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What should I look for in a pear diamond?

Rhea

Rhea

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
6,415
I hate starting this topic, because I'm just kinda window shopping, but after obsessing every evening in front of JA I figured it's never too early to start! Right?

Pears are my first love and I've started shopping for one to make into a pendant but I know nothing about pears. I tried on a 1 carat (for £8,000 choke choke) in a high street jeweller's one day and it was too large. I've been looking in other jewellers but they don't seem to have a simple single pear setting and I don't want to go in and talk to anyone because I don't think I'm a serious shopper yet.

The one I tried on was a gia VS something clarity and I colour. I couldn't spot any colour and I'm not sure that I would really care if I did, I wear tinted colour OEC earrings everyday, uncerted but appraised L and M.

What I think I want:
small pear by PS standards, I'm in the UK and we don't go big here. Plus I'm not a pendant person usually and want the option to wear this everyday without looking like I'm dripping in diamonds. I wear jeans, t-shirts, and converse or ballet flats to work everyday.
$1,500USD is probably a reasonable upper limit. I need to consider the UK's 20% VAT.
don't mind lower colour or lower clarity. Clarity is probably more of a mind clean thing for me than colour, but I don't want to pay for something I can't see.

I think I know what I like. I'm obsessing over a .44 on JA's website right now, but I wish I could make it grow just a bit. How do I tell if it's well cut? I know I don't like them too chubby or too long but the bow tie thing confuses me unless it's very obvious. Please help me understand what a well cut pear is and what I should be looking for so I can start moving along in the process even if I'm not quite to buying point yet.
 
Rhea|1402067375|3687816 said:
I hate starting this topic, because I'm just kinda window shopping, but after obsessing every evening in front of JA I figured it's never too early to start! Right?

Pears are my first love and I've started shopping for one to make into a pendant but I know nothing about pears. I tried on a 1 carat (for £8,000 choke choke) in a high street jeweller's one day and it was too large. I've been looking in other jewellers but they don't seem to have a simple single pear setting and I don't want to go in and talk to anyone because I don't think I'm a serious shopper yet.

The one I tried on was a gia VS something clarity and I colour. I couldn't spot any colour and I'm not sure that I would really care if I did, I wear tinted colour OEC earrings everyday, uncerted but appraised L and M.

What I think I want:
small pear by PS standards, I'm in the UK and we don't go big here. Plus I'm not a pendant person usually and want the option to wear this everyday without looking like I'm dripping in diamonds. I wear jeans, t-shirts, and converse or ballet flats to work everyday.
$1,500USD is probably a reasonable upper limit. I need to consider the UK's 20% VAT.
don't mind lower colour or lower clarity. Clarity is probably more of a mind clean thing for me than colour, but I don't want to pay for something I can't see.

I think I know what I like. I'm obsessing over a .44 on JA's website right now, but I wish I could make it grow just a bit. How do I tell if it's well cut? I know I don't like them too chubby or too long but the bow tie thing confuses me unless it's very obvious. Please help me understand what a well cut pear is and what I should be looking for so I can start moving along in the process even if I'm not quite to buying point yet.
Click to expand...


Hi Rhea!

What an exciting project! It's so difficult to quantify what makes a well cut pear, no real answers unfortunately as you can't use numbers to give you a basic outline of what might be a promising stone as you can a round...I think the only answer one can give is for a fancy shape, a well cut example is one which is appealing to the buyer's eyes.

I love pears and own one myself, I know what I like in a pear but other's mileage might vary.

I like classic tear drop shaped pears.
I don't like shield shape pears with angular tops.
I don't mind a bow tie as long as it isn't too prominent.
I don't like a crushed ice effect, I prefer more of a structured virtual facet look.
I like pears to be mid range length to width ratio, not long and thin like a dagger, not short and fat like a rugby ball, something in between.

Here is a very useful shape selector you can use to see which L/W you like best.

http://datlas.com/shape-selector/

If you could post a screen shot or link to the pear you like, then we might be able to find out more about what you find appealing plus we can also help you search once we have a template, so to speak when you are ready. I would also say if you encounter a pear with an ex thin or very thin girdle, get an expert to check to make sure it isn't a potential durability issue, it's not necessarily the case it might be but it's a stone by stone call.

Here is also a nice tutorial on pear shapes, forgive me if you have already seen in but linking just in case.

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/pear-cut-diamond

Also I think GOG might have some videos I can link for you that might help too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0uIKhU5yvc
 
The 4 C's apply, but when selecting a pear, Length to Width ratio, and Shape Appeal are also important.

Preferred L:W is 1.50 to 1.75. The pear in my avatar is 1.62 (right smack in the middle of the range). 2.00+ and it is gaunt. 1.50- and it is stubby.

Shape appeal is also important. You want a girdle outline that is pleasing to the eye, like a teardrop. Some pears are blocky or have high shoulders or bulged wings. The cutlet placement should be in line with the bezels used to measure the table.

Some pears have a dark bowtie. It is preferred to minimize this.
 
Rhea|1402069710|3687857 said:
Thank you, Lorelei! I've read the tutorial cut applying it seems a totally different thing at times. I think my favourite little guy got away a couple of weeks ago :( This is guy who currently occupies a space on my phone so I can stare at it, http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/pear-shaped/0.42-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-260751
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you lost the one you wanted but this one is very pretty indeed! Looks like you prefer a L/W around 1.4 give or take, this little chap also has more regular virtual facets, he isn't crushed icy really, except for a little on towards the tip of the pear, but that's quite common in that area I find. I think from looking at this pear that you have a really good idea of what you like and you pick well, I also think he's a lovely stone and is nicely cut. The table size is greater than the depth but that really wouldn't be an issue for me if the overall proportions work. Can't really judge the bow tie that well from the video or static image but I would imagine in this diamond, it's actually minimal, the vendor would be able to tell you more. You could as I am sure you are aware, lower both colour and clarity a tad if you wish, but I am sure you know this and are choosing with your preferences in mind!
 
cflutist|1402069059|3687849 said:
The 4 C's apply, but when selecting a pear, Length to Width ratio, and Shape Appeal are also important.

Preferred L:W is 1.50 to 1.75. The pear in my avatar is 1.62 (right smack in the middle of the range). 2.00+ and it is gaunt. 1.50- and it is stubby.

Shape appeal is also important. You want a girdle outline that is pleasing to the eye, like a teardrop. Some pears are blocky or have high shoulders or bulged wings. The cutlet placement should be in line with the bezels used to measure the table.

Some pears have a dark bowtie. It is preferred to minimize this.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I prefer on the shorter side of the preferred length to width ratio. I think the highest length to width ratio that's caught my eye has been about 1.6:1. I know I can rule out a ton by the outline and the wing and shoulder shape. What do you mean the cutlet placement should be in line with the bezels used to measure the table? That's a bit out of my depth at the moment!

Do you have any photos of what a good pear is? Like one on a vendors website even if it's not in my size or budget range? I seem to learn from photos.
 
Lorelei|1402070826|3687868 said:
You could as I am sure you are aware, lower both colour and clarity a tad if you wish, but I am sure you know this and are choosing with your preferences in mind!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know! But piecing it all together seems to be the problem. Too many factors! Table, depth, bow tie, clarity, colour, price, girdle, shape...I'm exhausted and I've only just started thinking about this!
 
Rhea|1402071364|3687877 said:
Lorelei|1402070826|3687868 said:
You could as I am sure you are aware, lower both colour and clarity a tad if you wish, but I am sure you know this and are choosing with your preferences in mind!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know! But piecing it all together seems to be the problem. Too many factors! Table, depth, bow tie, clarity, colour, price, girdle, shape...I'm exhausted and I've only just started thinking about this!
Click to expand...

LOL! I do understand Rhea, t'will be well worth it when it does all come together, I don't think you need to worry anyway, you picked a corker as an example stone and with fancies, the numbers aren't critical anyway.
 
Rhea|1402071244|3687875 said:
Thanks! I think I prefer on the shorter side of the preferred length to width ratio. I think the highest length to width ratio that's caught my eye has been about 1.6:1. I know I can rule out a ton by the outline and the wing and shoulder shape. What do you mean the cutlet placement should be in line with the bezels used to measure the table? That's a bit out of my depth at the moment!

Do you have any photos of what a good pear is? Like one on a vendors website even if it's not in my size or budget range? I seem to learn from photos.
Click to expand...

This picture from the GIA Diamond Grading course showing correct culet placement in a pear (also showing nice shape appeal):

pear_culet.jpg
 
cflutist|1402083638|3688024 said:
Rhea|1402071244|3687875 said:
Thanks! I think I prefer on the shorter side of the preferred length to width ratio. I think the highest length to width ratio that's caught my eye has been about 1.6:1. I know I can rule out a ton by the outline and the wing and shoulder shape. What do you mean the cutlet placement should be in line with the bezels used to measure the table? That's a bit out of my depth at the moment!

Do you have any photos of what a good pear is? Like one on a vendors website even if it's not in my size or budget range? I seem to learn from photos.
Click to expand...

This picture from the GIA Diamond Grading course showing correct culet placement in a pear (also showing nice shape appeal):
Click to expand...

That makes sense. The language made me think you meant something fancier than the photo shows.
 
Hi Rhea! :wavey:

I think you are in excellent hands with Cflutist and Lorelei! They are giving you great info about selecting a pear.

I don't have nearly the knowledge that they do, but I do have a pear. Tripped into it at an estate jewelers. I saw it, I liked it, I bargained, I bought it.

I wound up having it certified and rather than F VS2 (which is what the jeweler estimated), it came back from GIA a G SI2. To this day, I cannot see, even under magnification, what makes it an SI2. But, under certain lighting conditions I see a little warmth in the tip. Keep in mind though I'm very color sensitive.

I say this because for me, G in a RB is different than G in a pear. I think color shows a little more easily in the pear tip face-up than the RB face-up. Also, don't be afraid of an eye-clean SI2. Mine is beautiful.

Just for the heck of it, when you search JA, just search based on price without narrowing anything else and browse what comes up. You may be surprised.
 
Thanks, Starry! I know I couldn't see or didn't mind, not sure which, colour in the GIA I I saw in the high street shop. I think it was set in platinum with a yellow gold chain, but I honestly cannot remember at this point. Because of this I've only been searching down to a J colour and even those I've found myself shying away from on JA's website because they look so yellow but I doubt they would set around my throat rather than on a stark white background!

I'll play around tonight and just put in an upper spending limit and see what pops up, thanks! Any photos or links of your pear, please?
 
Rhea|1402220207|3688744 said:
Thanks, Starry! I know I couldn't see or didn't mind, not sure which, colour in the GIA I I saw in the high street shop. I think it was set in platinum with a yellow gold chain, but I honestly cannot remember at this point. Because of this I've only been searching down to a J colour and even those I've found myself shying away from on JA's website because they look so yellow but I doubt they would set around my throat rather than on a stark white background!

I'll play around tonight and just put in an upper spending limit and see what pops up, thanks! Any photos or links of your pear, please?
Click to expand...
Here is a link to a thread, back in 2007. I don't think we can post photos with company logos anymore, so I'll just reference this thread and you can check out the pictures.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-pear-necklace-is-done-hooray.62061/

I'm also looking to re-set this necklace and started a recent thread about it here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-pear-is-getting-a-re-set.202746/
 
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