What are "hearts and arrows" anyway?

[Imdanny]

Please assume I know NOTHING because I new to this.

Are hearts and arrows shadows?

Are hearts and arrows structure?

You can't see them except in normal light conditions or upside down?

It's all quite confusing.

(Yes, I did read WF's page on this.

I still don't understand it.

)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

When looking at the top of the diamond, you can sometimes see the arrows. Hearts and arrows really means the stones are precision cut to perfect symmetry. The hearts can only be viewed from the bottom when the stone is unset. Vendors such as WF and GOG show you the photos of the both the hearts and arrows. This is usually found on top quality stones.

 

[Lorelei]

I don''t know if you have seen this info on H&A patterning, but I thought I would post it anyway as you may find it helpful.

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

 

[Imdanny]

Wonderful! I''m going to spend time with that this weekend. Thanks!

 

[Allison D.]

It's a visually observable pattern of optical symmetry within a diamond when viewed through an H&A viewer.

It suggests a fine level of craftsmanship is the diamond exhibits the pattern to the more stringent guidelines used by Brian Gavin, who contributed the PS tutorial Lorelei linked to above.

 

[Imdanny]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ellen]

Here's a link that explains things in depth a bit. Not sure if you wanted more info, but it's here if you do. There are several, if not many cutters who can cut to this level.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-the-importance-history-of-hearts-and-arrows.68554/

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 3/1/2008 9:46:02 AM
Author:Imdanny
Please assume I know NOTHING because I new to this.

Are hearts and arrows shadows?

Are hearts and arrows structure?

You can''t see them except in normal light conditions or upside down?

It''s all quite confusing.

(Yes, I did read WF''s page on this.

I still don''t understand it.

)

Imdanny perhaps you want to know what the otpical effect is?
It is a structured lighting like an ideal-scope, but instead of being used to show light return / leakage and symmetry it is designed primarily to show these 2 patterns.
The arrows is easy, but the hearts requires a very specila relationship between the white reflector (top center above the stone), and the coloured foil reflector.
You can easily see photo''s of the H&A''s viewer - they all have a white top and coloured sides.

Typically the white part takes up the top 33 degrees. Compare this to Ideal-scope at around 27 degrees and ASET at 30 degrees and you can see why a diamond with arrows can be a little steeper / deeper than those that show up under the other 2 scopes which (in my opinion) are more geared to light performance than optical symmetry.

Hope that is what you wanted?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If you are technically mined this mess wil enthuse you.
The top right and lower left parts are what you need