Heart Cut Diamond

The Heart shape is a symbol of love for many. The Heart is a brilliant cut with curved lobes that stem from a centered cleft. The lobes slope down to form a point. The preferred length to width ratio for Hearts is 1:1.

Special Characteristics of the Heart Cut Diamond Shape

Color can be more visible in Hearts, especially in the lobe areas. Hearts may also show a bow tie. A bow tie is a dark area across the center width of many fancy shapes—a result of varying pavilion angles. Bow ties show as light return that is blocked by the head of the viewer. Fancy shapes like Ovals, Marquises, Hearts, and Pears will have bow ties of varying degrees, and it is best to avoid excessively deep or shallow stones. Look for hearts with balanced and symmetrical proportions. A defined cleft with even lobes and a sharp point are generally preferred.

Size Matters

Hearts look similar in size to Round Brilliants from the “face up” position, but inconsistent proportions can lead to differences in relative sizes. In general, Hearts face up well for their carat weight.

Basic Heart Cut Guidelines courtesy of http://www.gemappraisers.com/index.asp

CUT CLASSES	Class 1A	Class 1B	Class 2A	Class 2B	Class 3A	Class 3B	Class 4A	Class 4B
	Ideal cut	Premium cut	International fine trade cut		US domestic average cut		below average
Table %	55-60%	53-61.5%	52-62%	51-64%	51-67%	49-70%	48-72%	>72% <48%
Crown Height %	12-15%	11.5-16%	11-16.6%	10.1-17.5%	9-18%	8.3-18.9%	7.8-19.5%	<7.8% >19.5%
Girdle thickness Word descriptions and percentages.	V. Thin to Sl. Thick (0.4%-4.5%) or Thin to Thick (1%-5.5%)			V.Thin to Thick(0.4%-5.5%)	Very Thin to Very Thick (0.4% to 7.0%)		Extremely thin to Extremely thick (0.0% to >7.0%)
Total Depth %	59.0-63.0%			63.1-65.4%	56-68.5%	46-71%	43-73%	>73% < 43%
Length:Width Ratios Trade preferences. A matter of personal taste and choice.	Pear 1.50-1.75 Marquise 1.75-2.25 Heart 0.98-1.02 Oval 1.33-1.66				1.26-1.99 1.51-2.49 1.24-0.91 1.26-1.74		> Class 3 < Class 3
Polish/Symmetry Not a primary determining factor.	Excellent to Good				Good or Fair		Poor to Fair