The oval cut is the single most popular shape for sapphire engagement rings — and for good reason. It maximizes face-up appearance for a given carat weight, complements the long-finger silhouette of most settings, and showcases color exceptionally well across every sapphire hue. Our oval cut sapphire collection brings together the full spectrum of our catalog: blue, yellow, pink, peach, teal, purple, white, green, and beyond, all in the elongated brilliant shape that has defined modern colored-stone engagement design.
Why oval cut sapphires from Crescent Gems
Every oval in this collection is hand-cut or hand-recut in our Sri Lanka workshop. We pay close attention to length-to-width ratio (1.30 to 1.50 is the modern ideal, though personal taste varies), face-up color evenness (no dark "bowtie" across the center), and table size relative to dimensions. The majority of our stones are unheated; premium pieces ship with GIA reports. Every stone is photographed under standardized lighting.
How to choose an oval sapphire
Length-to-width ratio. Narrower ovals (1.50+) elongate the finger and read elegantly in solitaire settings. Squarer ovals (1.30 or less) carry more face-up presence per carat and suit cluster and halo settings well.
Bowtie. Every oval has some degree of bowtie — a dark area across the center caused by light return geometry. Well-cut ovals minimize it. Look for stones where the bowtie is faint and the rest of the stone is brilliant.
Color performance. Oval cuts spread color across a larger face-up surface than rounds or cushions of the same weight. This benefits lighter-toned stones (pale blue, peach, mint) by amplifying their presence, and can over-spread darker stones — so deeper colors often work better in cushion or emerald cuts.
Setting suitability. Ovals work in essentially every setting — solitaire, three-stone, halo, vintage, modern minimal. Their popularity means jewelers are familiar with mounting them.
Engagement rings, design work, collecting
Oval sapphires are the leading non-diamond engagement-ring stone in current US demand. Designers favor calibrated ovals for matched-pair side-stone work — see our matched pairs collection. Collectors look for unheated origin with GIA documentation; see our untreated sapphires.
Have a question about a stone? Email crescentgems@gmail.com. 14-day return on every order. Select pieces are available for Try-On. Free US shipping; international shipping via FedEx and UPS.
