Because oval diamonds are cut in the same manner as round diamonds, they are one of the most brilliant and sparkly diamond shapes. Oval diamonds have other advantages too. They make the fingers look elongated, they look larger than other diamond shapes of the same carat weight, and they are less expensive than round diamonds. However, because the GIA does not grade an oval diamond for “cut”, it is important to fully understand the specifications of oval diamonds as well as understand two key features present in oval diamonds, the bow-tie effect and the length to width ratio.
The GIA does not grade oval diamonds, or other fancy shapes, for cut grade. If you see a cut grade associated with an oval diamond, it is a cut grade that the jeweler is assigning to the oval diamond themselves.
Because how well an oval diamond is cut is the most crucial factor in maximizing the beauty, you want to make sure you understand the ideal cut specifications. The table below serves as a general guideline for evaluating the cut of an oval diamond.
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Ideal/Excellent Cut (Most Sparkle)
Very Good Cut
Good Cut
Table %
53-63
51-52 or 64-66
50 or 67-68
Depth %
57.5 - 62.0
55.5-57.4 or 62.1-65
65.1-69.0
Girdle
Very Thin to Slightly Thick
Very Thin to Slightly Thick
Very Thin to Thick
Culet
None
Very Small
Small
Length to Width Ratio
1.30-1.50
1.25-1.29 or 1.51-1.55
1.20-1.24 or 1.56-1.65
The color grade of an oval diamond refers to how much color (or lack of a color) the diamond shows. Smaller oval stones hide color better than larger ovals do, so depending on the size of diamond you purchase, you may not need to buy a colorless (D-F) diamond even if you want your diamond to appear colorless. The chart below will help you decide on the color grade of oval diamond to purchase based on if you want a colorless diamond, a diamond with limited color, or a warmer diamond.
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The clarity grade of an oval diamond discloses how many and how severe the imperfections are on the diamond. It’s harder to see flaws on smaller oval diamonds than larger ones, so if you are buying a smaller stone you can get away with purchasing one with a lower clarity rating while keeping an eye-clean appearance. Also, because oval diamonds are cut like round diamonds are, in general all oval diamonds hide blemishes relatively well.
Evaluating clarity in oval diamonds is subjective and each consumer has their own standard for clarity. Some may be perfectly comfortable with inclusions as long as they cannot easily see it. Others may insist on a more technically flawless appearance. The clarity chart below provides general guidelines for picking a clarity rating for your oval diamond, based on your inclusion tolerance. Please note that the latter ratings in the “Clean to the Naked Eye” column assume that your jeweler will check to ensure it is actually eye-clean. For example, every time a customer purchases a diamond from us, we send a gemologist to check and make sure it is “eye-clean” and inform the customer if it isn’t. If you want an eye clean stone, make sure you ask your jeweler to do the same.
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Carat Weight
Clean Under 10X Magnification
Clean to the Naked Eye
Visible Blemishes Okay As Long As Not Very Obvious
< 0.5
FL-SI1
SI2
l1
0.75
FL-VS2
SI1-SI2
l1
1
FL-VS2
VS2-SI1
Sl2
1.5
FL-VS1
VS2-SI1
Sl2
2.0 +
FL-VS1
VS2-SI1
Sl2
All oval diamonds in our diamond search engine have the length to width listed. This ratio, which is simply the length divided by the width, determines how skinny or wide the oval diamond is. The larger the length to width ratio means the diamond is much longer than it is wide (a tall and skinny oval diamond). The smaller the length to width ratio means the length isn’t that much greater than it’s width (a wider and more rounded oval diamond). Our personal favorite range for oval diamonds is 1.35-1.50.
1.30
1.45
1.60
Below are hand picked oval diamonds by our gemologist and Krish, Do Amore’s founder and CEO who proposed with an oval diamond and is obsessed with them. All of these stones were hand picked overall beauty, quality, as well as value and bang for the buck! They are all ideally cut stones, with limited bow-tie, 100% eye clean, and offer great dimensions for the carat weight.
Oval diamonds pair well with many rings, however, their unique shape means they don’t flow well with every ring design. The below rings are our favorite oval diamond engagement rings that would be at the top of our list if purchasing an oval diamond. These oval engagement rings are available in all metals, including 14k white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, palladium, and platinum.
When looking for an oval cut diamond, make sure to always try to maximize measurements within your ideally cut diamond. For example, you can have a 1.0 carat oval diamond with the measurements 7.2 x 5.0 mm that is ideally cut. But there could also be a 0.98 carat oval diamond with measurements 7.3 x 5.2 mm that is just as ideally cut that is probably cheaper. If all else were equal, the second option may be a better option. All diamonds in our “hand selected” stone section above have had their dimensions reviewed to make sure they were being maximized within the ideal cut parameters.
01.
Photo & Video
Always ask the jeweler you are buying from for a detailed picture or video of the oval diamond, like this one.
02.
Inspect It
Ask the jeweler to have a gemologist pull the diamond and actually visually inspect it.
03.
Measure It
Make sure your diamond’s measurements are maximized within your carat size.
See our in-depth educational guides, which were made to give practical advice with every aspect of your ring.
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