Oval Cut Diamond

What is Oval Cut Diamond?

The oval brilliant cut diamond is strongly admired among the jewellery industry with its soft, elegant shape consistently ranking as one of the most popular fancy cut diamonds. The elongated round brilliant cut has a large surface area which provides exceptional value for money while producing incredible optical brilliance.

History

In the late 1950’s, infamous diamond cutter Lazare Kaplan perfected the oval cut diamond. Kaplan was born into a family of jewellers and spent his childhood learning from some of the most talented and renowned diamond cutters in the world. He paired his years of practice with his natural talent for seeing the beauty in every diamond rough. Through this, Kaplan was able to perfect his cutting technique to create the oval cut diamond we know and love today.

His skills were so extraordinary that he was recognised by the Gemological Institute of America where he was awarded with the Hall of Fame Award for Jewellery Leadership and dubbed one of the best diamond cutters in the world.

The oval brilliant cut trend really began when the all-influential Princess Diana’s engagement to Prince Charles was announced in 1981. Her iconic oval blue sapphire engagement ring is still held in great regard to this day and is the inspiration for many brides-to-be!

Features

This illustration shows the different views of an oval cut diamond.

The oval brilliant cut diamond is designed to mimic the light performance of a round brilliant cut diamond while yielding an elongated shape. Its large surface area alters the overall look of the wearer and gives the illusion of a slimmer hand.

The length to width ratio of your oval diamond will help you visualise the diamond's shape. The most common ratio sits in the range of 1.35 to 1.50. Below 1.35 will appear wide and broad while a ratio over 1.50 will appear very slim and elongated. The ideal ratio changes with the personal preference of each wearer however the most popular ratio is approximately 1:1.35 to 1:1.5. The ratio can change so drastically that this factor will also contribute greatly to the diamond's value.

This illustration demonstrates the different ratio of oval cut diamonds.

The length to width ratio goes hand in hand with the diamond's symmetry grading as both will affect the diamond's silhouette. A high symmetry grading is imperative to ensure the halves of your diamond are as close to a mirror image as possible. You can visualise this by drawing an imaginary line from the head of the diamond to the end.

In all elongated shapes, you can experience a bowtie effect which is caused by an imperfect diamond cut and low light performance. This is avoidable by ensuring your diamond's craftsmanship is of the highest quality.

An oval cut diamond maximises the diamond rough and reduces rough wastage, in turn, offering excellent value for money. For this reason, the oval cut is also incredibly popular among coloured gemstones.

Conclusion

When selecting an engagement ring, it is important to consider the craftsmanship of not only the ring but the diamond itself. This can make a considerable difference in the light performance and quality of the diamond regardless of the 4 C’s gradings.

At Janai, we will take the utmost care to provide you the knowledge to confidently select a diamond with premium craftsmanship, but also the promise of flawless aftercare service including lifetime complimentary cleaning and inspection.

Book your appointment today to begin Your Janai Journey.