What exactly is Hearts and Arrows? Hearts and Arrows is a special optical effect that appears on round brilliant cut diamonds. You cannot see it with your naked eyes. A professional tool is needed to view this pattern clearly.
When you look from the bottom of the diamond, which is called the pavilion, you can see eight arrow shapes. These arrows line up in perfect symmetry. If you turn the diamond over and look down from the top table, you will see eight neat heart shapes. People use a special magnifier, named hearts and arrows scope, to watch this unique view. Normal glasses or magnifiers cannot show the full pattern well.
Many buyers have a common question. Is a Hearts and Arrows diamond always a high-quality one? The answer is no. This effect alone cannot prove the overall quality of a diamond. It only tells you that the diamond has great symmetry.
The value of a diamond is judged by the world famous 4C standard. They are Carat weight, Color, Clarity and Cut. A diamond can have perfect Hearts and Arrows pattern, but its proportions may be very bad. For example, if the pavilion is too deep or too shallow, light will leak out from the sides or bottom. In this case, the diamond will look dull and dark. Such stones are never top grade.
Hearts and Arrows only connect with Symmetry in diamond cut. To form clear hearts and arrows, the cutting angles, sizes and symmetry must be extremely accurate. For this reason, most diamonds with this effect get high symmetry grades, such as Very Good or Excellent.
Even so, it cannot stand for other key parts of diamond cutting. The first one is Proportions. It includes table size, crown angle, pavilion depth and more. These details directly affect three important features: Brilliance, Fire and Scintillation. A diamond with perfect symmetry but poor proportions will never shine brightly. The second part is Polish. It means how smooth the diamond surface is.
Here is an important knowlege for all buyers. A diamond with Excellent Cut grade already owns top-level symmetry and polish. Most of them can show clear Hearts and Arrows. But the rule does not work the other way around. A diamond marked with Hearts and Arrows may not get an overall Excellent Cut grade. Having hearts and arrows is a possible result of Excellent cut, not a must.
Now let’s talk about shopping tips. Should you pay extra money just for Hearts and Arrows?
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Do not chase this concept blindly. Many jewelry sellers use it as a marketing trick to rise prices. You should focus more on the official report from famous labs like GIA. Always check the full 4C grades on the certificate first.
Put Cut grade on your top list when you choose diamonds. If you have enough budget and want the best shine and fire, pick diamonds with GIA Excellent Cut. Almost all of them present beautiful Hearts and Arrows, and their light performance is the best you can get.
Diamonds with Very Good Cut have better cost performance. They may also show hearts and arrows, but their shine will be a little weaker than Excellent ones.
You can treat Hearts and Arrows as a nice romantic extra. It carries a lovely meaning: wholehearted love and forever romance. It is a wonderful symbol for couples. As long as you do not pay unreasonable extra cost for it, it is a nice plus point.
All in all
Hearts and Arrows is just an optical phenomenon. It only reflects good symmetry of a diamond. It is a bonus, not a necessary standard. You should not make your final choice only based on this feature.
GIA Excellent Cut is the highest rating for overall cutting quality. It covers proportions, symmetry and polish all together. It makes sure the diamond has the best brilliance and fire. Cut is the most important factor that decides how beautiful a diamond looks. You need to take it as your first choice.
Bottom Line
Here is the final suggestion for you. Within your budget, choose diamonds with GIA certificate and Excellent Cut grade first. In this way, you will get a high-quality diamond with amazing shine. It will most likely have perfect Hearts and Arrows as well. This is the smart way to buy a diamond.
You may run into problems when selecting diamonds. Welcome to contact us, and our team will provide you with professional and reliable advice.