Bowtie vs Bowtieless: What to Look for in an Oval Diamond

Look down through the middle of an oval diamond and you'll often see a dark band stretching from one side to the other, shaped a little like a bow tie. This is called a bowtie effect, and it's caused by the way light enters and leaves the diamond. It's not damage or an inclusion, and some degree of bowtie is common in oval diamonds. The real question is how strong the bowtie is.

What the Bowtie Is

A bowtie is a dark area that appears across the center of an oval diamond where the facets aren't returning as much light to your eye. Instead, they can reflect the surroundings above the diamond, creating a darker band through the middle of the stone. Because the band sits across the narrow center of the oval and tapers toward each end, it resembles a bow tie. That's where the name comes from.

Why Elongated Shapes Get It

Round brilliant diamonds are symmetrical in every direction, which makes it easier to direct light back through the top of the stone. Elongated shapes like ovals are different because they stretch the diamond in one direction. The longer shape changes how the facets interact with light, which can create a darker area across the center of the stone.

Elongated shapes don't have the same symmetry. When a round diamond is stretched into an oval, pear, or marquise, the shape and angles of the facets change as they move toward the ends of the stone. Some of those facets don't return light to your eye as well, which can create the darker area across the center. That's where the bowtie comes from.

You'll find bowties in ovals, pears, marquises, elongated cushions, and radiants. You won't see one in a traditional round brilliant because its symmetrical shape allows the facets to return light more evenly.

Bowtie vs. Bowtieless

Strictly speaking, there's no such thing as a completely bowtieless oval. Every oval has some degree of bowtie. When people say an oval is "bowtieless," they usually mean the effect is so faint that you have to look for it, and it disappears as the diamond moves or the lighting changes.

	Strong bowtie	Faint or "bowtieless"
Face up	A dark band you notice immediately	Even brightness across the stone
In motion	Stays dark as the hand moves	Flickers light and dark, then vanishes
Apparent size	Can make the stone look smaller	Reads full edge to edge
Availability	Common	Uncommon, has to be hunted for
Price	Usually less per carat	Usually a premium

It Won't Be on the Certificate

This is the part that catches people off guard. Labs don't give fancy-shaped diamonds the same cut grade they give round diamonds. An oval certificate will tell you the polish and symmetry, but it won't tell you how the diamond looks or performs face up.

Two ovals can have the same carat weight, color, clarity, and measurements and still look completely different in person. One can look bright from edge to edge while another has a noticeable shadow through the middle. That's why it's important to look at the actual diamond, not just the numbers on the certificate.

How to Judge One

If you can see the stone in person, that's best. If you're choosing from a video, there are a few things to look for.

• Watch it move. A still photo can hide a bowtie or make it look stronger depending on the lighting. Watch what happens to the dark area as the diamond moves. A lighter bowtie will break up and flash as the stone moves, while a stronger one can stay dark through the center.
• Look at it from a normal distance. Don't judge the diamond under a loupe or with the video zoomed in. Hold it at about arm's length and look at it the way you would actually see it on your hand.
• Check it in different lighting. Showroom spotlights can make almost any diamond look good. If possible, look at it near a window and in normal indoor lighting too.
• Use the numbers as a starting point, not an answer. Depth and table percentages can give you a general idea of how a diamond may perform, but they can't tell you whether the bowtie will be noticeable. Two diamonds with similar measurements can still look very different in person.

A Little Bowtie Isn't a Bad Thing

A completely even diamond isn't necessarily the goal. Some contrast between light and dark is part of what gives an oval its character. As the diamond moves, those areas shift and flash, giving the stone more life. What you want to avoid is a dark band that stays noticeable no matter how the diamond moves or what lighting you're in. A little bowtie is normal. The goal is to find one that adds contrast without taking away from the overall brightness of the diamond.

When You Work With Us

When you work with us, you don't have to sort through ovals on your own. We go through a lot of stones to find the ones worth putting into a ring, and we check the things a certificate can't tell you: brightness that carries all the way to the ends, a bowtie that moves and breaks up instead of staying dark, and a length-to-width ratio that looks right on the person rather than just looking good on paper.

You don't have to buy the stone from us either. If you already have an oval, or you're choosing between a few from somewhere else, bring them in or send us the videos. It only takes a couple of minutes to look at them and tell you which one we think will look best on your hand.

And if a stone doesn't pass those checks, we'll say so. We would rather help you find a better one than set something we aren't happy with.

More Rings with Oval Bowties

Want to see more of our work? Browse the engagement collection, or follow the process on Instagram.