a partially blind person could notice them) and it ranges down to those that are nearly invisible (these ones might even require an expert to notice their presence). You must make sure that as much as possible you abstain from diamonds with the bowtie effect, especially those that are very visible to the naked eye. If the first thing you see in a diamond is the black spot across its center, you can as well move on to another one. This is why you must make sure that you view a particular diamond carefully with your own eyes before you buy it. Don’t just look at the grading report. There are things that might not be stated clearly in it.

You might not be able to even interpret some things properly by yourself. But you can be sure that your eyes do not deceive you, and what you see in a diamond is the same thing that the average person will see on you when you put on that diamond.

Another very important part of the oval cut is the symmetry of the cut. This is also very critical to the outlook of the diamond. Symmetry refers to an exact correspondence on both sides of a dividing line. This implies that both sides of the diamond must be extremely identical. As a matter of fact, they should be mirror images of each other. If for some reasons the symmetry of an oval cut diamond is not intact, or there’s just slight disproportionality in the oval diamond, it will be noticed very easily.

This implies that the quality of the oval cut must be perfect, 100. As it affects how good and beautiful or how badly the diamond will turn out. This takes some serious expertise of the cutters. It might be difficult to find a well-proportioned, brilliant and beautiful oval cut diamond but when you do, you’ll know you’ve got something on your hands.

The table below will serve as a guideline on how you can evaluate the cut of an oval cut diamond before purchasing one.

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD       GOOD       FAIR       POOR
Table 53 – 63 52 or 64 – 65 51 or 66 – 68 50 or 69 – 70 < 50 or > 70
Depth 58 – 62 56 – 57.9 or 62.1 – 66 53 – 55.9 or 66.1 – 71 50 – 52.9 or 71.1 – 74 < 50 or > 74
Girdle  

Very thin – slightly thick

Very thin to slightly thick Very thin to thick Very thin to very thick Ex. Thin to ex. Thick
Culet None Very small Small Medium > medium
Length to width ratio 1.35 – 1.50 1.30 – 1.34 or 1.15 – 1.55 1.25 – 1.29 or 1.56 – 1.60 1.20 – 1.24 or 1.61 – 1.65 > 1.20 or < 1.65

 

Evaluating the Color of Oval Cut Diamond

Evaluating the Color of Oval Cut Diamond

The pattern of the arrangement of the facets in oval cut makes them very brilliant and this brilliance that they exhibit also means that they can hide color effectively. You might want to ask, Is this a good thing or a bad thing for you as a buyer? Well, the truth is there can only be one answer to this question, and it is good. Different diamond cuts that allow color reflect through them would make you spend more to buy those of them that are high on the color grade, those without colors or those grades where the colors are still invisible. This is different in the case of the oval diamonds. Their facet arrangement already hides the color. So you don’t have to spend more buying the diamonds on a high color grade. You can afford to buy an oval cut diamond that is a little bit down on the color grade and it will still appear colorless like it were high on the grade. This saves you a lot of money on its own.

Generally, the best color grades for diamonds are the grades D – G because they are colorless. but they are also the most expensive. Of course, the more colorless a diamond is, the better it is for the buyer, so people tend to ignore the price and always go for diamonds in this grade. But again, the more people demand these grades, the more expensive they get. The higher the demand, the higher the price is common law in economics and it definitely is true. No one can deny that the higher a diamond is up to the color grade, the more fire, and the sparkle it has. This is why people go for high grades. So you should also consider these high color grades diamonds if money is not an issue for you.

However, if money is an issue or if you are working on a restricted budget, you might want to consider settling for diamonds that are a little bit lower, somewhere at the middle of the color grades, like the grades H and I. Trust me, depending on the type of diamond cut it is, you can still get diamonds in these grades that are visibly colorless to the ordinary eye. At the end of the day, you don’t carry a tag of the color grade of the diamond you are wearing. Do you?

An important thing to consider when determining the color grade of your diamond is the setting of the diamond. The setting plays a huge role in determining how well the color on the diamond is shown or how well it is masked. So you must pay attention to this detail. For example, if you will be setting your diamond in white gold or platinum or a silver-hued metal generally, it will be better than you buy the H color grade and above. But if you are going to be setting the diamond in rose gold or yellow setting, you can afford to drop further down the color grade to grade I. you could even go as far as grade K. depending on your interest and price factor.

When talking about color grades of diamonds, the best financial decision is usually to go as far down the grade as you possibly can to get the best price for the values that you want. The price difference between two adjacent color grades can be very huge. So it will save you a lot to as far down as possible. Your aim should be to get a diamond that is visibly colorless not to get the diamond with the best color grade. But then, this advice works best for people who don’t have a lot of money to throw around and are instead working on a tight budget.

The table below will serve as a guide for evaluating the color of the oval cut diamond.

  EXCELLENT  VERY GOOD      GOOD        FAIR     POOR
< .50 ct.  D – G  H – I  J – K  L – M > M
.51 – 1.0 ct.  D – F  G  H – I  J – K > K
1.0 – 2.0 ct.  D – F D – F  G – H  I – J > J
> 2.0 ct.  D – F  D –F  G  H – I > I
Fluro None Faint – medium Strong Very strong Very strong

 

Evaluating the Clarity of the Oval Cut Diamond

Evaluating the Clarity of the Oval Cut Diamond

Like it was mentioned earlier, the arrangement of the facets of the oval cut means that it hides color well. This is also true for impurities, inclusions, and blemishes. As they are well hidden in the oval cut diamond.

Just like with the color grade, this also implies that you do not have to start seeking for oval diamonds that are high up on the clarity grade. You can instead choose to opt for oval diamonds that are a little further down the clarity grade and you can be sure that the diamond cut will do a good job in masking the blemishes in the diamond for you.

The clarity grade of the diamonds is one of the factors that determine the price of the diamond. Diamonds that are high up the clarity grade will definitely sell for higher prices than those that are lower on the clarity grade. So the ability of this cut to hide the blemishes in it only plays out into your hands as it is another means for you to save money. You can, therefore, decide to buy an oval diamond that is down on the clarity grade, and you will only be doing yourself and your pocket a big favor without having to compromise on the beauty and clarity of the diamond on you.

To get the best value for both the clarity grade and price, it is advised that you opt for the SI clarity grade. With this, you’ll be having a great diamond on your hand at a relatively cheap price. As far as we are concerned, the diamond with the best clarity is the one with no visible inclusions in it. The grading is for the expert. Yet again you wouldn’t go around with a tag of your diamond’s clarity grade. Would you? What people want to see is a diamond without blemish not a diamond of the highest clarity grade.

The table below will serve as a guide to help you evaluate the clarity of the diamond.

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD       GOOD         FAIR      POOR
< .50 ct.  FL – VS2  SI1 – SI2 I1  I2 > I2
.51 – 1.0 ct.  FL – VS1  VS2 – SI1  SI2  I1 – I2 > I2
1.0 – 2.0 ct.  FL – VVS2  VS1 – VS2  SI1 – SI2  I1 > I1
> 2.0 ct. FL – VVS2 VS1 – VS2 SI1 SI2 > SI2

 

Evaluating the Carat Weight of the Oval Cut Diamond

The carat weight is the unit for measuring the size of diamonds. The carat weight of the diamond is also another factor that determines the price of the diamonds. Diamonds are priced based on how many carat weight they really weigh. So different sizes of the oval diamond have their different carat weight to which they correspond to and this invariably determines the price tag on their heads at the store.

Oval diamond size Oval diamond carat weight
4.5 x 3.5 mm 021 ct.
5.0 x 3.0 mm 0.21 ct.
5.5 x 3.5 mm 0.33 ct.
5.0 x 4.0 mm 0.35 ct.
6.0 x 4.0 mm 0.50 ct.
6.0 x 5.0 mm 0.61 ct.
6.5 x 4.5 mm 0.65 ct.
7.0 x 5.0 mm 0.75 ct.
7.7 x 5.7 mm 1.00 ct.
8.0 x 6.0 mm 1.25 ct.
9.0 x 6.0 mm 1.41 ct.
8.5 x 6.5 mm 1.50 ct.
9.0 x 7.0 mm 2.00 ct.
10.0 x 8.0 mm 2.50 ct.
10.5 x 8.5 mm 2.88 ct.

 

Choosing the right setting for your diamond

The solitaire setting is known as the ideal setting for diamonds generally but when dealing with oval diamond, you can use a prong setting because this type of setting allows the diamond to receive the maximum amount of light that it can possibly get and this allows the diamond to reflect maximally and be visible too. So you can either choose an 8 prong setting, a 6 prong setting or a 4 prong setting. The setting that you choose will depend largely on the size of the diamond. But generally, the more the prongs on the setting, the more secure the diamond is, the shape is less accentuated but the diamond is also less visible.

The oval cut diamond works well with a vintage design and appears more beautiful when the setting is something vintage, probably the Victorian vintage style or the Art Deco vintage style.

The halo setting is another setting where the oval diamond appears very beautifully. It helps to maximize the look of the diamond and makes it sparkle. The elongated shape of the diamond is also accentuated by this setting and it makes the diamond more beautiful.

Other settings that are suitable for the oval diamond are pave set, side stone setting, three stone setting, and the three-stone setting.

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