If diamonds are forever, what better symbol of eternal love and affection is there than the heart-shaped diamond cut? One of the most challenging cuts to create, it takes a very skilled cutter to create a flawless heart-shaped diamond. It has 59 carefully sculpted facets and is a very popular way for a diamond cutter to take a diamond with a small inclusion and turn it into a flawless gem. The heart-shaped diamond cut is basically a pear-cut diamond with an extra notch removed from the top.
The ideal heart diamond is cut at a 1:1 ratio as tall as it is wide. The cut should be symmetrical on both sides. It is ideal for pendants but also looks beautiful when featured in rings or bracelets. Other gemstones are equally suited to this cut and it can look lovely in a variety of sizes so there will be a stone to suit most budgets.
However, because it is so difficult to cut, heart-shaped diamonds are not as widely available as some other diamond cuts. There are not many heart-shaped diamonds over two carats in the market because high quality heart-shaped diamonds are difficult to achieve. The heart-shaped diamond cut will magnify any flaws or colour tints on a diamond so a top grade diamond is really important. Fair to poor diamond cuts may show a bow-tie effect, causing a shadow in the centre of the diamond.
If not set correctly, this cut can catch on clothing. The two best settings for heart shaped engagement rings are the bezel setting and the 3-claw setting. The bezel setting is very secure because it wraps around the entire diamond, but it blocks some light access. The claw setting is less secure but it maximises the amount of light that can enter the stone.
If your ‘heart’ is set on a larger carat stone, you may have to sacrifice a little fire and brilliance, but channel-set diamonds around the band will help magnify the overall brilliance of the ring.
See further:
https://uwekoetter.com/style-spotlight-asscher-cut-cushion-cut-diamonds/
https://uwekoetter.com/20711-2/
