NOT ALL DIAMONDS MARKED AS HEARTS AND ARROWS ARE EQUAL AS THERE IS NO UNIVERSALLY AGREED STANDARD,
MANY MERCHANTS TAKE WIDE LIBERTIES IN ASSIGNING THE H&A DESIGNATION TO THEIR DIAMOND…WE DO NOT.
WHAT ARE HEARTS & ARROWS?
Hearts & Arrows diamonds are a specially crafted “super-ideal” cut of the tradition round brilliant cut 57 faceted diamond.
These magnificent Hearts & Arrows diamonds feature perfect proportions and symmetry with very little tolerance, as well as the highest grades for cut and polish. When viewed from certain angles, they reveal intricate patterns of hearts and arrows – a radial pattern of 8HEARTS when viewed through the pavilion (the bottom of the diamond) and a radial pattern of 8 arrows when viewed from the table (the top of the diamond). This effect is incredibly hard to achieve for even the most skilled diamond cutters.
This is how we define whether or not a diamond qualifies as a Hearts & Arrows:
HEARTS
- Every heart shape is perfectly aligned and symmetrical.
- Each heart shape is of equal intensity (they “light-up” evenly).
- Shoulders are pointed (squared-off) by the crown facets, not curved.
- There is no separation at the cleft.
- There is even separation between the arrowhead (v-shape) and the tip of each heart
ARROWS
- All the arrows are of equal size and are aligned.
- Each arrow is of equal intensity (they “light-up” evenly).
- No side effects, flagging and clustering.
- Triangles are evenly placed and are not scattered.
- All points of the arrowheads must extend to the girdle.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS PATTERN?
Even the poorest cut diamonds seem to sparkle like crazy when viewed under the pinpoint type lighting conditions provided by a jewellery store; however like most people if you do not live in a jewellery shop, then you are aware that the real world is illuminated by diffused light from varying sources in which diamonds do not sparkle. It is in such situations, deemed natural light, where the H&A diamonds truly shine. 8HEARTS’s H&A diamonds sparkle like crazy even outside of the ideal lighting conditions provided by a jewellery store, they sparkle equally well in pinpoint lighting, natural lighting and even in environments where diamonds do not necessarily radiate brilliance.
Hearts & Arrows diamonds exude the highest amount of brilliance, fire and sparkle allowing these magnificent everlasting gems to appear larger and whiter than non-H&A diamonds.
8HEARTS’S IOO% SUPER IDEAL CUT HEARTS & ARROWS DIAMONDS
The key quality of Hearts & Arrows diamonds is the perfect symmetry that the diamonds exhibit. Since optical symmetry is difficult to quantify because of the variations between each cutter and each stone, criteria need to be standardized for consumers to avoid discrepancies, but unfortunately no such criteria has been established. As a result, varying retailers have a range in which they deem a certain diamond to be Hearts & Arrows even when they are not. It is possible for any round cut diamond to exhibit hearts and arrows to some extent, however, it requires an incredible amount of precision to produce a complete pattern of hearts and arrows. The slightest variation in facet size, shape, or alignment, skews everything and the hearts will not be consistent in size and shape but many retailers still claim this slight slippage as Hearts & Arrows. We do not.
Here are the differences between diamonds that are up to our values and standards versus that of our competitors :
8HEARTS Hearts & Arrows Information
I.Hearts
- A : V-shape/ Chevrons are not uniformly separated from the hearts.
Our standard
Other’s standards
The lower girdle half length is uneven creating a crooked heart shape pattern. Some places are thicker (A), while others are thinner (C). Even though this asymmetry might not be visible to the naked eye for the average person, we at 8HEARTS believe this pattern simply does not qualify for our standards.
- B : V-shape / Chevrons are uneven in shape and sizes.
Our standard
Other’s standards
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- C : Inclusions are found, and intensity is not even throughout the diamond.
Even though the V’s are perfect and the heart shapes are uniform and look good, there are multiple small inclusions found throughout the entire diamonds. Such inclusions will reduce the brilliance of the diamond which is why 8HEARTS diamonds are crafted with extreme care. Point A shows areas of the heart pattern which are of uneven intensity.
2. Arrows
- A : Arrows are not aligned well, and are asymmetrical.
All the arrows are visible and distinct, however some of the arrow heads are misaligned. Some are shifted a bit to the right or to the left. Others have uneven lengths at the point where the shaft meets the head.
- B : The table is asymmetrical and the triangles are uneven in shape, misaligned, and at different intensity.
The triangles are not congruent and symmetrical. Furthermore, the table is not perfectly symmetrical either.
A: Left triangle is larger and darker than the right.
B: Both triangles are uneven in shape.
C: One half of the triangle is completely invisible which reduces brilliances.
D: One triangle is twice as big as the other, reducing the sparkle of the diamond.
- C : Clustering and side effects
Light blue circles: Side effects are found near the ends of shafts. These white reflections are added due to poorly cut star facets.
Dark blue circles: Clustering occurs near the table.
