Introduction

Also known as a teardrop diamond, the pear is a brilliant cut diamond first created in Belgium by a gemstone polisher named Louis Van Berquem (Lodewyk) in 1458. The polisher was trying to maximize the size of the raw diamond stone and in the process, made a perfectly symmetrical water-drop-shaped cut that rose to fame afterward.

This cut diamond espouses the very essence of diamonds; brilliance. Its teardrop shape enhances its emotional value as it can be used to symbolize tears of joy or even raindrops. It’s no wonder that major celebs find this shape intriguing. For example, David Beckham got his wife a pear cut diamond for her engagement. That notwithstanding, the pear cut does not enjoy the same popularity the round cut diamond enjoys. However, its value and popularity have been rising in recent years and you might just want to have it before it shoots up.

Like most brilliant cut diamonds, the pear cut diamond has 58 facets, carefully crafted to maximize the brilliance of the diamond. And while most pear cut diamonds give off the bow-tie effect, the pear cut has a larger surface area to its carat weight compared to round cut diamonds. This is because of its elongated sharp point at the end. Furthermore, carat weight being constant, it’s cheaper as it’s easier to form from the raw diamond stone compared to other brilliant cut diamonds.

The Pear cut diamond must also be symmetrical for it to be considered exceptional. Both sides of the curve should mirror each other and there should be no straight edge along the girdle. This diamond cut is preferred for engagement rings as it has the ability to give the illusion of a long finger. It is also preferred on earrings as the teardrop shape would appear as if it’s dropping from the ear.

Summary

The cut grade of the pear cut diamond is determined by either:

1. Table – This the topmost part of a diamond. It is the area from which the diamond broadcasts its brilliance. It’s a mostly flat surface. The table is used to determine the cut grade of a pear cut diamond. The width of the table is divided by the diameter of the girdle to obtain a ratio. According to the Gemotology Institute of America, the best table ratio is between 53% and 63%.

2. The girdle – This is the outermost edge of a diamond. It’s classified as either thin, slightly thin, thick, or extremely thick. An extremely thin girdle is susceptible to chipping. The girdle can be smooth, rough or faceted. Since it’s usually hidden when engraved on jewelry, its effect on the cut grade is minimal.

3. The depth – The depth is the height of the diamond from top to bottom. The depth is divided by the width of the diamond’s girdle plane. A pear cut diamond with a small depth percentage is preferred as it increases the size of the diamond when viewed from the top. The best depth ratio of a pear-cut diamond is between 58% and 62%.

4. The Culet – The furthest point at the bottom of a diamond. It may be pointed or faceted. A small pointed culet maximizes the brilliance of the diamond as light does not except the diamond. If the depth of the diamond is big, then it’s better to have an extremely small culet to retain as much light as possible.

5. The Length Width ratio – This is the ratio that is used to determine how oval the pear shape is going to be. The longest side is divided by the shortest side. A ratio of 1.45 to 1.55 is preferred by most buyers. However, your tastes and preferences will dictate this.

The cut grade

The diamond’s value is not measured visually. Its quality is not ascertained by mere physical checks. Rather, it’s determined by its cut grade. The cut grade of a diamond determines how well the diamond was cut into its shape. A well cut diamond will have maximum brilliance and appeal making it more valuable. This also allows for an objective judgment of the diamond’s value rather than an emotional one.

The Gemological Institute of America is the most widely quoted and trusted evaluator of gems. They have determined the best measurements and ratios for each diamond cut through research and experiments done in the lab. For this reason, most of the diamond’s cut grade is based on the GIA measurements and recommendations.

The cut grade is determined through five major aspects of a diamond. These include:

1. Table
2. Girdle
3. Depth
4. Culet
5. Length/Width ratio

1. The Table

The table is the uppermost flat surface of a diamond. The length of the table is measured and divided with the width of the diamond to determine its cut grade. The table of a pear cut diamond is generally narrower than that a round cut diamond. We, therefore, take the length of the longest side of the table divided by the width of the diamond. For a round-cut, this ratio is usually 1.

An excellent pear cut will have a ratio of 53-63%. Such a ratio maximizes the size of the surface area. The ratio also determines how wide or narrow the pear cut diamond will appear when viewed from the top.

Being that the table’s length is indirectly proportional to the height of the diamond’s crown, a pear cut diamond with a large table generally tends to be shorter in height. A shorter diamond has the advantage of reduced carat weight but an increased surface area making the diamond appear larger than a diamond of the same carat. The shorter depth should worry you as it may not be visible to the eye while the diamond is set on a ring. However, a very short depth may make the diamond less brilliant.

Take caution to avoid selecting diamonds with very large tables as this may increase the bow-tie effect and reduce the brilliance of the diamond. A table ratio of more than 70% and less than 50% is considered to be of poor quality.

2. The Girdle

The girdle is the edge around the diamond where the crown meets the pavilion. It can be faceted, rough, or smooth. A faceted girdle is one with facets around the diamond. A rough girdle has not been polished. Basically, the gem cutter retained the authenticity of the diamond’s raw stone. The polished girdle is smooth and well cut. This, however, does not affect the appearance of the diamond when viewed from the top.

The size of the girdle only affects the depth of the diamond as well as the carat weight. These only increase the value of the diamond with no visible increase in its size.

The size of the girdle is determined by the GIA standards which rate it from extremely thin to extremely thick. A thick girdle, as stated, increases the carat weight of the diamond only. It does not affect the width of the diamond. However, a thick girdle makes the diamond stronger and less susceptible to chipping when setting in the ring, unlike an extremely thin one. Chipping can leave your diamond looking formless and poorly cut.

3. The depth

The depth of a diamond is the height measured from the topmost part on the table to the culet. The pear cut diamond’s cut grade is determined by measuring that height divided by the width of the diamond, which is also the diameter of the girdle. The ratio is then expressed as a percentage.

An excellent pear cut diamond has a depth ratio of 58% to 62%. Anything below 50% and anything above 70% is considered poor quality by the Gemotology Institute of America.

The depth of the diamond also affects how large or small it appears when viewed from the top. A short depth in a pear cut diamond increases the surface area of the diamond when viewed from the top. This is because the carat weight will be distributed along the girdle and table. However, take caution to avoid an overly shallow diamond as this may limit its brilliance. On the other hand, an extremely tall diamond will look more brilliant but will have extra carat weight and cost more. Take care when checking the depth to ensure you get the most optimal appearance.

4. The Culet

The furthest point at the bottom of a diamond is known as a culet. Sometimes, it’s usually a single point. Other times, it’s a small facet making up the 58 facets of a brilliant cut diamond. The GIA classifies the culet as none, small, slightly small, medium, large, slightly large and extremely large.

A pear cut diamond with a smaller culet will be more brilliant because it can retain most of the light within the diamond. A large culet will let most of the light pass through creating a dark area in the diamond which reduces the brilliance of the diamond. That notwithstanding, such a diamond with a large culet is hard to come by. However, most of the time, its size is negligible. But you can refine your selection of the pear cut diamond by choosing one with the smallest culet.

5. Length/width ratio

This ratio of a diamond is used to determine how oval and elongated the pear shape will be. The longest side’s length is divided by the shortest side measurement. This ratio is generally 1.00 for round cut diamonds with small variations. And a perfectly oval cut diamond has an L/W ratio of about 1.5.

The best L/W ratio for the pear cut diamond is considered to be 1.45 – 1.55 by the GIA. But of course, preference and taste take precedence. Less than 1.55 or more than 2.45 is considered a poor cut grade for the pear cut diamond. However, consider the 1.5 ratios to be the best shape for Pear.

The Color

Using color to determine the quality of a diamond is highly subjective. In most cases, it depends on the buyer’s preferences. The color grade of a diamond is labeled from D to H with D-F being the cool fluorescent colors and G-H being the warm colors. However, most buyers prefer the fluorescent color range driving the prices for this color range high. The actual differences, though, are unnoticeable but still effective.

However, carat weight has an indirect effect on color. The smaller a diamond is, the less significant it is color. For example, a 2 carat diamond with a color grade of G will be considered good quality whereas a 0.5 carat diamond with the same color grade will be rated excellent.

The clarity of the diamond can be determined using UV light rays. An exceptional brilliant cut diamond will emit a blue light when placed under UV rays. Have your gemstone dealer test this for you.

The Bow-tie effect

The bow-tie effect is a unique phenomenon in fancy cut diamonds such as pear, heart, oval, marquise, etc. Basically, it’s a dark inclusion resembling a man’s bow tie when the diamond is viewed from the top through the table. What happens is, as light enters into the diamond, it is blocked from certain angles and hence creating dark areas. This leads to some angles having no light to reflect out causing this dark region that resembles a bow-tie.

The Bowtie effect is not necessarily a bad thing. It in fact, in some cases, enhances the beauty of a diamond. What you don’t want is an overly large bowtie effect that blocks the brilliance of a diamond. Such a large bowtie is usually a result of a poor cut grade. So it should pique your attention when a diamond has a large bow-tie. It means the diamond is poorly cut.

The Carat Weight

The carat is the main unit of measurement of a diamond’s weight. One carat is an equivalent of 0.2 grams. The carat only measures the weight. It does not measure the brilliance of the cut, the color or other aspects. So it should be approached with a grain of salt. Having a large carat weight does not mean the diamond has an exemplary cut grade. In fact, most of the low-priced diamonds with large carats have poor cut grade.

After analyzing the cut grade, the carat becomes the second objective measure of a diamond’s quality. Note that the carat and the diamond’s value do not have a linear relationship. The large carat diamond will be multiple-times expensive than a smaller carat weight because large diamond stones are extremely rare to find and small diamonds cannot be combined to make one large one.

Additional points about the Pear cut diamond

• Pear shaped diamonds appear larger than round cut diamonds because of their elongated shape. They’re actually 8% larger on the top.
• Pear cut diamonds cost 10-30% less than round cut diamonds.
• The sharp tip of a pear-shaped diamond is extremely vulnerable to chipping. Prongs should be set to protect it.
• The top side of a pear cut diamond should have a perfectly cut semi-circle with smooth curves dropping down to a point.
• The color of a pear cut diamond tends to show mostly at the tip. Check this for color. Clarity of SI1 or SI2 is preferred. It’s eye-clean, meaning you can’t spot inclusions with the naked eye.