Oval cut
An elongated round diamond, cut with brilliant-style facets.
How to read it
GIA describes the oval brilliant as the fire and brilliance of a round diamond in an elongated outline, which makes the stone look larger for its weight. Gems & Gemology notes that ovals vary in outline as well as length: long, narrow ovals close to a marquise are called “movals” in the trade, and squat, nearly round ones “rovals”.
Also searched as: oval brilliant, oval cut diamond, oval diamond.
Grades describe a stone as a grading laboratory saw it. This page explains the grading scales; it doesn’t grade or value any stone.
The bow tie
Like the pear and marquise, an oval can show a dark bow-tie pattern across its middle. Gems & Gemology found that buyers and cutters disagree about how much of one is acceptable.
More diamond grading
Sources
- Guide to Diamond Engagement Ring Shapes (GIA 4Cs), Gemological Institute of America
- Observations of Oval-, Pear-, and Marquise-Shaped Diamonds (Gems & Gemology, Fall 2024), Gems & Gemology, Fall 2024, Gemological Institute of America
Last reviewed September 28, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research