Vintage vs Modern Oval Engagement Rings: A Shopping and Styling Guide

Angelica Frey | June 19, 2023

An oval diamond engagement ring will look great with any setting, from vintage to modern, and it’s not hard to see why.

“Ovals are timeless for a very good reason! The elongated soft rounded shape complements almost any style that you put it in, and that’s why I also commonly refer to the shape as one that you cannot go wrong with,” says Queena Chang, VRAI’s Chief Diamond Expert and GIA Graduate Gemologist. “I find that the shape is just simple enough to pair well with any style, while having some slight visual intrigue to the eye with the length.”

Explore all Oval cut VRAI created diamonds online, or in-person at a VRAI showroom.

What Are the Styling Advantages of an Oval Engagement Ring?

In terms of versatility, hardly anything trumps engagement rings with an Oval center diamond. An Oval diamond has unique characteristics that make it suitable for most styles. It has brilliant-cut faceting, which means it has remarkable brilliance that rivals the Round diamond. It has an elongated shape, which means it will make your fingers look longer and slimmer. It also has a shallower pavilion than a Round diamond, which means it has a larger surface area. At the same carat weight, an Oval diamond will appear noticeably larger than a Round and a Cushion diamond.

All these characteristics make an Oval diamond suitable both for vintage-inspired and modern engagement rings. Oval diamond engagement rings are a perfect example of quiet luxury that represents timeless style not just a trend.

What Is a Vintage-Inspired Oval Engagement Ring Style?

You can recognize an engagement ring with an Oval diamond as vintage-inspired by the level of intricacy displayed in the setting. Techniques like filigree (twisted metal threads create shapes and motifs) and milgrain (small beads of metal used to create borders) signal that a ring is markedly vintage-inspired. A larger Halo is reminiscent of Victorian cluster rings. The Toi et Moi engagement ring, which on a superficial look appears to be a trendy style, has actually been around since the early 19th century. Ovals are very popular for a Toi et Moi set.

Vintage-Inspired Oval Engagement Rings: Top 5 Styles

1. Three Stone Oval Engagement Ring

Three-stone engagement rings have been around since the early 1800s and reached the height of popularity between the 1930s and 1950s. Choosing to pair an Oval center stone with elongated and tapered Pear side stones creates the ultimate vintage-inspired, yet sleek engagement ring. Substitute the Pears with Trillions if you want a less dainty look.

2. Toi et Moi Engagement Ring

The Toi et Moi symbolizes two individual units that come together to create a greater whole. Pairing an Oval and a Round diamond, in particular, creates harmony with asymmetry and unprecedented brilliance.

3. Twisted Classic Engagement Ring

The Twisted Classic engagement ring has two plain and pavé bands that intertwine, symbolizing the beauty of two things coming together. The intertwined band creates the illusion of filigreed metalwork, while the pavé on one of the bands is reminiscent of milgrain technique.

4. The Duet Engagement Ring

The delicate arches that characterize the Duet engagement ring intersect at the center diamond and create elegant, curvilinear Art-Nouveau shapes. It is a work of balance and grace that fully complements elongated cuts.

5. Three Stone Halo Engagement Ring

Three Stone Halo engagement ring features three Oval diamonds, each adorned with a statement-making halo of pavé set diamonds. This is a bold, yet elegant style reminiscent of early 20th century jewelry. In the case of the side stones, the halo almost creates a cluster-like setting.

What Metal Will Make My Oval Engagement Ring Look More Vintage?

Warmer-colored metals will make your Oval engagement ring look more vintage. Yellow gold is considered more traditional than white gold. Rose gold, historically known as “red gold” or “russian gold” was also a popular choice in the early 20th century. Both yellow and rose gold are now considered timeless and classic choices. Still, if you favor a vintage-inspired style, these metals will certainly enhance the vintage-inspired feel. If you’re worried about your diamonds’ white cast being dampened by yellow and rose gold, consider a mixed metal setting, where the prongs come in white gold or platinum.

What Is a Modern Oval Engagement Ring Style?

A Modern oval engagement ring style is notable for its sleek metalwork and an unobstructed emphasis on the center stone. It’s worth noting, however, that many styles that we define as “modern” actually have a rich history and legacy. One such case is the Bezel setting, which has been around since the earliest documentations of jewelry and related artifacts.

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Modern Oval Engagement Rings: Top 5 Styles

1. The Signature Bezel Engagement Ring

VRAI’s Signature Bezel combines a knife-edge bezel setting that draws in and bounces light in every direction with a low setting. Our signature sling dips slightly below the band, which makes it ideal for everyday wear. Plus, a bezel setting is naturally protective of the stone, since it encircles the whole diamond and leaves no edge exposed.

2. The Signature V Engagement Ring

A VRAI created Oval diamond nestles perfectly in the V-shaped band’s dipping center, creating a design that is both timeless and thoroughly modern, a work of asymmetry and balance. It can be worn with the tip of the V band facing any direction.

3. The Signature East-West Ring

An Oval solitaire is quintessentially classic and timeless. If you just rotate the center diamond 90 degrees and set it in an East-West setting, you will have a timeless and modern engagement ring that, as a bonus point, also offers extensive finger coverage.

4. The Hover Engagement Ring

The Hover has a markedly surrealist appeal, with a diamond appearing to float above the band, in a clever play of asymmetry and negative space. When paired with an Oval, the diamond comes in an East-West setting to emphasize the horizontal lines of the ring.

5. The Knife Edge Engagement Ring

The Knife-Edge solitaire is a contemporary reinterpretation of a timeless classic, with the band featuring sloping edges that form a subtle meeting point. If you choose to add pavé diamonds, the Knife Edge will actually feature two rows on both sides of the edge.

What Metal Will Make My Oval Engagement Ring Look More Modern?

White gold and platinum create a sleek, cool-toned modern look for your oval engagement ring. Yellow and rose gold are considered to be more traditional and vintage-inspired than white gold, even though white metals (platinum and, to a lesser extent, white gold) were largely prevalent during the Art Deco period, used in conjunction with yellow gold. All metals can create a modern look provided that the setting has a modern design.

Unique Oval Cuts for a Vintage and Modern Look

Not all Oval silhouettes are synonymous with an Oval diamond, which combines an Oval shape with brilliant-cut faceting. VRAI’s Cut for You process devised a series of diamond shapes that combine an oval silhouette and innovative facets. These cuts fit both modern and vintage-inspired ring designs, butthe determining factor is the setting.

Capri Cut

The Capri cut diamond shape has an Oval silhouette, but also features step-cut facets similar to an Emerald on the bottom of the stone and a mixture of step and brilliant facets on the top. This uniquely innovative cut garners attention due to the right touch of added brilliance.

Fusion Cut

The Fusion cut has an elongated, rounded silhouette similar to the Oval cut diamond, but has mixed faceting, combining step and brilliant-cut facets. This blended faceting gives the Fusion a distinctive and unique look as well as extraordinary brilliance.

Oval Rose cut

Oval Rose cuts offer a uniquely warm appearance unlike any of the modern diamond cuts. Rose cut features a flat bottom with a dome-shaped crown reaching an apex formed by three or more facets. Rose cuts are named as such because they resemble the shape of a rose bud. The rose pattern on these diamond shapes can vary in complexity; simple Rose cuts can have as few as three facets, while others may have as many as 24.

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