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Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off
Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off
Oval Cut Shaped Engagement Ring

Tips for buying the best oval cut diamond

“We had our hearts set on a Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, but the prices seem kind of high for what we want in terms of carat weight, color, and clarity, so a friend suggested that we consider oval cut diamonds, which apparently cost less. Do you have any tips for buying the best oval cut diamond from Brian Gavin? And will an oval cut diamond provide the same light performance as a round ideal cut diamond? Looking for 1ct+ with a budget of 8 – 10k and want the diamond to be bright and white.”

Oval cut diamonds vs. Round brilliant cut diamonds:

choosing-the-best-oval-cut-diamond-brian-gavinOval cut diamonds are a popular choice because they are less expensive than round brilliant ideal cut diamonds, like those featured in the Brian Gavin Signature round diamond collection, however they will not provide a comparable degree of light performance, even when cut extremely well, because the facet structure of the diamond is not symmetrical, and they are rarely optimized to deliver maximum visual performance.

Brian Gavin does offer access to a select group of oval cut diamonds that are produced by suppliers that we have a working relationship with, however these diamonds are not Brian Gavin Signature diamonds, and are not produced to the same strict standards as our Brian Gavin Signature round, princess, and cushion cut diamonds.

The reality is that the diamond rough that Brian Gavin uses to produce his signature round diamonds is symmetrical in shape, and it costs more than the irregular shaped diamond rough that is used to produce fancy shape diamonds, he uses the same symmetrical shaped diamond rough to produce his signature cushion cut diamonds, which is why they tend to cost more than standard cushion cut diamonds, but the end result is worth it in terms of light performance and the sparkle factor.

Unlike a round brilliant cut diamond, an oval cut diamond will always exhibit some sort of a bowtie pattern in the middle of the diamond, this is the result of the length of the lower girdle facets being different in the middle of the diamond where they extend out to the sides, than they are in the longer sections that extend out into the tips.

While some oval cut diamonds exhibit lighter bowtie patterns, and others exhibit darker bowtie patterns, a bowtie pattern of some sort will always be a factor. And the distribution of light return and sparkle will never be consistent throughout an oval cut diamond, due to the differences in the facet structure, so it is not reasonable to expect an oval cut diamond to deliver the same light performance as a round brilliant cut diamond.

If you’re really looking for the light performance and sparkle factor of a round brilliant cut diamond, then I’d recommend that you don’t sell yourself short, and go with something like this 1.021 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond with strong blue fluorescence. The blue fluorescence provides you with a bit of a discount, so you can stay on target in terms of your budget, and Brian’s dedication to three dimensional optical precision, combined with proportions that are within the center range of the spectrum designated for the zero ideal cut rating, and the brightness of the diamond indicated by the ASET image on the AGS Ideal-0 diamond quality document issued by the AGSL, ensures that this diamond is going to be an absolute fire cracker! And I can assure you that it is, because I pulled it from the vault and checked it out…

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