Size guides › Oval vs Round
Shape vs shape
Oval vs Round: which looks bigger?
At the same weight an oval covers about 8% more of the finger. Same carat, broadly the same price bracket, visibly different stone.
Both 1.5 ct, drawn to scale on a millimeter grid.
At every common weight
Sizes in millimeters, long × wide, with the area each covers from above. Tap a size for its own guide.
| Carat | Oval (mm) | Oval area | Round (mm) | Round area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 ct | 4.99 × 3.56 | 13.9 | 4.05 × 4.05 | 12.9 |
| 0.5 ct | 6.28 × 4.49 | 22.1 | 5.11 × 5.11 | 20.5 |
| 0.75 ct | 7.19 × 5.14 | 29.0 | 5.85 × 5.85 | 26.8 |
| 1 ct | 7.91 × 5.65 | 35.1 | 6.44 × 6.44 | 32.5 |
| 1.25 ct | 8.53 × 6.09 | 40.8 | 6.93 × 6.93 | 37.7 |
| 1.5 ct | 9.06 × 6.47 | 46.0 | 7.37 × 7.37 | 42.6 |
| 2 ct | 9.97 × 7.12 | 55.8 | 8.11 × 8.11 | 51.6 |
| 2.5 ct | 10.74 × 7.67 | 64.7 | 8.73 × 8.73 | 59.9 |
| 3 ct | 11.41 × 8.15 | 73.1 | 9.28 × 9.28 | 67.6 |
Beyond size
Oval
An oval is a brilliant cut stretched into an ellipse. It keeps much of a round's sparkle, looks bigger for its weight, and makes the finger look longer and slimmer.
Oval size chart →Round
A round brilliant is cut with 57 or 58 facets arranged to send as much light back to your eye as possible. It's the most popular engagement ring shape, and the one most size charts are really describing.
Round size chart →Elongated shapes also read longer on the finger, which is a separate question from area. Whether that suits a particular hand is something only a look can settle — which is why it's worth putting both on your own photo, at the same scale.
Oval or round? See both on your hand
Two diamonds, one photo, the same scale — and switch between them with a tap.
Questions
Which looks bigger, an oval or a round?
At the same weight an oval covers about 8% more area from above. A 1.5 ct round looks about as big as a 1.34 ct oval.
Why do they look different at the same carat weight?
Proportion, not quality. An oval runs about 1.40 : 1 long to wide and a round about 1.00 : 1. Weight spent on spread is weight you can see; weight spent on depth sits below the setting.