Are you confused between buying an oval and a round diamond? Has the elongated shape of the oval diamond captivated you? Or has the unmistakable flash of a round diamond left you stunned? Well, whatever is the case, we have crafted this article to make up your mind about which of the two might be best for you! By the end of this article, you will have clarity on your decision to walk through the end of this article with us!

A Comparison Chart for Oval and Round Diamonds:

Feature	Oval	Round
Sparkle	The oval diamond, just like the round diamond, falls into the category of brilliant-cut diamonds; these diamonds are designed to maximize the gemstone’s brilliance!   It has around 57 facets.     However, the GIA hasn’t awarded the ‘Excellent’ grade to these oval diamonds because it isn’t symmetrical and doesn’t return (flashes back) maximum light possible that comes in contact with it.	This shape makes the gemstone’s most stunning fire and scintillations sparkle, mainly because of its 70 faceted structure and concentrated shape.   They were originally made to unleash a diamond’s full potential and make it flash as much light as possible!     The GIA grades the diamond according to its depth percentages and pavilion angles. The round diamond is awarded an ‘Excellent’ grade because it returns (flashes back) the most amount of light thrown on it.   Moreover, the round diamond is not cut too deep or shallow; it is cut in the perfect way possible to reflect the most amount of light!
Imperfections	The oval diamond is one of the perfect candidates to fall into the category of diamonds that mask the imperfections and blemishes of a diamond.Unfortunately, the oval diamonds have a specific imperfection that does not seem to dissociate with it; and that is the infamous ‘bowtie’ effect. The ‘bowtie’ effect has severely deteriorated an oval diamond’s value because it casts a particular shadowy effect in the middle of the gemstone, apparently in the shape of a bowtie. This effect doesn’t have a fixed size or severity; however, you must carefully analyze the oval diamond before purchasing it. But there are many oval diamonds available with the minimum shadowy bowtie effect, and they look stunning! However, if you are someone who can easily ignore the bowtie effect and admire the beauty of the diamond itself, then the bowtie shouldn’t matter a lot to you.	The round diamond is free of imperfections and is perfect for hiding inclusions and imperfections!
Size	Oval diamonds are beneficial in this case, as they have an elongated shape and are heavyweight towards the center. Both factors make it appear larger than a round diamond having the same weight! The oval diamonds look about 10% bigger than round diamonds with the same carats weight. Moreover, these elongated diamonds have smaller width but a larger length, which is enough to make them appear a bit bigger.	These brilliant-cut diamonds look about 10% smaller than oval diamonds having they same weight as the round diamonds.
Versatility	Despite being ‘oval,’ the oval diamonds come in a variety of oval shapes. Meaning these will have different lengths and widths.  The oval diamonds’ length-to-width ratios can vary between 1.28 and 1.70.Thin and long oval diamonds will have a length-to-width ratio of about 1.5, whereas the heavier, rounded oval diamonds will have the same ratio of about 1.2 to 1.3. So, you have a variety of shapes, and you can choose the oval diamond depending on how ‘oval’ you prefer your diamond to be.	All the round diamonds will have a similar shape. There can’t be many variations in the roundness of a diamond. However, these diamonds come in different carat weights.
Rarity	The oval diamonds are a high rarity compared to round diamonds, specifically because of less demand. That is also because the oval diamonds come in a plethora of different shapes (long and thin, short and thick), so it isn’t easy to find the perfect shape that you desire!	On the other hand, diamonds with this cut are abundantly available globally. So, you don’t have to worry about these timeless, gorgeous gemstones running out of stock any soon!
Finally, The Price!	These timeless beauties are cheaper, mainly because of lower demand than their counterparts: the round diamonds. In a side-by-side comparison with the round cut diamonds, these oval diamonds are about 10 to 20% cheaper than the round ones.	Because of their stunning sparkle and captivating brilliance, these are high in demand and therefore cost more than oval diamonds. Moreover, designers face difficulty in making the diamonds of this cut. Also, a lot of diamond is wasted during the making of this design.
Color	These are about two grades lower than round diamonds. An oval diamond with the color G will somewhat look like a round diamond that has H or I color. The yellow/pinkish tint is more visible in these diamonds, so they need a color grade of a higher level to ensure they appear white.	A round diamond with the color H or I will somewhat look like an oval diamond with G color.Since these diamonds have an unmatched brilliance and perfect scintillations, these are white and hence great at hiding inclusions and blemishes of the stone.

Conclusion: What to Get for An Engagement Ring?

Short answer: you should get what looks good to you, not what others say about it. But we will list down some features that will summarize what round and oval diamond shapes are, and then you can choose for yourself!

So, a round diamond is relatively expensive but has the most stunning sparkle of all. It comes in a traditional style yet looks very pleasing to the eye! You can go for it if you want a brilliant shine and have a heavy budget!

Whereas you can opt for an oval diamond if you want a timeless engagement ring at a reasonable price! However, you will have to compromise on the sparkle (it will still be brilliant, just not as much the sparkle of a round diamond.)

FAQs on Round and Oval Diamonds

Q) Which of the two sparkles more?

Ans. Generally, a round cut diamond will flash more light than an oval-shaped diamond if both have similar cut, color, and clarity. However, the oval diamond might sparkle more because of its higher grade in some cases. 

Q) Why are oval diamonds less expensive than round ones?

Ans. Yes, you can get oval-shaped diamonds for a cheaper price, and the best part is that these seem to be bigger than round diamonds because of their long dimensions and weight distribution of the stone!

Q) How do you turn an oval diamond into a round diamond?

Ans. You cannot turn an oval diamond into around one. However, you can make an oval-shaped diamond shine brilliantly like a round diamond.

Q) How much does a 2-carat oval diamond cost?

Ans. An oval diamond will cost you around $5000 to $60,000; however, many factors influence a diamond’s price, such as its color, cut, quality, and shape.

Q) What is the best setting for an oval-shaped diamond?

Ans. The best setting for an oval diamond is “prong,” a classic setting that unleashes its potential and allows it to sparkle brightly! When a diamond is exposed to light in this setting, plenty of light comes in contact with the gemstone, which flashes the light brilliantly.

Q) What are the advantages and disadvantages of oval cut diamonds?

Ans. Millions love the classic and timeless oval diamond because of its brilliant-cut and elongated shape. This diamond is a pro at hiding the color and flaws of a diamond. Moreover, these are affordable. However, their symmetry can be a bit off!

Q) Should I get a round or an oval-shaped engagement ring?

Ans. A round diamond engagement ring would be the best you can get! There is a solid reason for that: the oval diamond has a bow tie, which causes darkness to appear in the middle of the diamond and dulls the diamond’s brilliance!

Q) What is the size difference between oval and round diamonds?

Ans. If both oval and round diamonds weigh the same, the oval diamonds tend to look 10% bigger than the round ones!

Q) What is a good depth for an oval diamond?

Ans. The depth of a diamond is measured by calculating the distance between the table and culet (side view measurements are taken). The depth Is measured in millimeters. An excellent depth for an oval diamond is around 58 to 62 mm, while a good depth is around 53 to 56 mm.