Oval Diamonds

Oval diamonds are a popular choice as the shape of the diamond can make fingers appear longer and more slender than they are.

Oval diamonds are brilliant cut diamonds that were invented by Lazare Kaplan in the 60’s. When considering the purchase of an Oval shape diamond you must look at the dimensions from the top as well as the diamond’s the length to width ratio. This will ensure that the shape you see is appealing. Bad proportions will affect the sparkle and brilliance of the Oval diamond. A good Oval brilliant cut diamond should have 56 facets. The facets sparkle outwards and are positioned so that when light comes through the facets it enhances the diamond’s brilliance.

Shape appeal is very important when choosing Oval diamonds because you may be looking for something that is similar to a round diamond with sparkle and fire but want the uniqueness of a fancy shape making the Oval shape diamond very appealing. Depending on your personal taste Oval diamonds can be too thin or too fat or just right.

As with Pear and Marquise shape diamonds, be aware that Oval shape diamonds can also suffer from the “Bow-Tie” effect: a dark spot or shadow in the diamond in the shape of a bow-tie. The better the cut of and Oval shape diamond the less the bow-tie effect.

The reason why a cutter will cut fancy shapes like an Oval diamond instead of a round diamond is to keep the maximum weight of the rough stone. Therefore the diamond will be bigger if cut as a fancy.

Fancy shape diamonds are generally less in price than round brilliant diamonds. But when trying to sort and source matching pairs or sets of Oval shapes or any kind of fancy shape it may add to the cost as sorting is a labour intensive procedure.

This is what an Oval Shape diamond looks like



If the Oval is not what you are looking for why not check out the Marquise shape or another diamond shape? 

About Buying Diamonds is a comprehensive guide explaining diamond characteristics like cut, colour, clarity & carat, as well as the different diamond shapes and types of diamonds. You can learn what to buy for your diamond jewellery needs such as diamond rings or diamond bracelets and how these grades will affect diamond prices. The process of buying diamonds online may be daunting to some, so throughout this site we offer advice and information on buying all types of diamonds including loose diamonds and wholesale diamonds and the reasons why you should always buy certified diamonds.