A modified brilliant heart shaped diamond is the ultimate symbol of love. Symmetry is one of the most important aspects when choosing a heart-shaped diamond, as it is critical to have two identical halves.
The two wings should be slightly rounded, and the center cleft should be distinct and sharp.
With an 8 carat diamond, any small differences in symmetry between the two sides will be magnified compared to lighter carat weights. For this reason, we recommend that you only consider diamonds that have been graded ‘excellent’ for symmetry.
Heart diamond length-to-width (L/W) ratio
Heart shaped diamonds all fall onto a spectrum of silhouettes, ranging from thin to wide. With an 8 carat heart shaped ring, this can make a huge difference to the actual appearance of the stone.
It is up to you to decide your personal preference for silhouette, but the classic heart shaped silhouette is about 1.00. When setting a heart in a pendant, some buyers opt for a narrower cut (1.05 – 1.15). Conversely, hearts for solitaire rings are often slightly wider (.85 – 1.00).
Heart diamond cut quality guide
IDEAL | EXCELLENT | VERY GOOD | GOOD | FAIR | POOR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TABLE % | 55 – 60 | 53 – 63 | 52 or 64 – 65 | 51 or 66 – 68 | 50 or 69 – 70 | < 50 or > 70 |
| DEPTH % | 59 – 63 | 58 – 62 | 56 – 57.9 or 62.1 – 66 | 53 – 55.9 or 66.1 – 71 | 50 – 52.9 or 71.1 – 74 | < 50 or > 74 |
| GIRDLE | Very Thin – Slightly Thick | Very Thin to Thick | Very Thin to Very Thick | Extra Thin to Extra Thick | ||
| CULET | None | Very Small | Small | Medium | > Medium | |
| L/W RATIO | .98 – 1.02 | .95 – 1.02 | .89 – .94 or 1.03 – 1.05 | .83 – .87 or 1.06 – 1.10 | .80 – .83 or 1.11 – 1.15 | < .80 or > 1.15 |
| CROWN HEIGHT % | 12 – 15% | 11.5 – 16.6% | 10.1 – 17.5% | 9 – 18.9% | 7.8 – 19.5% | < 7.8% or |
Heart diamond ASET and Idealscope images
Both ASET and Idealscope images can help you to better exaluate the light performance of your diamond. Both tools will reveal areas of light leakage in white, but an ASET reading contains more detailed information.
Because of this, it is the preferred method for evaluating fancy cut diamonds like the heart shape. However, because of the idealscope’s simplicity, it is a more user-friendly tool for non-gemologists. All you need to know when reading an idealscope is that white areas represent light leakage (bad) and red areas indicate light return (good).
Check out these images below for examples of ASET and Idealscope readings for heart diamonds.
