Just curious, what does Hearts and Arrows mean?

[phantom]

Anyone?

 

[pelepup]

I think that it is a brand name of a diamond. I also think it is a way a diamond is cut so that you can see arrows on the top (looking down on the table) and see hearts when looking from below. I think you need a special viewer for this. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[Rockabye]

Click on this:

https://www.pricescope.com/tutor_hna.asp

 

[Adrienne]

Phantom -

Take a look at this page from the Pricescope tutorial:

http://www.pricescope.com/tutor_hna.asp

it will tell you all about Hearts and Arrows....

 

[Hest88]

What the tutorial doesn't quite say is that H&A is a phenomenon that manifests itself when a diamond is cut to display perfect internal symmetry. So, all RBs cut decently will show something like hearts and arrows, but only H&As have the perfect hearts and arrows appearance.

That perfect internal symmetry in turn means that you'll get a certain level of light performance. A H&A may not mean you'll get the best light performance, but you're not going to get anything near a dud, either.

They are not a branded cut, but many of the vendors you'll hear talked about here have branded their own H&A diamonds. If you have a knowledgable jeweler, you *can* buy unbranded H&A diamonds that are usually cheaper than the branded ones. However, a branded H&A is supposed to give the consumer a certain guarantee of quality.

 

[69gm]

i think another thing to watch out for is the fact that some people call their stones "hearts and arrows" when in fact they are not. some people use the term so loosely that any visible hearts and arrows are deemed hearts and arrows. this is not true as the cut-geeks can tell you. it has to be "perfect" hearts and arrows viewed under certain scopes (gem fantasy scope, etc.) to be a true hearts and arrows.

i like niceice.com's stringent grading on H&A. check out http://www.niceice.com/hearts_arrows.htm for their take on it.

wasn't there also a diamond posted that was supposed to be H&A but only had vg/vg pol/symm on one of the threads? those are the kind of things you have to be aware of...

 

[pqcollectibles]

The Hearts and Arrows appear as the result of the CUT giving the diamond perfect internal optical symmetry.

There are diamonds marketed as Hearts and Arrows that are not.
A diamond might exhibit the patterns, but they are not clean and crisp. So, the diamond is not a TRUE H&A. But, someone sees the patterns and laser inscribes the girdle H&A prior to submission for Cert. GIA and AGS note Hearts and Arrows in the comments section but do not screen for H&A or designate a diamond as an H&A.

Some unscrupulous people take advantage of the system to rake in a premium on a diamond. I considered one that had H&A listed in the comments of the GIA Cert. Once I got Sarin info, the diamond had a HCA score above 2, and was Rated as a good buy if the price was right. Using the Charts to determing the Cut grade, the diamond was over priced by $400.

Check out the Tutorial. You might also search past Forum threads for other Hearts and Arrows discussions.

 

[kayla17]

I just wanted to add that just because a diamond is a branded H&A does not necessarily make it more expensive.
Some vendors selling non branded H&A's sell them for the same price or even more than branded H&A's.
You will find that prices are very competitive and you have to shop around to get a fair deal. Superbcert and Whiteflash sell their branded H&A's for the same price or better than nonbranded ones.
For example, I purchased my 1.51 F VVS2 A Cut Above H&A (Branded) from Whiteflash for an even $15K. I found the following similar diamond with the same carat weight for more money. It is one clarity grade lower and has faint flourescence:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_51ct_f_vs1__h&a.htm

In general though, H&A's command a premium that ideal cut, but non-H&A's, do not. You have to decide if you see a difference and want to pay more for it.