Q&A: Looking for an Oval-Shaped Diamond for a White Gold Solitaire Setting Within a $13k Budget

There are two main rules when choosing an oval:
1) The depth shouldn’t exceed 74%.
2) The bowtie should be as minimal as possible.

Picking out a beautiful oval cut is a bit of an art. A smaller table may refract light a bit better, but the difference won’t be noticeable. Unless the depth doesn’t exceed 74%, it’s alright. Ideally, it’s better to avoid extremely thick and extremely thin girdles (if possible). Other thickness is okay and won’t have a significant impact on brilliance. A girdle is an issue that has little to no impact on the visual appearance of a diamond.

Oval cut diamonds don’t have their own official cut scale given by GIA. Some companies use their own internal grades, but we don’t put any stock in those. We just use our own guidelines and strict parameters to find the best stones possible. Therefore, I wouldn’t pay attention to the cut grades you see at all.

Clarity-wise, once the stone is eye-clean, it’s eye-clean, no matter if it’s an SI1 or VS1. The actual clarity grade isn’t important (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/clarity/). Simply said, it’s better to avoid diamonds with red flags such as big knots, cavities and etch channels as they might disrupt the integrity of the diamond. We also don’t recommend stones with thick feathers, big clouds, chips or stones that have clarity based on clouds. Ideally, the inclusions shouldn’t be on the table. On the other hand, 95% of all twinning wisps are not visible to the naked eye, so those are alright. Even an SI2 diamond can be perfectly eye-clean if the inclusions are strategically located. We recommend H+ colored diamonds for ovals.

Here are my comments:
Blue Nile LD12300816 – I wouldn’t recommend this stone because of the medium fluorescence. Bear in mind that the strong fluorescence (on D-I diamonds) / medium fluorescence (on D-G color) may cause a hazy/milky look in daylight (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/fluorescence/). Moreover, the bowtie isn’t nice.
Blue Nile LD12549855 – This stone has a bit of a bowtie, but very little. It’s a great diamond.
Blue Nile LD12515034 – Again the bowtie.
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.54-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-sku-7177794?a_aid=dmnd1357 – This diamond looks good.
Blue Nile LD11735213 – This one is nice, but I’m afraid the bowtie might be a bit visible.

Have a look at these alternatives:
Blue Nile LD12045584

Blue Nile LD12281962

Blue Nile LD12413051

As I said before, it’s not that easy to pick a nice oval. That’s why it’s great that both those companies have a 30 days return policy so that you can check the stone in person and decide whether you like it and whether it meets your expectations. The L:W ratio is a matter of personal taste, there is no universal rule (but it’s true that it should be more than 1.30). But if you like higher L:W ratio, it’s perfectly fine.

G color is already in the colorless range, even H color looks colorless to the majority of people.

It’s okay to purchase from Blue Nile, it’s a reputable company.

As for the metal, it’s up to you if you choose platinum or white gold. You’ll need to maintain both metals. As our article says (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/platinum-vs-gold/), the WG has to be dipped every few years and the platinum needs to be polished as well because it scratches. So ultimately, platinum costs you more in the beginning and doesn’t end up saving you any money in the long run. But there is one advantage of platinum – it’s hypoallergenic. As for the engraving, I suggest asking them directly (for example via live chat). I think there is a BN stamp inside the ring.