The Oval Cut Diamond Buying Guide

The oval diamond engagement ring is one of the 10 most popular choices among couples. Oval cut diamond is as sparkly as a round diamond. In this article, we will get to know more about the features of the Oval cut diamond .

What is an oval cut diamond?

The oval cut diamond is very similar to the round shape in terms of sparkle and luminosity. The oval diamond engagement ring is resistant to fracture and injury due to its rounded corners. This specific cut of diamond was invented by the Russian diamond cutter, Lazare Kaplan.

In this article, we have compiled a set of advantages and disadvantages of the Oval diamond engagement ring, along with some important information you need to know about the oval cut diamond. We will help you get the best Oval cut engagement ring in Chicagoor any other places.

How do you pick out an oval diamond?

The oval diamond engagement ring is a unique choice for people who both love round diamonds but wish to stand out from all the rest who’ve made that choice. This cut of diamond allows the jeweler to personalize your engagement ring and make it based more along your tastes. Although the oval cut diamond has an extraordinary shine and beauty, it’s actually a little more economically friendly than its round counterpart. Now that we know this, how do we choose the right oval diamond?

Be sure about what you want

The first step is searching and consulting with a jewelry expert to make sure that the oval cut diamond is the right diamond for you.

There are many compelling reasons to choose an oval cut diamond. It has good sparkle, it looks bigger than its actual carat weight, is suitable for a variety of finger sizes and shapes, has a fancy look that can be made with both a classic ring or a modern design, it has unique look, and at a suitable price.

With all the benefits outlined, don't forget that choosing a diamond engagement ring is an important and lifelong choice, so you should be sure about the shape of the diamond, whether it be Oval or any other shape, before you make your final purchase..  

Select your favorite ring setting and design

The jewelry designer will help you find the ideal design based on your tastes and personality. Oval cut diamonds are more durable to hits and pressure due to the lack of sharp corners. For this reason, it can be used in a variety of engagement ring settings and styles.

Depending on the size of the oval diamond, from 4 to 8 prongs may be used to hold the diamond on the ring. The higher the number of prongs, the greater the security of the diamond. However, the prongs allow less light to come through and be reflected through the diamond, so you may lose a bit of sparkle if you increase how many prongs you have on your setting.

Choose the color you want

Oval cut diamonds have a plentiful selection of colors, just like any other diamond would. Most couples prefer colorless diamonds for their engagement ring, some people, like Princess Kate, prefer the fancy-colored oval diamonds.

The diamond color grade is classified by the GIA from grade D to grade Z. If you also prefer colorless diamonds or if you want a white or platinum engagement ring, we recommend choosing an H grade color or higher to see the extraordinary reflection of white light and diamond brilliance. If you prefer to use yellow gold or rose gold ring, the lower degrees of diamond color is also suitable for your diamond ring.

It is important to note that the higher the grade of color, the higher the price of the diamond. You can also manage your budget by choosing the right color.

Find out more about the color and clarity of a diamond.

Length to width ratio

The length to width ratio must be considered to find the right size. The length to width ratio will affect the overall shape of the diamond, making the oval cut diamond appear either narrow or wide.

Diamonds are cut in different sizes. The choice of the diamond cut depends on your personal preferences and the design of the oval cut engagement ring. For example, if you decide to have a single center oval cut diamond on the engagement ring, you should use a larger diamond, but if you want to use a halo setting, you can choose a slightly thinner diamond for the center of the ring.

To calculate the length to width ratio, you need to divide the length of the oval cut diamond by its width. The length to width ratio of oval cut diamonds on the market is usually between 1.30 and 1.50.

The ratio over the 1.50 gives a narrow and long oval diamond that can be used in multi-stone setting diamond rings. The ratio between 1.30-1.40 gives a wider diamond that can be used as a central single stone in an oval cut diamond engagement ring.

Cut grade

Unfortunately, the GIA does not sign the cut grade of the oval shape diamonds. Because of that, you need to consult with professional and trustworthy gemologists to understand about the cut quality of oval shape diamonds.

As general information, it is better to know that the oval cut grade has these following features:

Table: 53% to 63%

Depth: 58% to 62%

Girdle: Very thin to slightly thick

Culet: None

Length to width ratio: 1.35 to 1.50

If you are going to buy an Oval diamond engagement ring, you should check out the diamond cutting information, and it is essential to check the diamond's appearance by a gem specialist. Ask a jewelry specialist to check the diamond's appearance to verify and guarantee this information.

Check this link to learn more about the  diamond cut.

Clarity of oval cut diamond

Another important feature to pick out the oval cut is to consider its clarity. Since the shape of an oval diamond usually has a large table, so you should be sensitive about its clarity. Especially if you choose a colorless stone, you should buy a higher clarity diamond to see its extraordinary sparkle.

We recommend you choose SI1 or higher clarity grade to achieve the best clarity with the best value. The clarity grade is as the following rate:

IF: Internally Flawless

VVS1: Very very Small Inclusions 1

VVS2: Very very Small Inclusions 2

VS1: Very Small Inclusions 1

VS2: Very Small Inclusions 2

SI1: Small Inclusions 1

SI2: Small Inclusions 2

I1: Inclusions 1

I2: Inclusions 2

What makes a good oval diamond?

To evaluate the quality of all diamonds, including oval cut diamonds, we must first look at the 4 diamond's evaluation factors introduced by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the 1950s.

These four factors, known as 4Cs, are color, clarity, carat weight, and cut. By choosing the right one for each of these factors, you can find a good oval cut diamond according to your budget.

Color:

Colorless diamonds are usually the most expensive diamonds because of their high brilliance. (Although nothing is definite in the world of diamonds. Sometimes some natural stones may have unique colors that are more expensive than diamonds because of their rarity.)

Carat weight:

In terms of carat weight, it is clear that the higher the carat weight, the higher the price of a diamond. But the oval cut diamond has the potential to look bigger than the actual carat weight. As a result, you can manage your budget by choosing the Oval diamond engagement ring. In this case, you can pay to improve other factors instead of paying the more cost to buy higher carat weight.

Clarity:

As I mentioned above the best clarity for a good oval cut diamond is SI1 or higher. This range of clarity grade can bring a good sparkle and brilliance, which is the main visual feature of the diamond.

Cut:

The cut grade is one of the most important factors that have a significant effect on determining the good oval cut diamond. But unfortunately, the GIA does not provide a cut grade for the oval shape diamonds. Due to this, you have to ask a professional gemologist to evaluate the cut grade of oval diamond and consider its effect on your engagement ring setting. Specialists have some tools to calculate the proportions of facets and determine a reliable cut grade for you.

Keep in mind that one of the features that have made diamonds a perfect choice for engagement rings is its unique shine. Romantic couples have always been attracted by the dazzling light dancing that it creates. So if you are looking for a good oval cut diamond, you should avoid any factor that limits this shine and sparkle.

For example, an oval cut diamond is at risk of having a bow-tie effect. Note that a good Oval diamond engagement ring should not have any dark spots that limit the reflection of light.

Also, the professional design of the engagement ring and optimum use of oval cut diamonds can increase the brilliance and beauty of your diamond.

What causes bow tie effect in oval diamonds?

The bow-tie effect is a cut imperfection. It means that a poor cut will make this dark spot on the diamond. As this dark spot looks like a bow-tie so this cut imperfection is also known as a bow-tie effect.

The presence of this black spot prevents the reflection of light from the top facet of the oval cut diamond. A diamond that cannot reflect all light received will not have the ideal sparkle and brilliance.

Sometimes the bow-tie effect is quite recognizable so you can see it with the naked eye, but in some diamonds, the bow-tie effect is hardly visible so it is a little difficult to detect the dark spot. For this reason, before buying an oval cut diamond, be sure to ask a reliable jeweler to check the quality of the diamond cut.

The bow-tie effect is not only an imperfection for the oval cut diamond but is also seen in other types of elongated fancy diamond shapes such as marquise, pear and sometimes heart-shaped diamonds.

Oval diamond size chart

Oval cut diamonds are sold based on their carat weight. But there is a chart where you can estimate the carat weight of an oval cut diamond based on its dimension in millimeters. But keep in mind that always the best choice for an oval cut diamond, especially for making a diamond ring, is a diamond that has a length-to-width ratio of between 1.30 and 1.50 range.

This table will help you to convert a diamond’s carat weight into its length and width measurements.

Oval Cut Diamond Sizes (Carat Weight to Length/Width in millimeters)

Carat weight	size of length and weight in MM
0.25 carat	5*3.5mm
0.35 carat	5*4 mm
0.50 carat	6*4 mm
0.65 carat	6.5*4.5 mm
0.75 carat.	7*5 mm
1.00 carat	7.7*5.7 mm
1.25 carat	8*6 mm
1.50 carat	8.5*6.5 mm
2.00 carat	9*7 mm
2.50 carat	10*8 mm
3.00 carat	12*8 mm
4.00 carat	12.9*8.6mm
5.05 carat	12*10 mm
6.05 carat	13*11 mm
8.21 carat	14*12 mm
14.96 carat	20*15 mm

Are oval cut diamonds more expensive?

Although oval cut diamonds are more expensive than some fancy shaped diamonds because of their unique sparkle, they are often cheaper than round diamonds. The price of a diamond depends on many factors, including carat weight, cut, color and clarity, shape and even the country that manufactured the diamond.

Diamond experts examine all these features and determine the price of the stone. As a result, although I mentioned earlier that an oval cut diamond is more expensive than some fancy shapes, it should be noted that if one of these factors is defective it will fall in price. Although round-shape diamonds are known to be the most expensive diamonds, the poor quality round diamond can be much cheaper than a qualified oval cut.

In general, I can say that the oval cut diamonds are about 28% cheaper than round cut diamond per carat. This percentage is just an average consideration and it comes from comparing the oval cut and round diamonds with the same carat weight and same quality.

The main reason for the price difference between the oval cut diamond and the round diamond is about their cutting process. Remember that the oval cut diamond can show a great sparkle same as round diamond, but as only a few parts of the rough natural stone will be waste to cut an oval shape diamond, while much of the primary rough stone is discarded to obtain the round diamond, so we will see this significant difference between their prices.

How much is a 1 carat oval diamond?

The price of an oval cut diamond depends on several factors that carat weight is only one of those factors. For example, the color, clarity, and cut grade should be considered in addition to the carat weight of the diamond. But if we just look at the carat weight, the price of diamonds will increase exponentially by increasing the carat weight.

The price of a one-carat oval cut diamond with the clarity grade of SI1 and the color degree of G is around $3,700-$4200.

How much is a 2 carat oval diamond?

To calculate the weight of a two-carat diamond, you might imagine that if the price of a single carat diamond is about $3,700, then we can double the price of the first diamond and calculate the price of a two-carat weight diamond with the same quality. But this is a misconception.

As I said, the price of diamonds will increase exponentially as the carat weight increases. So the price of a two-carat weight oval cut diamond with the clarity grade of SI1 and the color degree of G is around $16,100 - $18,000.

It should be noted that these calculations relate solely to the approximate price of the diamond. You need to consult your jeweler to determine the exact price of designing and making an oval diamond engagement ring.

Do Oval diamonds have a cut grade?

As we stated earlier, the GIA does not sign the cut grade of the oval shape diamonds. Remember that diamond cut grade is one of the most important features in determining the price of a diamond. Excellent cuts can make the diamond look bigger than its real carat weight with extraordinary sparkle. As a result, you need to ask a gem specialist to help you to determine the cut grade of the oval diamond.

The following table provides some recommendations for determining the diamond cut grade. I will emphasize that checking the cut grade requires years of experience and expertise, especially in the case of oval cut diamonds.

	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
Cutlet	None	Very Small	Small	Medium	>Medium
Length/Width Ratio	1.35-1.50	1.30-1.34 or 1.51-1.55	1.25-1.29 or 1.56-1.60	1.20-1.24 or 1.61-1.65	>1.20 or <1.65

As I mentioned above, the cut grade is a really important factor. If you are interested in  the diamond, so I strongly recommend you to check this link and learn more about the diamond cut:

Are oval diamonds less sparkly?

Oval cut diamonds are categorized as the brilliant-cut diamonds because they have a great sparkle. Oval cut diamond is cut similar to the round diamond. The oval cut diamond can maximize the light reflection and bring a great brilliance the same as round shape diamonds.

The amount of brilliance is not only related to the shape of the diamond, but it also depends on other factors such as the cut grade, clarity, color, as well as the setting of the oval cut engagement ring.

How do you make an oval diamond look bigger?

Oval cut diamonds look bigger due to their elongated shape. A large portion of the carat weight of an oval diamond is visible on the diamond's surface, while in round diamonds, half of the carat weight of the diamond is hidden beneath the surface. When you look at the larger surface of a diamond on the oval cut engagement ring, the illusion of a larger diamond appears.

Another advantage of the elongated oval cut diamond is that it makes the finger appear longer and thinner.

Are oval diamonds trendy?

Although the oval cut diamond has a classic and royal shape, many modern couples also prefer to have an oval cut engagement ring. On the one hand, the oval cut diamond has the brilliance and beauty of a round diamond, and on the other hand, it has a slightly different look, which can be a great choice for people who are interested in both classic and modern designs.

Jewelry designers can design the oval cut diamonds in a variety of engagement ring settings. As a result, couples who enjoy the classic style or couples who want a modern style, and even people who want to have a personalized diamond ring can use the oval cut diamond.

Perhaps another reason that affects making the oval cut diamond to be a trendy engagement ring is because of some celebrities who wear the oval diamond engagement ring. Everyone is usually drawn to what celebrities choose.

Princess Kate, Katie Holmes, Amber Rose, Miranda Kerr, Whitney Port, Serena Williams, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry are only some of the celebrities who have or had an oval cut engagement ring.

What is the best setting for an oval diamond?

The oval cut engagement ring setting is completely up to your tastes and preferences. If you want to buy small diamonds, your engagement ring can have a special appearance by using a halo setting or using several small diamonds together. If you have a large diamond, you can place it on the engagement ring as a single central stone.

Another advantage of an oval cut diamond is that it can be designed in a variety of engagement ring settings. For those who prefer the classic ring, a halo setting can be designed. If your lover wants to break the rules and be unique, then you can combine oval diamonds with other diamond shapes and give him/her a modern and different engagement ring.

Oval cut diamond engagement ring and wedding band

The oval cut diamond can be designed as a bridal set too. If you are going to have a match engagement rings and wedding band, just ask a jewelry designer to show you a wide range of models. A simple, twisted ring, side diamonds, white gold, yellow and rose gold is just part of your choices to have a set oval cut diamond engagement ring and wedding band.

What is the table on a diamond?

The table facet of the diamond is the top largest central facet of it. Most of the light that is taken by different facets of the diamond will reflect from the table facet to provide the brilliance of the diamond. Table facet has a great effect on the sparkle of the diamond. Since the table is the largest facet of the diamond, its cutting has a direct role in the clarity of the diamond. Diamond cutters work hard to maintain the quality of the diamond’s table.

Which diamond cuts sparkle the most?

The oval cut diamonds are known for their stunning sparkle. The diamond's sparkle depends on several factors. The most important factor is the cut grade. If the diamond has a poor cut grade then it has a significantly lower sparkle.

You can read more articles about  choosing a sparkly diamond in this blog.

How do you make diamonds sparkle?

• Choose an excellent diamond cut
• Select higher clarity
• Select brilliant-cut diamond
• Use fewer prongs on the engagement ring setting
• Keep the diamond ring always clean

Why should I come to you to design my ring? 

We involve you in every step of the process. At first, we will sit next to you and go over any concerns you have and any specific design elements you mind the ring to have. Once we have established exactly how you want the ring looks, we will proceed with the design process. Once you see this design, if you want, you can make any change or if you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to address them for you. Our role is to help you to create the perfect ring and that means we will listen to you and make sure that your ring is indeed one of a kind.

Oval cut engagement ring in Chicago

Jewelers Row is a well-known place among couples who want to buy an engagement ring in Chicago. You can compare different designs of the oval cut engagement ring in Chicago in various jewelry shops of this street.

The wedding band company's showroom is located at 2 North Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60602. We can present many oval cut engagement rings with a variety of different designs, based on your personality. Our professional jewelers can help you to find the best oval cut engagement ring in Chicago.

If you are looking for an oval cut engagement ring in Chicago, we are happy to help you. If you are looking for a diamond ring in another city or country, I recommend you to read the following link that is a guide to choosing the best jewelry.

We'll help you to design your dream engagement ring without stress and spending countless hours searching for your perfect ring. All you need to do is click on "Free Consultation" to get started.

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By: Koorosh Daneshgar CEO/Design Chief