Oval

If round stones aren’t your jam, you should seriously check out oval diamonds. Like a good pair of jeans, oval stones are one of those things you might need to try on to truly appreciate. The oval stone shares many characteristics of the round stone, but there’s just something unique about each oval. Oval stones can be thought of as “stretched” round stones, so this provides more room for beautiful variations. Some are more elongated than others (different length to width ratios), some are thicker (deeper) or thinner (shallower). Tweaking each of these things can ultimately impact how the stone will look.

(See Oval Diamonds on JamesAllen.com)

Before we move on, there is one thing to be on the lookout for when it comes to oval stones. Some oval stones exhibit the phenomenon known in the biz as “the bowtie effect”. This happens when there are two mini triangles in the middle of the stone that don’t reflect light like the rest of the stone. These triangles can be quite visible to the eye, so you should try to minimize this effect by choosing a stone with the ideal proportions and specs.

Basically, when a diamond is cut too deep (e.g. “taller” from looking at it from the side), you get this bowtie effect. On the other end, when the diamond is cut too shallow (“flatter” when looking at it from the side), your diamond will not sparkle as much as it should. As a result, you really need to find an oval stone that is a good middle ground between the two. One last thing to look for is how “long” the oval itself is. We recommend a length to width ratio (length/width) of 1.3 as this is again a perfect middle ground between the various options out there. You can go as high as 1.5 without bringing in the bowtie effect, but sticking as close to 1.3 as possible will assure you that it’s a safer bet. As always, we recommend sticking with a trusted jeweler who can advise you on what will look best.

Aim for:

Table width percentage between 53%-63%
Depth percentage between 57%-63%
Length to width ratio: 1.3-1.5

Like round and cushion stones, ovals reflect tons of beautiful white light which can help offset a more yellow stone (H or I ovals can look great if properly cut), and a stone with a clarity as low as SI1 or SI2 will often not be noticeable without magnification (just make sure it’s eye clean).

(See Oval Diamonds on JamesAllen.com)

See How Emerald Ring Styles Look In Real Life:

(See Oval Solitaire Ring Styles on JamesAllen .com)

(See Oval Halo Ring Styles on JamesAllen .com)

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