oval vs round ring

Oval Vs. Round Diamond – What’s the Difference?

It is essential to understand the differences between an oval and a round diamond, even though they are subtle. While the round diamond is more brilliant, an elongated oval diamond can be just as stunning as a larger diamond in its own right. An oval can be more symmetrical like a rectangle, with elegantly rounded edges and excellent symmetry. Even though an oval diamond is less expensive than a round diamond, it will appear more significant than a round diamond. When purchasing an elongated diamond, you’ll be able to see any inclusions more clearly, making it easier to choose the perfect diamond for you.

Another distinction between an oval diamond and a round diamond is the form of the diamond. While an elongated diamond has a greater length than a round diamond, a rounded diamond has a greater width than a round diamond. The same is true for diamonds in the shape of a pear or a marquise. Having a horizontal line running through the middle of the diamond makes the third form of elongated diamond appear unappealing. Fortunately, this particular shape is not too frequent.

round vs oval ring

Oval Vs. Round Diamond

The shape is the most evident distinction between a round and an oval diamond. However, there is more to consider than simply the form since a change in shape and cut can bring about differences in other elements of the diamond, such as brilliance, flaws, size, and even price.

As a result, we’ll base our round versus oval diamond comparison on the following:

Style

Diamonds in the round and oval shapes have been around since the 17th century. The modern round and brilliant oval forms that we all know and adore today, on the other hand, are 20th-century creations.

Marcel Tolkowsky invented the brilliant round diamond in 1919, while Lazare Kaplan invented the modified brilliant oval diamond in 1957.

Round, brilliant, and oval-shaped diamonds were instant classics from the beginning. They both have a classic aesthetic that is always in style, and the round and oval diamonds will never go out of fashion.

If we were to distinguish between the two “styles,” we’d say the round brilliant is more traditional, classic, and standard, while the oval is classic yet unique.

So, if you’re looking for a diamond that’s entirely conventional, gorgeous, and can’t go wrong, a round brilliant is the way to go. It is the industry standard and the iconic diamond form. On the other hand, the oval diamond is a perfect choice if you want a more unusual diamond while being unquestionably classic and refined. Even though the oval diamond has a distinct appearance, it is far more subtle and flexible than other fancy diamond shapes like marquise and heart.

Sparkle

The round cut diamond is the most brilliant diamond for sparkle, also known as brilliance. This is due to the concentrated shape of brilliant round diamonds and how they are faceted. You’ll get the most fire, brilliance, and scintillation with round brilliants.

Even though brilliant round diamonds have the most radiance, oval diamonds have a lot of radiance. It is, after all, a beautiful cut diamond.

Brilliant cut diamonds, also known as modified brilliants, are brilliant round diamonds with a modified shape and a similar faceting procedure (many small facets). The only difference in the degree of sparkle is due to the shape and symmetry. The diamond’s light performance is influenced by its shape and depth, and it isn’t just about the facets.

The oval diamond is one of the most brilliant cuts among brilliant diamonds. The shape and design enhance fire, brilliance, and scintillation. Overall, both round and oval diamonds will glitter beautifully, but a round brilliant is recommended if you want the most sparkle.

Imperfections

When it comes to the 4Cs, When comparing round vs. oval diamonds, specific flaws in the 4Cs must be taken into account.

Color flaws are less visible in brilliant round diamonds than in oval diamonds. This means that you can get away with a lesser color grade in a round diamond than in an oval diamond. This is because oval diamonds are shallower. As a result, while round brilliants are more expensive, you won’t need to go for such a high color grade. If you desire a colorless diamond for the human eye, you should pay greater attention to the color grade of an oval diamond.

Another factor to think about is the bow-tie effect. A bow-tie effect is a black spot in the middle of a stone that does not reflect light. A bow tie will never appear on a brilliant round diamond, whether poorly cut. On the other hand, Oval diamonds can have a bow-tie effect because of their extended shape, so keep that in mind.

A brilliant round diamond has a higher clarity rating than an oval diamond when it comes to clarity. Inclusions and imperfections are hidden better in oval diamonds than in brilliant round diamonds, especially near the sides of the stone.

Cut and clarity are the most significant factors in brilliant round diamonds, whereas cut (symmetrical and polish) and color are the most important in oval diamonds.

Size

Carat weight is the measurement of a diamond’s size. Round and oval diamonds are available in a wide range of carat weights.

You have dimensions in addition to carat weight. The proportions of a diamond can affect how huge it appears and how well it performs in light.

The table size and depth are the two most crucial factors to consider.

  • The optimal table percentage is 54-57 percent for around brilliance, and the ideal depth percentage is 59-63 percent.
  • An oval diamond’s optimal table percentage is 53-63 percent, while its ideal depth percentage is less than 68 percent.
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If you buy a diamond in this price range, you’ll get the best of all worlds: sparkle and size.

Shape

When we talk about shape, we’re talking about more than simply the obvious: round diamonds are round, and oval diamonds are oval.

Round diamonds, on the other hand, will always be precisely round. After all, the shape of a circle is always the same. Ovals come in various shapes: flat, wide, long, and slim. Oval diamonds come in various shapes, much like the form itself.

As a result, while purchasing a round diamond, you only need to consider the table and depth %. When purchasing an oval diamond, though, you must examine its shape.

The length-to-width ratio usually falls between 1.30 and 1.66. This opens up a lot of possibilities for you. The traditional ratio will be between 1.45 and 1.50. However, there is no right or wrong answer; you are free to choose the oval shape. Some people like longer ovals that elongate their fingers, while others prefer a broader oval that resembles a round brilliant. The choice is yours; it’s all a matter of personal preference, which adds to the uniqueness of oval diamonds.

Popularity & Rarity

Round brilliant diamonds are significantly more popular than princess cut diamonds, and this is how the industry has made it. One oval diamond is found for every 25 round brilliant diamond. Said, round brilliants are generated in larger quantities. As a result, oval diamonds are becoming increasingly rare.

Oval diamonds continue to be a popular choice compared to other diamond shapes. The oval diamond has been one of the most popular choices. Round, cushion, and oval are the current standings. Any of these choices will be deemed both fashionable and timeless. They’re all timeless favorites, with the round brilliant taking the lead.

Versatility & Setting Choices

Diamonds, both round and oval, have a variety of potentials. They can be used in any jewelry, though the round brilliant is more adaptable because it can easily be used as an accent diamond.

Oval and round brilliants look great in every engagement ring setting, including solitaire, halo, and three-stone designs.

Due to the lack of sharp edges or corners, oval and round brilliant diamonds are significantly more challenging to chip or destroy. This means your ring setting won’t need any additional protection, enabling more of the diamond to shine through.

Price

The 4Cs are the most important factors to consider regarding price. However, when comparing equivalent grade round vs. oval diamonds, oval diamonds are typically 20-30% less expensive than round brilliants.

The cost of round brilliants is higher for two reasons. For starters, round brilliants are in higher demand. Second, and most importantly, there is more diamond rough waste when cutting a brilliant round diamond.

Overall, the brilliant round diamond is the most expensive diamond shape. However, the 4Cs must be considered because a high-grade oval diamond might cost much more than a low-grade round diamond.

The Advantages Of The Oval Cut

Because these two cuts are so similar, why would you choose an oval diamond for an engagement ring? The following are the most critical considerations:

  • Oval cuts are also cheaper than round cuts, which is a bonus. It is possible to detect a significant price difference between the price of a round cut diamond like this one and the price of an oval cut diamond like this comparable stone. The difference can be as much as a four-digit number.
  • The following are the three primary causes behind this: 1) Because the demand for oval diamonds is lower, jewelers can charge higher prices to entice buyers; 2) the demand for round diamonds is much higher, and as a result, prices for round diamonds are much higher; and 3) cutting a diamond into a perfectly round shape typically results in a large amount of rough diamond waste, which increases the cost of production. The majority of other cuts, including the oval cut, are more cost-effective to manufacture.
  • Another advantage of oval cuts over round cuts is that they have a higher surface area per carat weight when compared to their round counterparts. However, the precise cut of each diamond determines the table size, and on average, oval cuts have a ten percent larger table than round cuts. Moreover, to the human eye, they appear considerably more significant than that because when people subconsciously estimate the size of an oval diamond, they instinctively glance at the length of the diamond rather than its width to determine its size. This can allow you to save even more money on an oval diamond because you can choose a little lighter stone that will appear to be as large as a heavier round-cut, allowing you to save even more money.
  • Oval diamonds can be cut into various shapes, but round diamonds are always precisely round. This provides you with a considerably greater variety of options for selecting a setting and ring design.

The Advantages Of The Round Cut

The round cut is, of course, at the top of the popularity list for a variety of reasons:

  • Round cut diamonds are the traditional choice for engagement rings; they are what most people envision when they think of an engagement ring. They are what most people anticipate seeing on the finger of a newly engaged woman.
  • Because of its optimal shape for maximizing brilliance and fire, the round cut is the most dazzling and will likely remain at the top for a long time.
  • Because the round cut is so popular, any jeweler you visit, whether online or in-person, will undoubtedly have a large selection of round cut diamonds in all sizes, hues, clarity grades, and pricing ranges. This may be a slight advantage, but when a site or store offers tens of thousands of round-cut diamonds and only a few thousand oval cut diamonds, all with various shapes and unique qualities that further dilute the overall pool, choosing a round cut diamond becomes much more accessible.
  • Unlike oval and many other cuts, Round cut diamonds receive a cut grade from the GIA or other grading labs in their grading reports. This is significant because it allows you to properly analyze the cut quality of each stone and adjust for any potential issues.

Are Oval Diamonds Too Trendy?

Many aspects impact whether or not an engagement ring is fashionable, but the form of the diamond isn’t one of those considerations. Although famous, the solid oval form of a ring is not what distinguishes it as fashionable; instead, it is the setting in which it is put and the color of gold or platinum in which it is set. Depending on the setting, a round-cut diamond ring can be just as fashionable as an oval-cut diamond ring. For example, delicately formed baskets and colored stones can make a ring feel more reminiscent of a specific period and give it a vintage or trendy appearance when worn with other jewelry.

While round diamonds have long been a classic choice, oval diamonds are becoming increasingly popular in the timeless diamond market. Even though oval diamonds are more contemporary, they nevertheless have the same romantic soft edges and eternally brilliant nature as round diamonds, and they aren’t going away anytime soon.

Which Style Suits You Best?

A round or oval engagement ring is a classic choice that never goes out of style. In both cases, diamond shapes will stay fashionable for the foreseeable future; both will dazzle brilliantly and have elegantly rounded edges flattering on any finger. Because of the rounded corners on each shape, they are also highly sturdy, and this implies that the diamond will be less susceptible to snags, cracks, and breaks, allowing it to last for your marriage.

The choice of diamond form is entirely up to you and is determined by your personal preferences and your budget. If you are a more traditional bride with a larger budget, a round diamond may be the best choice. On the other hand, an oval diamond may be the ideal choice if you seek a more elegant or unique style. While we hope we have assisted you in narrowing your options, you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Visit us to explore which kinds of oval cut engagement rings and round cut engagement rings grab your eye and capture your heart.

Do Oval Or Round Diamonds Appear To Be Larger?

After considering the price variations between round and oval diamonds, you may find yourself leaning toward an oval engagement ring more and more intensely. Oval diamonds are cheaper than round diamonds of the same carat weight, but they can also appear more prominent than round diamonds. This is due to the elongated shape of the stone and the uneven weight distribution of the stone. For example, a 1.86-carat oval diamond may appear as large as a 2-carat round diamond when viewed side by side. Because of the size of the stone and the stone itself, you may be able to save even more money.

Are Oval Diamonds More Expensive Than Round Diamonds?

The 4Cs (color, cut, clarity, and carat weight) are significantly more critical in determining its price than its shape. The more precious the diamond, the clearer the color, the higher the clarity grade, the greater the carat weight, or the better the cut is, the more expensive the diamond is to purchase.

If you compare the same color, clarity, carat weight, and cut of an oval and a round diamond, you may accurately compare the oval versus round diamond price. Round diamonds tend to be more expensive than oval diamonds in terms of the purchase price. Because of the tremendous demand for this traditional form and the quantity of the original stone that is wasted in the process of creating it, round-cut diamonds are among the most expensive diamond shapes available.

Round diamonds have an excellent ability to conceal color, so you may be able to get away with a lower color grade to optimize value. Because of their shallower cut, oval diamonds, on the other hand, tend to reveal more color, necessitating a higher color grade for them.

In a similar vein, oval diamonds tend to appear larger than they are, so you may be able to reduce the carat weight to increase the value of the diamond. If you approach finding an engagement ring in this manner, you can work with varying degrees of the 4Cs to find one that fits your budget.

Conclusion

Diamonds cut in the shape of rounds and ovals are popular choices for engagement rings. Even though a round diamond is the most popular and sought-after shape, an oval diamond is generally considered the industry standard. Its symmetry and glitter are unrivaled, and it is the ideal stone for an engagement ring or any special occasion. In terms of diamond shapes, ovals are the most adaptable, as they can be utilized in virtually any setting. To surprise your loved one with an oval-cut stone is a lovely way to express your affection.

Generally speaking, an oval diamond is less expensive than a round diamond. While its shape is more visually appealing, it also has more aspects than a spherical one. Furthermore, it is more likely to be symmetrical and to have a higher contrast ratio than other images. Aside from the cost, another consideration is the shape of the item. An oval diamond will be easier to work with than a round diamond, and the form of an oval is an excellent illustration of this.