Oval

The oval cut is an elongated brilliant, using much the same facet arrangement as a round but stretched. That elongation does two useful things. It makes the stone look larger than a round of the same carat weight, typically by around ten per cent in apparent size, and it lengthens the appearance of the finger.This collection includes Chelsea, Franklin, Monza, Petra and the Rihanna oval diamond wedding band.Ovals are worth choosing carefully. The ratio of length to width determines the whole character of the stone, and most people prefer somewhere between 1.35 and 1.50 to 1. Narrower reads as thin, wider starts to look like a poorly cut round. There is no cut grade for oval on a certificate, so this is a judgement made by eye.The other thing to look for is the bow tie, a dark band across the centre of the stone caused by the way light behaves in an elongated cut. Every oval has one to some degree. In a well cut stone it is barely noticeable, in a poor one it dominates. It does not appear on any certificate, which is the best argument there is for seeing an oval in person before buying it.Our diamond shapes guide covers ratios and bow ties in more detail, and you are welcome to book an appointment to compare stones side by side in Hatton Garden.