Shape

Shape is very important when evaluating an oval diamond. There is a wide range of possible shapes from a slightly more rounded oval to a very skinny and long oval; this is designated by a length to width ratio. At deBebians, we recommend a length to width for an oval to be 1:3-1:4. Anything smaller will look like an ‘out of round’ round brilliant and anything longer can begin to look very long and skinny like a marquise. Shape is also a great indicator of the “bow-tie” shadow that is common in oval diamonds. The “bow tie” is a shadow that can be seen in the belly of the stone that is literally in the shape of a bow tie. Oval diamonds with a slim depth percentage in the low 60’s and have a length to width ratio around 1:3-1:4 have minimal loss of light and will have a minimal bow tie. The more extreme the proportions, the larger and darker you can expect the shadow to be.