On the lookout for an oval cut diamond? No surprise there, these stunners are consistently in the top three for most popular diamond cuts. In todayâs market with most purchases done online, itâs important to know what youâre buying with as much accuracy as possible without seeing it in front of you. This guide will help you ensure the diamond you order is the size you thought itâd be. We will be talking in millimeters today, so letâs bust out the metric rulers and get started!
Measuring A Oval Cut Diamond
While estimating the size of your future oval brilliant, itâs probably self explanatory, but the length measurement correlates to the stone top to bottom. Meanwhile, the width is measured around the middle of the stone. Or to make things easier the larger measurement is the length and the smaller is width. Not every diamond is the same, so while the chart below helps you measure an ideally cut oval brilliant of varying carat weights, there may be a very slight difference in size. Although, when I say slight I mean 0.2 mm, so It wonât make any difference.
The Bow Tie Effect Doesnât Make You the Belle of the Ball
While looking for your perfect oval brilliant, be on the lookout for the âbowtie effectâ. Before you get too excited, no, itâs not as regal as it sounds. Ovals, marquise, and pear cuts are plagued with this phenomenon. Basically, a bow tie is a distracting shadow that can take away from the beauty of the stone if itâs prominent enough. The before mentioned cuts all have this feature to a degree, but you want to ensure the bow tie isnât distracting your eye from the stoneâs overall charm.
A Little Goes a Long Way
One feature that helps oval shaped diamonds stand above the rest is how itsâ apparent carat weight is higher than itsâ actual carat weight. Basically, because of an ovalâs subtly elongated shape, it tricks the eye into thinking the stone is bigger than it actually is. This is a great tidbit to keep in mind if you want the biggest stone you can get (So pretty much everyone).
If you have any questions or want any clarification on this chart, or anything really, you can type your query in the chat bubble on the screen to get in touch with the gemologist Rare Carat has at the ready around the clock. Now that you know what carat you're looking for it's time to start shopping!
