Our gemmologists have put together this easy to understand guide with a simple goal in mind, to help you work out what diamond shape is right for you. Unfortunately, there is a lot of false and misleading information online, this is due to companies wanting to push certain shapes. The reasons behind it can vary from trying to create new trends, get rid of slow-moving stock or bigger profit margins.
We have asked our gemmologists to keep an unbiased point of view and list the genuine good and bad reasons for each diamond shape.
ROUND BRILLIANT
We have decided to start with the round brilliant shape as it’s always been the most popular cut.
Pros:
- Sparkles the most out of all the shapes. This is because of the way the facets are cut in a round diamond it maximises back the reflection of light.
- A lot of stock is available to choose from, giving customers more options.
- Round diamonds are always in fashion. While all the other shapes come in and out of fashion every so many years.
- They are the best shape for solitaire style rings.
Cons:
- It’s the most expensive out of all the shapes ranges roughly 20-30% more than all the other shapes, the main reason is the wastage of rough diamond that is required when making a round cut. Another reason its due to having the highest demand.
OVAL
Pros:
- Oval shapes look almost the biggest to the eye out of all the shapes. The reason is because they are shallow and elongated making the spread of the diamond a lot bigger from the top. On average ovals look over 12-20% bigger than round diamonds.
- They are roughly 15-25% cheaper than round diamonds, due to less wastage from the rough diamond when it is cut.
- Great choice for getting a larger looking stone and cheaper than a round cut stone.
Cons:
- Due to the elongated shape, there are less facets in the middle of the diamond, this can cause a loss of sparkle in the middle of the diamond. We call it a “bow tie” effect when it becomes very noticeable.
Note: Some diamonds have it and some diamonds don’t.
- Tip: Stick to our “available in showroom” or “recommended” lab diamonds Spain list, our gemmologists have already hand-picked oval diamonds that do not have bow ties.
- Tip: Be wary of sites especially in the US that list cheap oval diamonds. Those diamonds are cheap for a reason, usually, they have large bow ties. They are often referred to as “reject” diamonds in the diamond industry.
- Tip: Oval diamonds are the second most stocked shape by Novita, providing you a great range to choose from. If what you are looking for it’s not in our current stock, contact us and one of our gemmologists will source it for you.