Oval cut diamonds are the favorite of many people for their unique, elegant, and sparkling characteristics. If you are in search of an engagement ring, and are considering buying an oval cut diamond, below are some of the important things about these diamonds that will help to stay strong on your choice.
Oval Diamonds Appear Larger
When we think of diamond size, we usually envision the top surface of the diamond. If you replace the round diamond with an oval one with the same carat weight, the top surface of the diamond will appear larger. That is because oval cut diamonds have a large surface area when compared to round cut diamonds, even when they are of the same weight.
In fact, an average 1 carat oval diamond will have about ten percent more surface area when compared to an average 1 carat round diamond, meaning that you can get a diamond that looks bigger at a low price.
Oval Diamonds Can Make Fingers Look Slender
As the oval cut diamonds are elongated in shape, they can give the illusion of long and slender fingers. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your choice. If you are looking for a diamond ring that can give the illusion of elongated fingers, then oval diamond ring can be your best bet. Besides, they look appealing in all settings to offer the illusion of a bigger stone.
Length-to-Width Ratio
The length-to-width ratio of oval diamonds will help you to understand how wide or narrow the diamond is. A higher length-to-width ratio means that the diamond is skinnier and longer, whereas, a lower length-to-width ratio will mean that the diamond is more circular.
A round diamond will have a length-to-width ratio of 1. At the same time, most of the buyers prefer oval cut diamonds with length-to-width ratio ranging from 1.3 to 1.7. However, experts say that the ideal range is between 1.4 and 1.6.
Oval Diamonds are More Sparkly
An oval diamond is cut the same way as round diamonds. Therefore, these diamonds are very close to the brilliance of round diamonds. Oval cut engagement rings can be the best bet for a person, who is looking to have the brilliance of round diamonds, but wishes to have a diamond that is more unique.
While shopping for oval diamonds, you need to understand that they are not graded by GIA for cut. So if you wish to buy one of those beautiful oval engagement rings, you need to ensure that your jeweler understands the oval diamond cut specifications and explains that to you. Besides, you also need to find an expert who can do a visual inspection of the diamond before you buy it.
Never Pay More for Oval Diamonds
It is true that oval diamonds are rarer than princess cut and round cut diamonds. However, they are also in less demand. This means that you will never have to stretch your budget while shopping for oval diamonds. You will be able to easily find good oval cut engagement rings that fall within your budget in the gems and jewelry market.
Oval Diamonds Can Have Bow Tie Effect
Most of the oval diamonds will have bow tie effect. This happens when light does not bounce back in the middle part of the diamond due to the way it is cut. The diamond cutters agree that the bow tie effect is the part of the beauty of oval diamonds; however, it will be good if the bow tie effect is not too severe.
Note that as the bow tie effect is not taken into consideration while grading a diamond, it will not be stated in the diamond certificate. The only way by which you can gauge the severity of the bow tie effect is by visual inspection. A small bow tie might add to the beauty of the diamond and inspecting the diamond in a contrasting back background can make the bow tie easy to see.
Oval Cut for Other Gemstones
The oval shape is available in gemstones like sapphire and moissanite as well. You might have noticed that Kate Middleton’s engagement ring was a beautiful oval sapphire, which was originally Princess Diana’s engagement ring. As per the experts, oval sapphire and oval moissanite can be affordable than oval diamonds.
Above listed are some of the important things that you need to keep in mind while shopping for oval cut engagement rings. Always make sure that the jeweler performs a visual inspection of the oval diamond that you have chosen to ensure that the diamond does not have any readily visible flaws. When ordering online, you can ask the jeweler about the details of the bow tie effect and the clarity of the diamond and analyze them with the help of 40x magnification as well.