True Hearts? Please Define and Advise

[firsttimer90036]

What does this mean? Is it something I need? What else can you tell me about this?

 

[WinkHPD]

What does this mean? Is it something I need? What else can you tell me about this?

It is how James Allen Brands their better cut diamonds.

Wink

 

[Christina...]

Are you specifically referring to 'True Hearts' or to Hearts and Arrows in general? HA implies a certain level of cut precision. I say 'implies' because there is currently no industry standard and therefore anyone can claim a stone is HA even though that may or may not truly be the case. HA does not mean that the stone will have superior light performance, only that it should have superior optical symmetry. Those are two different things. HA is important to some people and less so to others.

Your question is a good one because many people assume that because a stone is labeled HA, it implies a certain level of quality of performance, which may not be the case.

 

[Todd Gray]

"True Hearts" is the brand name that internet diamond vendor James Allen uses to distinguish diamonds in their inventory which they deem to exhibit a pattern of hearts and arrows. As Christina pointed out, there is no official standard for grading hearts and arrows, and thus some dealers will refer to diamonds as being "Hearts and Arrows" or "H&A" when the pattern is what some of us would view as being sub-standard, if it exists at all.

That said, there are unofficial grading standards which exist within the tight knit community that does produce and represent diamonds which do exhibit crisp and complete patterns of hearts and arrows... these standards are based upon the original grading criteria used by the Central Gemological Laboratory of Japan and the Zenhokyo Gemological Laboratory of Japan. The HRD Laboratory out of Belgium also has standards for grading hearts and arrows, there is a lot of discussion on this topic to be found within the archives of PS and within the tutorial sections featured on the web sites of some of the more prominent vendors and people who contribute to this site.

Within the realm of "ideal cut diamonds" there are different categories or classifications, which might be viewed as representing different levels of perfection. There are ideal cut diamonds which are cut to the outer edges of the range of proportions defined by the AGS Laboratory as being the criteria for their zero ideal cut rating, and ideal cut diamonds which are cut to a tighter range of proportions which people like myself view as being the "sweet spot" in terms of producing the highest volume of light return and a balance of brilliance and dispersion which appeals to our personal taste in terms of what a round brilliant cut diamond should look like.

The different combinations of proportions, combined with the precision of optical symmetry that the diamond is cut to and number of facets, will create different amounts of contrast within the diamond, different balances of brilliance and dispersion (fire), as well as dictate whether the sparkle or flashes of light emitted by the diamond are large or small in size by changing the size and number of virtual facets...

My personal preference is for round brilliant ideal cut diamonds, cut to the center of the range specified for the zero ideal cut rating, standard facet structure, with a precise pattern of hearts and arrows... because I like diamonds which exhibit high levels of contrast, brightness and a high degree of brilliance and dispersion which is relatively equal. Diamonds which exhibit high amounts of contrast between the arrows pattern and other areas of the diamond are more likely to appear as if they are sparkling in an office environment where fluorescent lighting is used, diamonds with lesser degrees of contrast tend to look as if they are washed out in that scenario...

Note that a diamond is NOT hearts and arrows simply because a vendor says that it is... look for a hearts pattern which is even in size, shape, spacing, tips that do not twist or bend (especially in opposite directions) and the tips of the hearts should not bleed into the arrowheads located beneath them.

 

[WinkHPD]

"True Hearts" is the brand name that internet diamond vendor James Allen uses to distinguish diamonds in their inventory which they deem to exhibit a pattern of hearts and arrows. As Christina pointed out, there is no official standard for grading hearts and arrows, and thus some dealers will refer to diamonds as being "Hearts and Arrows" or "H&A" when the pattern is what some of us would view as being sub-standard, if it exists at all.

That said, there are unofficial grading standards which exist within the tight knit community that does produce and represent diamonds which do exhibit crisp and complete patterns of hearts and arrows... these standards are based upon the original grading criteria used by the Central Gemological Laboratory of Japan and the Zenhokyo Gemological Laboratory of Japan. The HRD Laboratory out of Belgium also has standards for grading hearts and arrows, there is a lot of discussion on this topic to be found within the archives of PS and within the tutorial sections featured on the web sites of some of the more prominent vendors and people who contribute to this site.

Within the realm of "ideal cut diamonds" there are different categories or classifications, which might be viewed as representing different levels of perfection. There are ideal cut diamonds which are cut to the outer edges of the range of proportions defined by the AGS Laboratory as being the criteria for their zero ideal cut rating, and ideal cut diamonds which are cut to a tighter range of proportions which people like myself view as being the "sweet spot" in terms of producing the highest volume of light return and a balance of brilliance and dispersion which appeals to our personal taste in terms of what a round brilliant cut diamond should look like.

The different combinations of proportions, combined with the precision of optical symmetry that the diamond is cut to and number of facets, will create different amounts of contrast within the diamond, different balances of brilliance and dispersion (fire), as well as dictate whether the sparkle or flashes of light emitted by the diamond are large or small in size by changing the size and number of virtual facets...

My personal preference is for round brilliant ideal cut diamonds, cut to the center of the range specified for the zero ideal cut rating, standard facet structure, with a precise pattern of hearts and arrows... because I like diamonds which exhibit high levels of contrast, brightness and a high degree of brilliance and dispersion which is relatively equal. Diamonds which exhibit high amounts of contrast between the arrows pattern and other areas of the diamond are more likely to appear as if they are sparkling in an office environment where fluorescent lighting is used, diamonds with lesser degrees of contrast tend to look as if they are washed out in that scenario...

Note that a diamond is NOT hearts and arrows simply because a vendor says that it is... look for a hearts pattern which is even in size, shape, spacing, tips that do not twist or bend (especially in opposite directions) and the tips of the hearts should not bleed into the arrowheads located beneath them.

Todd, I agree with what you have said, and would further state that it is more than just the achievement of the pattern, but also I think that the beauty of the diamond if further enhanced if the pattern is sharp and crisp so that it will lead to larger virtual facets which enables the diamond to display bigger flashes of white light, and thus also more flashes of dispersion, or fire, as it is often called. Too many diamonds may have the pattern, but it is fuzzy around the edges and results in smaller flashes of light and dispersion that should have.

I would further add that many vendors have taken to calling GIA X cut graded diamonds as Ideal when in fact the proper term for a GIA top graded diamond is Excellent rather than Ideal.

Unfortunately the GIA X cut grade is so large as to encompass about 40% of all diamonds being cut by the major cutters today, many of which are cut to such steep and deep proportions that with or without the H&A pattern they leak far too much light to be truly beautiful. It is becoming more imperative, not less, that each diamond actually be seen before finalizing the sale.

Wink