Oval Cut Sapphire Gemstones

The oval cut has endured as a preferred shape for natural sapphires due to its elegant elongated form that maximizes apparent size while minimizing weight loss during cutting. This timeless shape enhances color saturation in precious stones while offering approximately 10-15% greater face-up appearance than round cuts of equal carat weight, providing excellent value and versatile aesthetic appeal for both vintage and contemporary jewelry designs.

The oval’s brilliant-cut faceting pattern creates optimal light paths that intensify color saturation while maintaining exceptional brilliance in natural sapphires. The slightly deeper pavilion allows light to travel through more of the crystal structure, enhancing the stone’s true color and making this cut particularly valuable for displaying the rich blues, purples, and pinks that command premium prices in high-quality sapphires.

When purchasing oval sapphires, collectors should prioritize specimens with perfect symmetry along the length axis, even shoulders, and balanced proportions with a length-to-width ratio between 1.5:1 and 1.75:1. The most valuable oval sapphires exhibit no “bow-tie” effect (dark areas across the center), display excellent polish, and are GIA certified as genuine, conflict-free stones with exceptional clarity and craftsmanship.

The 12-carat oval blue sapphire in Princess Diana’s (now Kate Middleton’s) engagement ring represents perhaps the most recognizable oval sapphire in modern history, significantly influencing market prices for similar stones. Other notable specimens include the 423-carat “Logan Sapphire” and the 62-carat “Rockefeller Sapphire”—both flawless, pure examples that have established the oval as the premier cut for showcasing extraordinary natural sapphires of museum-worthy quality and value.