The heart cut diamond has a stunningly beautiful and boldly modern look that can outspokenly display your love to your partner. As we all know, the heart is a universal symbol of love maybe that’s why this diamond shape is gaining its popularity when it comes to engagement rings. That’s why in this article, we are going to give you more information about this diamond cut and some tips and tricks to help you find the right heart-shaped diamond that will match your love as well as your taste.
What is a Heart Cut Diamond?
A heart cut diamond is made up of 56 to 58 facets and it often has French tips on its pointed end that helps to magnify its brilliance and shine. The heart cut diamond is considered to be a modified cut shape and it is popular for solitaire pendant settings and engagement ring settings.
History
The exact origin of where the heart cut diamond is still unknown, however, the first recorded heart cut diamond was seen in a 17th-century portrait by Frans Pourbus the Younger called “The Gonzaga Princess.” The 1605 portrait shows the princess’s left sleeve that was decorated with different cuts of diamonds and some shapes resembles the early version of the heart cut diamond.
The heart cut diamond was also mentioned in a book by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier in 1655. Tavernier was a merchant and traveler who became rich by trading precious stones and in his book, he wrote that he saw a 26-carat heart-shaped diamond in India.
Since then, heart cut diamonds have been improved and modernized and seen in different royal and celebrities’ jewelry. And with the technology that diamond cutters have today, it is now easier to achieve the perfect cut heart-shaped diamonds without wasting so much raw material.
Things to Look for When Purchasing a Heart Cut Diamond
Despite the advancements in polishing the diamond, it still takes extreme skill, precision, and meticulous planning and execution to make the 56-58 facets of the heart cut diamond. An excellent cut heart-shaped diamond must have two symmetrical halves that meet in the sharply defined cleft. Buying the perfect one is hard to do, that’s why we are here to recommend a few things that you should keep in mind while shopping for a heart cut diamond.
- The diamond’s size– When it comes to heart cut diamonds, it is not recommended that you should purchase a diamond that is lower than 0.5 carats. This is because the heart shape will not be easily seen when it comes to smaller stones. But on the other hand, heart cut diamonds that have over 2.00 carats will emphasize your diamond’s detail well but it will not look as brilliant. That’s why you should settle with a 1.00 or 1.50-carat heart cut diamond.
- The diamond’s bow-tie effect – A bow-tie effect is the narrow band of darkness that can be sen across the middle of the diamond. It affects the diamond’s quality because it detracts from the light that is reflected through the diamond. That’s why before you buy a heart cut diamond, be keen and look if it has a bow-tie effect because this can affect the diamond’s brilliance and shine.
- The heart cut diamond’s symmetry – When purchasing a heart cut diamond, make sure that the rounded halves of the heard a completely symmetrical and they should meet in the middle of the diamond’s sharp cleft. It is important to know the diamond’s symmetry because it can affect the look of your engagement ring if they are not perfectly identical or balanced.
- The heart cut’s silhouette – A heart cut diamond can come in fat, narrow, or in-between silhouettes although choosing this is all a matter of personal preference. But remember, a heart cut diamond has an average width to length ratio of between 0.09 and 1.10.
The Heart Cut Diamond’s Popularity
The heart cut diamond is considered to be the 9th most popular diamond shape. And because it is rare to find a heart cut diamond, its popularity often tends to surge and decline. Celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj are all seen sporting a ring with a heart cut diamond in it.