Oval Cut Diamond: Everything You Need To Know

Basics and Analysis

The oval diamond has brilliant facets, providing sparkle and brightness in an elongated shape that sets it apart from a round brilliant. 

PriceScope Pointers: Most laboratories issue NO CUT GRADE for shapes other than round: If the cut is described as “Ideal” or “Excellent” (etc.) it’s a seller’s description, not a laboratory judgment.

Before going on: Check out the PriceScope Diamond Buying Guide

Basics | Oval Cut Diamond Description

Among the various diamond shapes the oval cut diamond is one of the most popular, after the round brilliant. It is faceted in the brilliant style of cutting, closely resembling a round brilliant cut in performance qualities with an elegant, enlongated design. Often thought to make the hand and fingers look more slender, the oval cut diamond is also one of the earliest brilliant shapes developed.

The Fancy, Inconvenient Truth

The oval cut diamond is often cut to for heavier weight, at the expense of beauty. This is because many grading laboratories, including GIA, do not assess the optical performance of oval cut diamonds or other fancy shapes. With no standards enforced, manufacturers tend to plan for the highest yield possible.

Exceptions

The AGS and GCAL assess and grade the optical performance of certain fancy shapes. If you’re seeking cut quality affirmation, fancy shapes with performance deficits will not earn the highest marks from those top-tier laboratories.

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Analysis | Oval Cut Diamond Selection Tips

Bow Tie Caution

A bow tie is a dark area across the center width of the oval cut diamond resulting from a combination of cutting angles. While well-proportioned oval diamonds should have a minimal bow tie effect be sure to check for this deficit. Viewing a diamond spin-video or images under a variety of lighting conditions will help you identify this.

The oval diamond, marquise diamond, heart diamond, and pear shaped diamond all tend to have bow ties of varying degrees.

Length to Width Ratio:

A ratio of 1.30 to 1.50 works beautifully for the oval cut diamond, but this is subject to personal taste.

Other Notes:

An oval cut diamond may show color and inclusions more than other shapes.

The oval diamond generally look larger from the “face up” position than other shapes of the same carat weight.

An oval cut diamond typically costs less than equivalent round brilliants while remaining bright and lively.

Oval Cut Diamond Prices

PriceScope has been maintaining oval cut diamond prices chart since 2017 and you can visit oval cut diamond prices for the latest retail oval cut diamond price statistics.

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Last updated on: March 16, 2021