Oval Cut Engagement Rings, Adelaide

Oval cut engagement rings, designed in Adelaide

Every oval ring on this page is a Simon Alexander design, drawn in our King William Street boutique and made to order around the oval diamond you choose. You pick the design, the carat and the metal; we make the ring — Australian made, set and hand-finished at our Adelaide bench — and hand it to you in four to six weeks, with its certificate.

The oval has become the most-asked-for shape in our boutique, and for good reason. It carries the brilliance of a round diamond in a longer outline, so it reads larger than a round of the same carat and lengthens the finger. It also asks more of the person choosing the stone: outline, ratio and the bow-tie all vary from one oval to the next, which is why we show them side by side under proper light rather than on a screen.

The named oval designs

The thirty oval rings in this collection are named designs, each drawn by Simon and each available in any metal and at any of the listed carats. A few worth knowing:

• Katie — the four-claw oval solitaire. The cleanest way to wear the shape, and the starting point for many of the ovals we make.
• Grace and Fiona — solitaires with a tapered or fine band, so the oval reads larger than its carat.
• Chloe, Julia and Kylie — an oval above a band of accent diamonds, for light along the finger without the weight of a full pavé.
• Jenna — a halo oval, where a ring of small diamonds frames the stone and lifts its presence on the hand.
• Marni — an oval flanked by tapered baguettes, for a cleaner, Deco-leaning line.

Every one of these can be adjusted: a hidden halo beneath the oval, a cathedral band, an east-west setting with the stone lying across the finger. If you like the bones of a design but not one detail, that detail is a conversation. And if none of them is your ring, we design from the beginning — see our custom engagement rings.

What an oval engagement ring costs in Adelaide

The prices on this page are real. Each is the finished ring — setting, metal and the oval diamond at the stated carat — and they are published so you can plan before you speak to anyone.

• From $3,400 for Katie with a 0.50ct GIA-certified natural oval in 18kt yellow gold. Most 0.50ct designs sit between $3,400 and $5,050.
• 0.75ct ovals from $4,800, and 1.00ct from about $7,700, rising with the design and the metal you choose.
• Lab-grown: the same oval designs with an IGI-certified lab-grown oval start from $2,000 at 1.00ct in 9ct yellow gold, in our lab-grown oval collection.
• Every price is live: the price of each design, at every carat and in every metal, is shown on its page.

Choosing an oval diamond

Three things decide whether an oval is a good one. The ratio of length to width: between about 1.30 and 1.45 gives the classic outline, long enough to flatter the finger without looking narrow. The bow-tie: a dark band across the middle that every oval has to some degree, controlled by cut quality rather than anything on the grading report, and only visible when you look at the stone itself. And the outline: some ovals carry their width high, some low, and the setting should be drawn to the stone, not the other way around. Simon selects ovals where the bow-tie stays faint, and draws the claws to sit true on the curve.

Natural or lab-grown, certified either way

The rings on this page are natural-diamond rings, and every natural oval we set carries a GIA report. Each design is also made with a lab-grown oval, at a lower price for the same size and with an IGI report. We set both, and we do not sell one against the other: sit with both in front of you and decide with the loupe in your hand.

Visiting the boutique

We are at Level 1, 14 King William Street in the Adelaide CBD. Walk in during opening hours — Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm — or book a private viewing so Simon can sit with you personally and put a few ovals on the hand. Every Simon Alexander engagement ring comes with a complimentary annual clean and check, a current insurance valuation, your first resize and, for white gold, your first rhodium refresh.

Oval engagement rings in Adelaide: your questions

How much does an oval engagement ring cost in Adelaide?

At Simon Alexander, oval cut engagement rings with a natural diamond start from $3,400 for Katie with a 0.50ct GIA-certified oval in 18kt yellow gold. Most 0.50ct designs sit between $3,400 and $5,050, 0.75ct from $4,800, and 1.00ct from about $7,700 depending on the design and metal. The same oval designs with a lab-grown diamond start from $2,000 at 1.00ct in 9ct yellow gold. Every price is the finished ring, diamond included, and each design's price for every carat and metal is shown on its page.

Does an oval diamond look bigger than a round diamond?

Yes, noticeably. An oval spreads its weight across a longer outline and a slightly shallower depth, so a 1.00ct oval measures around 7.7mm by 5.7mm against 6.5mm for a 1.00ct round, and reads larger on the hand. The elongated shape also lengthens the finger. It is one of the reasons the oval has become the most-asked-for shape in our boutique.

What is the bow-tie in an oval diamond, and should I worry about it?

The bow-tie is a dark band that can appear across the middle of an oval when light escapes through the pavilion. Every oval has some, and how strong it is comes down to cut quality rather than the grading report, which does not record it. We show oval diamonds side by side under proper light so you see the bow-tie for yourself, and Simon only selects stones where it stays faint.

What length-to-width ratio should an oval diamond have?

A ratio between about 1.30 and 1.45 gives the classic oval: long enough to flatter the finger without looking narrow. Below 1.30 the stone starts to read as a rounded cushion; above 1.50 it becomes slim and the bow-tie is harder to control. We will show you a few ratios on your hand, because the right one depends on finger length and the setting you choose.

Which setting suits an oval diamond?

Four claws keep the outline clean and show the most stone; a hidden halo beneath the oval adds light without changing the silhouette; a cathedral band lifts it. Yellow gold with an oval is the most-requested combination in our boutique right now. An east-west setting, with the oval lying across the finger, is a quiet way to make a classic shape look entirely your own. Simon draws the ring so you see it before anything is made.

Should I choose a natural or a lab-grown oval diamond?

Both are diamond. Every oval design here is also made with a lab-grown oval, IGI certified, and both are shown side by side under the loupe so you can compare. A natural oval carries a GIA report and holds a place in many people's minds that no price can replace; a lab-grown oval gives a larger stone for the same money. We will give you a straight opinion, not a push either way.

How long does an oval engagement ring take to make?

Allow four to six weeks from the day you approve the design. That covers making the ring around your chosen oval, setting it so the claws sit true on the curve, hand-finishing and a final check at our Adelaide bench. If you are working to a proposal date, tell us at the first conversation and we will plan backwards from it.

Can I see oval diamonds before choosing one?

Yes, and we would prefer you did. Ovals vary more than most shapes in outline, ratio and bow-tie, so we show you options side by side under proper light with the certificate beside each. Once you have chosen, that exact diamond, matched to its report, is the one set into your ring. Book a private viewing at our King William Street boutique, or walk in during opening hours.