Can you buy an oval diamond with no bow tie?

Ami, Founder
Updated November 2026 · 4 min read
Two oval lab grown diamonds side by side, one with a faint bow tie and one with a dark bow tie

Quick answer

No. Every oval diamond has a bow tie, a darker area across the middle shaped like a bow tie. What changes is how much you see it. In a well balanced oval, the light spreads evenly across the stone, so the bow tie looks faint. No certificate shows it. Magnified videos often make it look stronger or weaker than it really is. So we look at every oval ourselves and hand pick the ones with the faintest bow tie.

What is the bow tie?

It is a darker band across the center of a long diamond. The facets in the middle of a long stone send some light out the sides instead of back to your eye. A bow tie is not a flaw or an inclusion. Long shapes just handle light this way.

Which shapes have one?

Ovals, pears and marquise diamonds always have one. Elongated cushions often do too. Round diamonds do not, because they send light back evenly from every side.

Is there an oval with no bow tie at all?

No. Some ovals show it so faintly that you will not notice it in everyday light. Under strong direct light, like a spotlight in a dark room, a phone flash or harsh midday sun, a faint bow tie shows a little more. It still does not look like a strong one, because the cut sets how strong a bow tie can get. When a seller says "no bow tie", it really means "a faint bow tie".

Three oval diamonds with a strong, a noticeable and a faint bow tie, and the same faint oval in everyday light and under a spotlight, where its bow tie shows a little more

When do you see it most?

  • Under strong direct light: a spotlight, a phone flash, direct sun.
  • When your head blocks the light above the stone.
  • When you look straight down at the stone. Tilt it and the dark area moves.

In soft daylight or in an office, a faint bow tie almost disappears.

Does the certificate show it?

No. An IGI report lists the shape, size, color, clarity, polish and symmetry. It does not rate the bow tie, and GIA does not rate it either. Two ovals with the same report can look very different.

Can a video show it?

You cannot count on it. The 360 degree videos you see online are magnified many times and filmed under strong studio light. That can make the bow tie look stronger or weaker than it looks on the hand. So we judge every oval by eye, on the stone itself, before we set it.

How we pick our ovals

We look at every oval center stone ourselves, in different light, before we set it. We look for balance. Every oval has a bow tie, but in a well balanced stone the light spreads evenly across the whole face. The middle does not look much darker than the rest, so the bow tie looks faint. We do this for every one of our oval engagement rings.

Is a bow tie a bad thing?

No, not even a strong one. It comes from how ovals and other long shapes are cut. Some people like a visible bow tie, because the contrast gives the stone more depth. Most of our customers want a faint one, so that is what we pick.

How to buy an oval with a faint bow tie

  • Buy from a seller who picks every oval by eye. The report alone cannot tell you how the bow tie looks.
  • Do not go for a very long, thin oval. It tends to show a stronger bow tie. Most of our ovals are about 1.38 to 1.45 times longer than they are wide.
  • Do not judge the bow tie from a magnified video. That is not how the ring looks on the hand.
  • Look at the ring in everyday light, the way it will be worn. That is where a faint bow tie almost disappears.

Questions people ask

Do lab grown ovals have less bow tie than mined ovals?

No. The bow tie comes from the cut, not from where the diamond grew.

Can a bow tie be fixed after the stone is cut?

Only by cutting the stone again, and that makes it smaller. That is why picking the right stone matters.

Does a bigger oval show a bigger bow tie?

The dark area grows with the stone, so it is easier to see on a large oval. Hand picking matters even more above 2 carats.

Do pear and marquise diamonds have a bow tie too?

Yes. Every long shape with brilliant facets shows some. Our guide on elongated cushions explains why crushed ice cushions usually show less.

Ovals, hand pickedEvery oval center stone is chosen by eye for a faint bow tie.

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