When we talk about diamonds, we must be aware that there are different shapes, quality, colors, and many other characteristics. When looking at diamond shapes, one of the questions often asked is: How to avoid bow-tie oval diamonds?
The answer to this question is: Diamond cutters always explore different methods to shorten the bow tie. For example, if an oval diamond is cut broader or more profound, the bow tie will be less noticeable, but you will have to give up your ideal ratio or get a diamond that faces up smaller than it should.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand the answer in its entirety, because we’re going to elaborate on it in great detail in the rest of the article!
Now that we have answered the question, it is time to start from the very beginning and clarify the answer as precisely as possible.
Let’s take a look at what we’ve prepared for you!
Diamonds and Their Shapes
Let’s start with what diamonds are, how they are formed, and what shapes they can be. Diamond is an allotrope of carbon because the carbon atoms are arranged in a diamond cubic crystal lattice.
Diamond has the highest heat conductivity and hardness among all naturally existing materials. Diamonds are created when the earth’s deep carbon reserves, which are found 90 to 125 miles below the surface, are subjected to extremely high temperatures and pressures.
Due to their unique properties, diamond is a significant part of industrial cutting and polishing equipment.
The ten most common diamond forms are the round, princess, cushion, oval, emerald, pear, marquise, Asscher, radiant, and heart shapes.
However, diamonds can be cut in any shape. Baguettes, Bullets, Half Moons, Trillion, Old Mine, Rose, and Horse Head, are unusual forms. The Round Brilliant is the most popular cut; with its fifty-seven flawlessly aligned facets, it truly outshines the others in terms of brilliance.
Here, total internal reflection is crucial; light passes through the stone to provide the best possible glitter and scintillation.
Now that we have explained what diamonds are and which shape is the most popular and sought after today let’s see how many facets diamonds have in general!
How Many Cuts Are There in a Diamond?
A facet count of 58 is considered the ideal. Therefore, all 58 facets are present in round brilliant, cushion, heart, emerald, and oval diamonds. Some forms, however, have less than that.
Round diamonds with 58 facets are known as total cuts. Most uncut raw diamonds are initially fashioned into single cuts, adding additional facets to complete the whole amount.
A diamond is not full cut if it has less than 58 facets.
Learn More: Diamond Facets: What Are Facets on a Diamond?
Let’s see how to avoid bow ties on oval diamonds!
How to Avoid Bow Tie Oval Diamonds?
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at what is the bow tie effect!
In its simplest form, the bow-tie effect refers to a dark spot inside a diamond’s facets that is visible from a certain angle. A few deeper core facets won’t reflect light as the stone’s other parts do, leaving a black space in the middle.
It typically appears as a black patch in the diamond’s center or “belly,” forming a dark region with two triangles that resemble a bow tie.
So, a diamond bow tie is a term used to describe a dark, horizontal area on the surface of a diamond that resembles a man’s bow tie. Bow ties come in various intensities, from the extremely light to the very dark.
The good news is that the most common diamond cuts, round, and princess, are unaffected by bow ties.
However, they are frequently observed on extended fancy diamond cuts, such as marquise, oval, pear, and occasionally even on diamonds with heart shapes.
Due to a more significant concentration of facets in a limited area, the narrower edges of the oval will provide lovely, attractive refraction, but the middle can be a bummer and produce less light returning to you – creating the dreaded bow tie look.
But, again, this is primarily a result of the oval’s shape.
The cutter must decide which arrangement of the facets will result in an equal quantity of light refraction out of a few possible layouts.
There are a few alternatives, including two variations of the four main, six main, and eight main patterns. There are many “main pavilion” aspects. A star-like pattern may be seen if you look at the diamond from the bottom up. The star will have this many “legs” in total: 4, 6, or 8.
The likelihood of a bow tie decreases with the number of facets you have in the central area.
What Causes an Oval Diamond to Have a Bow Tie?
When the length facets of a diamond are more extended and steeper than the width facets, we will get a diamond bowtie. Light refracts differently in an oval’s center compared to its tips due to these variations in depth and angle.
Therefore, those deep center facets might transform into a dark oval diamond bow tie if a cutter is careless. To give the stone a uniform look, skilled diamond cutters will eliminate dark bowties and strategically put contrast throughout the stone.
The absence of bow ties in brilliant cuts like round, square, or cushion can be attributed to their precisely proportioned forms, which allow light to be dispersed uniformly throughout the diamond.
Bow ties can be seen in the intricate cuts displayed due to light refraction and reflection being imprecise. Therefore, the bow tie look is heightened if the form has poorly cut edges and mismatched facets.
The angle at which you look at the diamond is another factor that contributes to a noticeable bow tie. Mentioned element has more to do with how your head prevents the interplay of light with the stone than with the cut itself.
Another important thing: Since your head is blocking the light, you’re producing shadows that reflect within the diamond, which is why a bow tie happens when light doesn’t reflect properly on the stone.
Do Bow Ties Always Look Bad?
Even though the bow tie is light, you can hardly see it. Most dramatic, elegant cuts tend to include some bow tie. Weak bow ties can enhance the visual attractiveness of a diamond. It creates a contrast between light and shadow, making the diamond appear brighter.
Additionally, the absence of any bow tie may indicate that the diamond has been cut too shallowly, which reduces brilliance.
However, it is advised to steer clear of the stone if the bow tie is the only thing you can see when you examine it and significant portions of it have been blackened out.
Diamond Bow-Ties aren’t always a bad thing. Oval and marquise fancy cut diamonds commonly feature some degree of a bowtie. Those without a bow tie are typically lackluster and appear drab.
Is it possible to stop the bow tie effect? Let’s take a look!
How Do You Stop the Bow Tie Effect?
In reality, a little bowtie may define the character of a fancy-shaped diamond and give it a sensual appeal. Let’s see a few ways to prevent the bow tie effect:
Please pay attention to the diamond’s cut quality since it will affect how prominent the bow tie will be. Aim for a cut grade of very excellent or above on the GIA’s Cut Grading System, and be sure you select a well-cut diamond.
Opt for a North-South Orientation: Although it’s uncommon to find an oval diamond set in an East-West (horizontal) orientation, you should avoid this if you want to prevent your diamond from developing an oversized bow tie.
Orienting the diamond North-South (vertically) is less likely to draw attention to those dark areas near the stone’s core.
Try Different Lighting – When searching for a bow tie-free stone, it’s crucial to examine the rocks in person under various lighting conditions.
However, certain jewelry stores may have softer or diffused lighting, making it impossible to detect the bow tie until you take the stone home.
Most jewelry stores are lighted to guarantee that you can see every excellent or negative characteristic.
Take the ASET Test (With a Grain of Salt) as an example. You might be able to locate an oval diamond without a bow tie with the aid of the ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool). This test essentially assesses a stone’s response to surrounding light.
When you ask your jeweler to do an ASET test, they will create a color-coded picture that can assist you in determining the angle from which each facet receives light.
The core will show dark triangles in photos of stones with significant bow ties. Remember to take this tool with a grain of salt since the GIA does not use it to assess diamonds!
Accept the Bow Tie: It’s crucial to remember that almost all oval, pear, and marquise cut stones will have some degree of a bow tie look. Just keep in mind that everything isn’t horrible!
A small amount of blackness in the diamond’s core can improve contrast and perhaps give your gem a three-dimensional, fascinating appearance.
Unfortunately, there is no way to remove it once it’s there. The essential factor here is how evident it is; occasionally, you might only see it at specific angles or in particular circumstances.
When looking at an oval-cut diamond, it is important to pay attention to the following:
The angles determine whether or not it will pop out at you, even if the lighting will remain constant. The light that misses the eye and causes black patches in the stone is known as the dark patch or bow tie.
Although size can reduce a diamond’s bow tie, it is difficult to remove and frequently obstructs the appearance and form of the diamond.
Which Ratio Is Ideal for Oval Diamonds?
Most people agree that an oval’s optimal length to breadth ratio is between 1.35 and 1.50. Within this range, diamonds won’t be too sharp or rounded. The oval is plumper the lower the ratio.
One of the most incredible settings for oval diamonds is the prong.
The most typical and traditional setting style allows more light to enter the diamond, enhancing its brightness while still revealing most of the stone. The majority of prong sets have four or six prongs.
In a similar vein, the skinnier the ratio, the higher!
One benefit of an oval shape with a higher length-to-width ratio is that slender ovals’ length makes them look more significant than their carat weight.
But ultimately, it all boils down to taste. For example, some individuals favor marquise-shaped ovals, which we refer to as movals, while others prefer rounder ovals, which we refer to as rivals at their extreme.
These outliers can be fascinating!
Final Thoughts
We believe we have provided the critical clarification, which is: How to avoid bow-tie oval diamonds? The most simple response is:
Diamond cutters always look for new ways to shorten the bow knot. For instance, the bow tie will be less evident if an oval diamond is cut wider or more profoundly, but you will have to compromise on your ideal ratio or settle for a diamond that faces up smaller than it should.
In this article, we tried to provide as much information as possible on cut diamonds, their qualities, the bow-tie effect, how it operates, and how to avoid them. Furthermore, we have tried our best to explain what you should do when buying oval-cut diamonds.
We hope reading this article provides you the opportunity to find an answer to your question and have fun in addition to learning a lot!
