How to Design A Custom Heart Engagement Ring

Round cut diamonds may be the most popular diamond shape for engagement rings, but everyone knows that hearts are by far the most popular symbol for love! If you and your partner are hopeless romantics or wear your hearts on your sleeve—why not wear one on your finger, too?

There are plenty of reasons to choose a heart engagement ring besides sentimental symbolism, too. The heart cut diamond is a “fancy” cut, designed for maximum sparkle and brilliance. As one of the more difficult cuts, it’s also a rare find in most jewelry stores, which means you have the opportunity to make your engagement ring a true one-of-a-kind work of art!

A heart cut diamond in a custom setting is the ultimate romantic gesture. The heart is a symbol of your love, while the custom design shows your care and dedication to your significant other.

But where to begin, when designing your own custom heart engagement ring? Brilliance has you covered.

Heart Cut : The Basics

Within the “fancy” diamond category, the heart cut is known as a modified brilliant: they are created with the same techniques as a round brilliant, and so have a similar number of facet counts and arrangements.

Rough diamonds are usually cut into a heart shape when it has an odd shape or flaws which might show in a more traditional cut. Because of this, cutting a heart diamond requires a great amount of skill. Laser technology has made it easier to do more intricate, brilliant cuts, but it’s always important to make sure whatever diamond you’re using for your custom heart engagement ring is GIA certified and meets the standards of cut and clarity that you are looking for.

Solitaire 1.02ctw Heart Ring in Platinum

How Big Should My Heart Cut Be?

While it may be tempting to go for the biggest carat your budget allows, heart cut diamonds tend to lose brilliance the larger they get. The notable exceptions are famous, and worth millions: the Windsor Heart, a gift from the Duke of Windsor to Wallis Simpson, is 47.14 carats, and the Blue Heart Diamond is 30.62 carats. These beautifully-crafted gems are exceptions to the rule, though; most heart-shaped diamonds come in between 1 and 2 carats.

Cut also contributes to the size of the heart shaped diamond cut, because of its distinct shape. Most important, the heart shape should look pleasing and “balanced” to the naked eye. The cut should be around a .9 or 1 length-to-width ratio, or the heart will look distorted.

Get Creative with Your Ring Setting

When it comes to creating a custom setting, the possibilities are endless!

New technologies such as 3D printing allow jewelers to design incredibly intricate designs, giving you the opportunity to match your ring to your relationship and your partner’s personal tastes. Is your significant other a history lover? Create a ring with a Celtic theme!

Protect Your Heart Gemstone

The heart diamond’s unique shape will often require a unique setting. As such, your heart engagement ring setting should support three areas: the tip and the two humps. Most heart diamonds are set with three or five prongs.

Be aware that because of their pointed ends, heart cut diamonds can also catch on clothing and skin. If your partner is very active with their hands, you should consider a setting that will minimize snagging, such as this customized bezel setting seen in this Aquamarine Gemstone Bridget Heart Engagement Ring:

aquamarine_gemstone _heart_engagement_ring.png

Accent Your Heart Diamond

The heart diamond shape is distinct enough to stand alone as a solitaire diamond, but for someone who loves bling, accent stones can add an extra touch of brilliance to your heart engagement ring.

One of the most popular choices is a three-stone engagement ring, with two accent diamonds on either side of a larger center stone. A more traditional side-stone cut, such as round or trillion, won’t distract from the heart diamond shape’s unique beauty.

Another popular setting among modern brides is to have smaller diamond in a delicate pave setting along the band. This is a great way to up the brilliance factor of your heart engagement ring without overwhelming a smaller hand with a large carat diamond or band.

Consider Your Ring Setting Colors

The color of the band will greatly affect the look of your engagement ring. Yellow gold is the warm, traditional choice, while the silvery tones of white gold or platinum are cool, sleek, and contemporary.

But with custom engagement rings, you can also incorporate color in other ways! With heart diamonds, colored gemstones create an even more whimsical look. Pink sapphires or rubies combined with white gold add another touch of romance to your ring. Or you can choose a less common color with a yellow gold band, for a striking, creative contrast, like this Heart Diamond and Topaz Gemstone Ring:

A Romantic Engagement Ring

Finding the right ring is one of the many ways we can show our loved ones we appreciate them, but finding an engagement ring adds an extra layer of depth because you are expressing your commitment in a single ring. You and your sweetheart are in love, and a heart engagement ring showcases that love with a romantic stone!