Emerald vs Oval e ring (with pics)

[ffflyin]

We have looked at some loose stones for engagement rings recently and I just can’t decide between oval and emerald for the following reasons… (PS radiant is supposedly the middle ground but somehow I just don’t like it when worn).

1. Being loose stones, it’s hard to visualise what it really looks like beyond trying them on a prong. I’ve tried some pre-set but obviously they will be imprecise and somewhat different to what the end product will be.

2. Ovals face up larger and seem to provide more “coverage” which I like. I also like the look of them, of course. However the emerald cut is my dream cut. I fear regretting giving up the dream of an emerald cut!

3. With emerald being my ideal cut, there’s only so much a fixed budget will accommodate with my preference for a natural stone with specs within certain parameters. In my mind when I try the stone on with the prongs I can’t help but feel the stone looks much smaller than an oval and gives less coverage, making my finger seem stubbier. I fear regretting forgoing a big oval sparkly ring and thinking the emerald is too small!

In either stone my setting choice would be a 3 stone ring, and *maybe* with a bezel but only if it can look sleek and modern enough.

May I please have your kind thoughts on this?? I’m just so so torn!

 

[hopiko]

Both look lovely! Have you tried looking at the emerald with a halo? That way you will get the stone, sparkle and stature!

Oval is very pretty but my personal preference is emerald cut.

It is your ring so get what makes you happy!

Congrats!

 

[Moxisox]

Emerald cut

 

[880]

IMO, if it’s a three stone ring, emerald cut

if it’s a micro halo, oval. . .

I think emerald is more modern, halo surrounding an oval more old world.

I attached pics of an oval and an Emerald cut to my post 11,758 and 11,759 here
(my emerald cut ring has smaller matching earrings, and I’ve been meaning to do a three stone ring eventually)

ENGAGEMENT RINGS! What does yours look like?

My fancy pear shape with bezel-set semi eternity and matching full eternity ring.

forum.purseblog.com

 

[Love Of My Life]

Hands down (excuse the pun) the emerald cut.. more distinctive

 

[ffflyin]

Both look lovely! Have you tried looking at the emerald with a halo? That way you will get the stone, sparkle and stature!

Oval is very pretty but my personal preference is emerald cut.

It is your ring so get what makes you happy!

Congrats!

Thank you for taking the time and for the suggestions!!! ☺️ I think I’m a bit of an outlier in that I do not like a halo with emerald cut stones. The only halo I’d consider is one with step cut stones, but I feel that’s hard to achieve without either being distracting or looking neat (some step cut halos I’ve seen are very busy looking as the individual stones are too short/small and it looks too busy)!

I’m just so picky about jewellery grrrrr!!

IMO, if it’s a three stone ring, emerald cut

if it’s a micro halo, oval. . .

I think emerald is more modern, halo surrounding an oval more old world.

I attached pics of an oval and an Emerald cut to my post 11,758 and 11,759 here
(my emerald cut ring has smaller matching earrings, and I’ve been meaning to do a three stone ring eventually)

ENGAGEMENT RINGS! What does yours look like?

My fancy pear shape with bezel-set semi eternity and matching full eternity ring.

forum.purseblog.com

Your ring is a stunner!! Guess I always felt like emeralds need to be of a certain size to show their charm fully - yours is certainly substantial!

Do you / does anyone have any thoughts on what pairing would be best with emerald cuts? Out of interest do you think pairing it with side pear stones is a little odd/disconnected?

 

[lill_canele]

I am a sucker for emerald cut things haha. So I'm biased and between the two I'd go for emerald. (I don't have any in diamond but I always keep on thinking about that cut.)

Agree with @880 that halo around an oval is a more traditional "old school look". I think the halo around a round/brilliant cut was very popular in the 2010s and some of my friends got that style but now they feel it's a bit outdated. (That's up to personal preference though.)

(random note: My husband said that an emerald cut, especially with an emerald stone, in China symbolizes strength and power. Which I really like haha.)

 

[A bottle of Red]

They are very different looks, the oval has a lot of small sparkly facets the emerald has longer ones- so that might affect how each one sparkles . Personally I think the emerald looks great on you and I always advise going for the cut you really want.
Maybe consider going down in color to achieve a bigger stone

 

[hopiko]

Thank you for taking the time and for the suggestions!!! ☺️ I think I’m a bit of an outlier in that I do not like a halo with emerald cut stones. The only halo I’d consider is one with step cut stones, but I feel that’s hard to achieve without either being distracting or looking neat (some step cut halos I’ve seen are very busy looking as the individual stones are too short/small and it looks too busy)!

I’m just so picky about jewellery grrrrr!!

Soooo, so interesting you feel that way…My e-ring is an emerald cut with trapezoid sides — full halos around with a pave split shank. Long story how I ended up with this particular ring but ironically, I do not like halos on emerald cut diamonds so I am in the process of getting it reset with just the center stone and trapezoid sides. It will seem much smaller but more my taste. I have been married for a long time and this is my second e-ring!!

 

[ffflyin]

Wow would you be able to share a photo of your e ring? It sounds so different and I’m so curious!!!

My initial thinking size aside was also to do an emerald with either traps or tapered baguettes too I just love 3 stoned rings!

 

[ffflyin]

Soooo, so interesting you feel that way…My e-ring is an emerald cut with trapezoid sides — full halos around with a pave split shank. Long story how I ended up with this particular ring but ironically, I do not like halos on emerald cut diamonds so I am in the process of getting it reset with just the center stone and trapezoid sides. It will seem much smaller but more my taste. I have been married for a long time and this is my second e-ring!!

Wow would you be able to share a photo of your e ring? It sounds so different and I’m so curious!!!

My initial thinking size aside was also to do an emerald with either traps or tapered baguettes too I just love 3 stoned rings!

 

[ffflyin]

They are very different looks, the oval has a lot of small sparkly facets the emerald has longer ones- so that might affect how each one sparkles . Personally I think the emerald looks great on you and I always advise going for the cut you really want.
Maybe consider going down in color to achieve a bigger stone

What is your opinion re colour? I am in a tight spot because growing up I always used to look at coloured stones, and for that reason am quite nit picky and sensitive to colour. Currently we are looking at an F colour, and even then I worry that to go lower on that would be too much. Because of the cut of this stone the colour doesn’t show too poorly but man I can still tell the difference with a D when I see one . Oftentimes I wish I was more easygoing

 

[A bottle of Red]

Mine is an H but not emerald cut; it doesn't bother me but when i wear it next to my diamond band with whiter stones i can tell the difference.
unfortunately, it's a matter of balancing the budget with the desired specs which isn't always easy, right? lol

 

[hopiko]

Wow would you be able to share a photo of your e ring? It sounds so different and I’m so curious!!!

My initial thinking size aside was also to do an emerald with either traps or tapered baguettes too I just love 3 stoned rings!

Hi, here is a picture taken in direct sunlight. Stones are a a little dirty but you get the idea. It is a "big" ring with the halos but a bit too much for my taste. I have lived with it for a few years and will finally redo! It is a H color VVS FYI!

 

[BigAkoya]

Hi! You have gotten a lot of great advice, and I'll add mine.
The two stones vary greatly in terms of brilliance, so you need to decide if brilliance is as priority for you.
I went through something similar for my upgrade.

An oval / round will have maximum sparkle. You will see the colors of the rainbow, the disco ball effect... brilliance. That's why rounds are call brilliant cuts. They are cut to maximize sparkle. An oval is similar.

An emerald / asscher is step-cut, meaning the facets are in parallel lines. This will not give you sparkle, but rather, it will give you a sleek, smooth look.

I went through a similar decision when I upgraded my engagement ring. I was dead set on an asscher cut (square emerald cut with clipped corners). It is my favorite cut, and when cut perfectly, it looks like you are staring into infinity. I also looked at an emerald cut. However, while these step-cut diamonds are super beautiful and gorgeus to me, I wanted sparkle above all else. I went the boring route and chose a round brilliant cut because I wanted super brilliance. A diamond with super briliance/sparkle was the #1 priority for me, and of course we all know for maximum brilliance, it's the boring round. I love love love my boring round brilliant diamond!

My sister-in-law has a 3 carat Cartier engagement ring (D Flawless), and she is constantly wiping it to clean to make it sparkle, but it will never sparkle like an round or oval. She regrets getting an emerald cut as she did not realize how much she valued sparkle when she purchased it, especially when she sees other rounds / ovals.

The emerald / asscher steps cuts remain my favorite cut. However, I satisfy that urge through my colored gemstone rings.

I want to share this as it's something to think about. I would suggest you try on oval and emeralds that are already set. Look at the brilliance and see if that is a priority for you. It was for me. Also, for step cuts such as the emerald, you can see flaws and color much more than an oval; hence emeralds require a cleaner stone (e.g. higher clarity, higher color).

To answer your question on which stone...
I prefer the oval. It has a lot of sparkle and is lively. The oval has life when I stare at it, and it looks great on you. I also do not see a huge bow-tie which indicates the oval is cut well.

Something else to consider on the emerald above...
Cut ratios are 100% preference, but to me, the emerald in the photo is a bit too skinny. The ratio looks like a 1.6? The ideal ratio is 1.4, but again, ratio is 100% preference.

Hope this helps in your decision.