What is a Heart Shaped Diamond?
Give Your Heart To Your Soulmate!
Heart-shaped diamonds signify eternal love and have remained popular since the 1500s. The cut is fiery with brilliance, girlish in its charm, uniquely spectacular...and extraordinary. These fancy cut diamonds were often exchanged between royal families as “a sign of amity and goodwill.”
Today the heart-shape is a popular choice for celebrity engagement rings and is often seen as a status symbol of glamour and luxe. Lady Gaga said ‘yes!’ (then, no!) to Taylor Kinney on Valentine’s Day and slipped on a large heart-shaped diamond engagement ring. Meek Mill proposed to Nicki Minaj with a 15-carat yellow heart-shaped diamond surrounded by a halo of white diamonds. And, of course, the infamous (and fictitious) “Coeur de la Mer” in the movie “Titanic” featured a stunning aqua-blue heart-shaped diamond pendant.
How Important is the Shape of the Diamond?
The romantic heart is much more complex than its sweet shape suggests. However, the heart shape is one of the most difficult diamond designs to master for diamond cutters. Only the most talented and trained experts can create the shape to precise perfection.
An imperfect heart loses its value and beauty. Proportions for the heart shape must be symmetrical and balanced. From the thickness of the girdle to the tip of the culet, measurements matter. When choosing a heart-shaped diamond for an engagement ring, pay attention to the 4C’s of this shape. Cut, clarity, carat, and color are integral to the perfect heart, and understanding a diamond’s grade in each of these areas will help buyers avoid a heartbreaking purchase.
Don't Give 100% of a Heart?!
Remember, the perfect cut is paramount to an ideal heart shape diamond. Dimensions can be extremely unforgiving in the heart.
With the depth percentage—this looks at the internal measurements of the stone—look for about a 10 to 30 percent ratio between the diamond’s length to its width. For an ideal cut, the ratio would be 66 percent to 54 percent, while a ‘good’ cut heart will have a ratio of 78 percent to 46 percent. If the heart is cut either too deep or too shallow, a ‘bow-tie’ effect may result in a less than brilliant diamond. The table percentage of the heart also follows similar percentile guidelines. As a rule, measurement ratios that are less than 10 percent or more than about 32 percent are signs of an inferior cut heart.
Eternal Perfection for an Eternal Love
The symmetry of the arches of the heart also must match. Both sides of the shape should be perfectly mirrored, and the tip of the heart should be defined to a point.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, heart-shaped stones reveal internal flaws more easily. Veer from stones that include clouds, carbon deposits or any other imperfection that are visible to the naked eye. Buy only hearts that are ‘eye clean.’
Choose larger carat weights when selecting a heart-shaped diamond. As the shape is incredibly detailed in its design, larger carat weights best showcase the curves of the heart. The carat weight of a centerpiece heart-shaped stone should be at least a half-carat. With a heart-shape, the bigger the better!
Don't be Afraid to be Unique!
Heart-shaped diamonds look even more unique with warmer colorings. Fancy canary yellow hearts make stunning center stones and pink heart-shaped diamonds are the epitome of romance.
With color grade, the look depends on the preference of the wearer. However, buyers can choose to sacrifice color for a higher clarity grade. To mask slightly yellow undertones of a mid-grade colored diamond (typically, grades beyond H), set the diamond in warm-hued metals like yellow or rose gold. When selecting a cool-hued metal like platinum, titanium or white-gold, always invest in a stone with a higher color grade.
Romance and style savvy weave to create perfection with the heart-shaped diamond. A little bit of bold, with a little hint of sweetness, this unique diamond will capture love with heartfelt Brilliance.
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