Today's diamond tutorial gives us a closer look at a client favorite - oval diamonds! More than any other diamond shape, the proportions and cut of this stone are of crucial importance and must be taken into consideration when purchasing your center-stone.
Watch along with this video and read below as we break it down for you:
The first segment shows a line-up of three 1.7 carat oval cut diamonds. The diamond shown in the middle is from our own inventory, while the two featured on either side were selected strictly for comparison purposes.
Let's start with the diamond on the left, which is a “shorter”, heavier diamond that looks much smaller than what its carat weight would suggest. For each oval carat weight increment, we have targeted millimeter lengths & widths that optimize on surface area and brilliance, and this one falls way below the acceptable measurements. At only 8.6mm long, it will not provide the type of finger coverage you would expect from an oval diamond this size.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the "too tall" stone on the right, which has an attractive-seeming length but is cut too narrow, resulting in a "toothpick-like" appearance. It distributes too much weight in the length due to the narrow cut, so does not depict an ideal oval look. While the 10mm length is great, the width falls short of what you need to have a well-rounded oval stone. If you were shopping for oval diamonds and ignored the measurements on either of these two stones, you may end up very disappointed!
The second segment showcases a premium oval diamond that has length & width measurements that translate to a large looking and well-cut stone with soft edges. Note the ratio of this diamond (length divided by width) which is at 1.4:1 and falls within an acceptable range for ovals (which is anywhere from 1.35:1 for a wider look and 1.48:1 for a longer appearance). These are the sort of diamonds we select for our inventory and we would never present something like the two inferior examples above!
Navigating the diamond market can be tricky at times, but at Lauren B. we will guide you step by step in the selection process using our expertise to find you the perfect stone!
To see more oval diamonds and figure out the best option for you, submit a loose stone request here!
To view more sample oval diamond video comparisons, click here!
