Argyle Australian Champagne Diamond — 1.01ct Oval Cut| C5 - Medium Champagne

Why we chose this stone

Just over a carat, this oval cut carries a C5 grade with real confidence — deep enough to read as a genuinely rich gold, without tipping into the darker cognac tones further up the scale. The oval's elongated shape and brilliant-style faceting were built to maximise sparkle, and here that faceting also does justice to the colour, scattering it into flashes that shift as the stone catches light from different angles rather than settling into one flat tone. Ovals have a particular way of appearing larger than their actual carat weight, and paired with this depth of colour, the effect is a stone that reads as both substantial and richly toned. It comes from the East Kimberley region of Western Australia, the source of every Argyle diamond mined before the pipe's closure ended that supply for good.

At just over a full carat, this is a genuinely useful size for a centre stone, and its elongated silhouette gives it a slightly different presence on the hand than a round or cushion cut of the same weight. Paired with a solid C5 tone, it's a diamond built to be noticed without needing an oversized setting to help it along.