Learn about the pear shaped diamond: its history, the hidden benefits of having a pear shaped diamond for your engagement ring and what to look out for when shopping for one.
What Is A Pear Shaped Diamond?
A pear shaped diamond, also called a "tear-drop diamond", is a shape of diamond that is a cross between a round diamond and a marquise shaped diamond. It was invented in the year 1475 by a Flemish diamond cutter by the name of Lodewyk van Bercken.
Van Bercken revolutionized the diamond industry by creating the scaif, which was a diamond polishing tool that allowed him to quickly cut facets into diamonds that had never been seen before in the world. A bronze statue of Lodewyk van Bercken stands in Antwerp to commemorate his invaluable contributions to the diamond industry.
His innovative techniques and machinery allowed him to polish every single facet within the diamond, thus explaining the pear shaped diamond’s magnificent sparkle.
Celebrities Who Wear Pear Shaped Diamond Engagement Rings
With so many stylish celebs spotted wearing this cut, you would think that this is a modern shape. But it's dazzling facet pattern is irresistible to celebrities like Cardi B, Victoria Beckham, Kaley Cuoco, Katherine Heigl, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Jessica Simpson, and Elizabeth Taylor. These celebrities all donn the captivating pear cut diamond on their hands for their engagement rings.
The Four C’s For Pear Shaped Diamonds
Carat Weight On A Pear Shaped Diamond
Each pear shaped diamond contains 58 facets which is what provides its unparalleled level of light return. The 58 facets were modeled after its diamond predecessor, the round brilliant. Due to their elongated shape as well as difference in proportions, the pear cut diamonds visibly look larger than similar carat weighted round diamonds.
That's not just an optical illusion, they are actually 8% larger on their top surface. The last pro about pear shaped diamonds vs round cut ones is that their cost per carat is usually lower, we've seen comparable pear cut diamonds go for about 30% less than a round brilliant diamond of similar specs.
This is one of the best examples in diamonds that we have seen when it comes to educating our clients about carat weight.
Have a look at these two diamonds. Which one do you think looks bigger?
Well the one on the right of course!
But guess what — the one on the right is actually a SMALLER carat weight. The stone on the left is a 1.35 pear shape and the one on the right is a 1.20 pear shape.
You must work with a diamond expert to truly ascertain the cut of a pear shaped diamond.
Color On A Pear Shaped Diamond
Pear shaped diamonds tend to show the most color on their tips on the point, so be sure you work with a professional who can properly assess the stone for you. As with all diamonds, how warm you want the stone to be is a matter of personal preference and you can make use of your setting to help elevate the color of your stone.
Clarity On A Pear Shaped Diamond
Pear shaped diamonds do tend to hide inclusions well, thanks to their brilliant cut facet pattern. This will help free up your budget to put toward the C’s that will be visible to your naked eye.
One of the major pros of picking a pear shape diamond for your engagement ring is that due to the fact that it is so brilliant and sparkly, you usually can go lower in the clarity grade because they disguise the inclusions so well.
Cut On A Pear Shaped Diamond
Did you know that only four percent of diamonds are cut into the pear shape? Now think about what percentage of those are cut to our incredibly strict standards. It's without a doubt that finding a well-cut pear-shaped diamond is truly an extraordinary find.
See below for how to properly look at cut grade on a pear shaped diamond.
Things To Look Out For With A Pear Shaped Diamond
So what should you focus on when picking your dream pear diamond? The first and most easily apparent is the length to width ratio. Do you like longer skinnier pears or do you like ones that have a little more width to them? We have found that most people happily find their dream pear in the 1.40- 1.70 length to width ratio range.
The second, and most important is symmetry in the pear shaped diamond. It is most desirable that the tip of the pear lines up with the middle, or the apex, on the rounded side. The curve should be evenly rounded without any distracting major curves on one side or the other. In fact, it should form a semicircle with delicately sloping sides. You may be distracted by how much fire and brilliance the diamond has but if you notice sometime down the line that the cut is a little wonky, it will bother you forever.
Third is called the bowtie affect. Just like ovals, each pear has to be independently examined to determine the effect of the bowtie on the stone. It is our top priority to assess ovals and pears alike for the potential of that dark pattern running through the center of the stone. This is because bowties detract from the brilliance of a diamond.
In some severe cases, it looks like the middle third of the diamond is just dark. Obviously, pears with distracting bowties wouldn’t be included in your selection of stones from Concierge Diamonds, but it is certainly something to look out for if you are not working with us on your engagement ring and shopping for diamonds online without the help of a concierge.
Pear shaped diamonds are so wonderfully unique and representative of the personality of the person who wears them. Its whimsical design leaves lots of room for creativity in engagement ring design as well as the fun ways to wear wedding bands. Many of our top ring designs are pear shaped ring guards, pear shaped ring enhancers and pear shaped flush fit wedding bands.
Do pear shaped diamonds cost less than round brilliant diamonds?
With just as many facets as its round brilliant counterpart at a fraction of the cost, as well as packing a huge punch with finger coverage in comparison to other shapes of the same carat weight, it really is a no brainer when it comes to selecting a pear shaped diamond for you engagement ring.
Orientation of a Pear Shaped Diamond
People with a pear shaped diamond engagement ring tend to wear them so the point of the diamond is directed toward the end of their finger. This elongates the look of their hand. All diamond engagement rings from Concierge Diamonds are designed with the safety of the center stone in mind. Work with our designers to ensure that your vision is executed in the safest way possible. We can offer options to protect your stone, such as working with V tip prongs and setting the stone as low as possible.
Pear Shaped Diamond Engagement Ring Designs
The marquise shaped diamond lends itself to very creative engagement ring designs. Below are some examples of of rings we’ve recently made for our marquise shaped diamond ring clients. Error loading block: Invalid parameter(s): attributes
If you’ve decided that a pear shaped diamond engagement ring is right for you, contact us today for a free consultation!
Want to see more? Check out our videos of pear shaped diamonds we’ve worked with.
If you’ve decided that a pear shaped diamond engagement ring is right for you, contact us today for a free consultation!
Check out some recent pear shaped shaped diamonds we’ve worked with.