Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? Oval halo’s that is. A sparkling, elongated oval cut diamond surrounded by glittering pave set accent stones to add to the glamour of this classy cut. It’s easy to get swept away in the elegance of it all, but oval cut diamonds can be finicky - there are things you need to look for to find the perfect one. Let’s dive into what qualifies a good oval and what makes this such a wonderful combo.
What makes an oval a good choice?
Ovals cut diamonds are a perfect finger contouring accessory. They make thicker fingers look slender, and shorter fingers look longer - no matter your finger length or width, they are totally flattering to all. One of the tricky things about ovals - we’ll go into more detail in a second - is that the length to width ratio (how tall/short/skinny/fat the diamond is) is really in the eye of the beholder. There are no strict predetermined dimensions, so you can find ovals in many shapes and sizes - just like fingers, no two are the same, so you can find a perfect match to your finger shape. While normally this can cause problems in finding a good cut oval, this is actually a helpful benefit to finding one that fits you just right.
Goldilocks Ovals
There is a saying about oval cut diamonds, that they are like the goldilocks story - this one is too tall, this one is too fat, but this one is juuuuust right! You can find ovals in almost any shape and size - ranging from tall and skinny, more reminiscent of a marquise diamond, or short and fat more similar to a cushion cut and everything in between.
What does the halo add to the cut?
Halo’s are a fantastic way to make a smaller diamond look larger - by adding the ring of pave set stones it can make a ⅓ ct carat look like a ½ - ¾ carat depending on the size of the accent diamonds. They can also help a lower quality diamond look better by distracting the eye away from inclusions (the dark specs internally) and focusing on the glittery goodness of the halo stones.
What to look for in an oval
The way an oval diamond is cut can sometimes create something called the bow-tie effect. This is when there is less reflection due to where the facets are placed, and create a shadow that looks like two triangles pointy ends together like a bow tie! While normally this accessory creates a very debonair look, on an oval diamond it is not what you want to be staring at in the middle of your beautiful diamond. The halo may be a little distracting, but an obvious bow tie is going to throw the whole look off in this case.
Setting colors
An oval halo diamond ring has so many iconic qualities to it - the whole thing glitters and the beautiful facet pattern on the oval is the perfect combination. Any color setting will realistically look marvelous for this ring, using a colored gold can sometimes make the halo pop even more. Using a white gold or platinum will help blend all the diamonds together, creating sparkle that doesn’t seem to have an origin. Setting the ring in a colored gold however, can help separate each of the halo diamonds and make it look even more astounding. It’s really personal preference, and no matter what color you choose, you really can’t go wrong with an oval cut halo diamond ring!
