This is a nagging question that not everyone knows the answer to. Diamonds are wrapped in a lot of mysteries and questions the uninitiated may find baffling. Questions like: where do they come from? Are they ethically mined? How are they cut to give such brilliance and sparkle, and so forth? As if dwelling on these were not cerebrally tiresome enough, here’s another one: Hearts & Arrows diamonds: should you buy one?

This question surely will make you floor the brake pedal and exclaim “Hey, wait a minute! Hearts & Arrows diamonds? What are they? I haven’t even heard of them.”

Hang tight and let’s dive in…

Hearts & Arrows  Diamonds

Hearts & Arrows is a diamond grade that is so exquisitely and accurately cut to display a pattern of eight impeccably symmetrical hearts when viewed down from the top and eight arrows when viewed through the pavilion (see chart).

This diamond cut type is very rare. Its superb symmetry requires a very high degree of craftsmanship, painstaking attention to detail, and a careful and persevering pair of hands to shape a diamond to such exacting details; something close to perfection. In fact, they can only be bought from jewelry shops with the highest grading credentials—with appropriate GIA recommendations.

Many diamonds may claim to have the “hearts and arrows effect” but fall short upon closer inspection. This doesn’t mean, however, that they are of lesser quality. But nothing beats the sheer beauty of the Hearts & Arrows diamonds. The light they reflect back to the viewer is awesome and stunning.

History of the Hearts & Arrows Diamonds

The hearts and arrows diamonds originated in Japan.

In the 1970s and 80s, Japanese artisans took a closer study of the formations of the stones they were cutting. These studies led to the invention of the Firescope—an instrument to distinguish the properties of each stone by the amount of light they absorb and give off.

Then in 1980, Takamori Tamura, one of the artisans, after having observed thousands of diamonds, noticed that they all display a pattern that looks like a Mandala—a Buddhist term denoting an 8-spoked wheel of life. Consequently, this discovery gave birth to the Hearts & Arrows template for a gem’s quality and beauty.

Soon after Higoshi Higuchi was tasked to cut a stone with an eight-arrow pattern for optimum brilliance. It was called the Eight-Star Diamond: the precursor of the Hearts & Arrows. And this is where the Firescope was put to good use. People used the instrument to gauge a diamond’s light performance and the symmetry of its crown and pavilion. It helped them make better buying decisions.

Through the Firescope, you can see the precision-cut patterns of the facets that produce the Hearts and Arrows effect. It is awesome and rare because only 1% of all diamonds are cut to the exacting details found in the Hearts and Arrows diamonds category.

Are True Hearts Diamonds Worth It?

Hearts & Arrows diamonds are painstakingly crafted to such a high level of quality. And only the best gem-cutters can do such a feat.

But are they worth it? Should you buy one for yourself? Don’t, if your inner voice tells you not to. Instead, focus your search on diamonds with excellent glitter and fire.

However, if you feel strongly about it, then go ahead and buy one. Its exquisite quality is above par. They are worthwhile investments should you decide to sell them in the future.

Do bear in mind that there are many beautifully-cut diamonds to match every budget. No one is going to fault you for buying something of lesser quality. But remember that Hearts & Arrows diamonds came from the tireless work of expert gem cutters who expect to be paid fairly for the amount of time and patience they spent to create such a masterpiece.

If you look at it that way, yes, they are worth it, and here are three good reasons why…

Benefits of buying Hearts & Arrows Diamonds

When it comes to diamonds, the Hearts & Arrows diamond is definitely a masterpiece. and is often taken to symbolize love and romance. And buying one will benefit you in three ways:

First: they create a more appealing appearance that captures the viewer’s attention—if cut to super ideal standards; they display a better contrasting pattern in reflecting light.

Second, they have a more optimized alignment and polish, resulting in bigger virtual facets.

Do Hearts and arrows diamonds look bigger, then? Yes, they look bigger than standard ideal cut diamonds because they exhibit more edge-to-edge brightness. Their exacting proportions create a higher degree of light return and sparkle; more vivid and intense.

Third: they have more reflection of light and better scintillation. This is caused by their having bigger virtual facets. An excellent hearts and arrows diamond will look bigger, livelier, and brighter than a generic GIA excellent grade diamond.

Are Hearts and Arrows Diamonds Good?

Savvy diamond shoppers are now familiar with the term “hearts and arrows,” or simply, H&A. Originally introduced in Japan in the 1980s, they are now increasingly appreciated worldwide.

So, are they good? That is for you to decide. But more and more diamond cutters are now aiming for H&A than before. Though they require excellent craftsmanship, time, patience, and suitable rough materials, they command a higher price in the marketplace.

In fact, if you look at them in terms of beauty, hearts and arrows diamonds are not only good but special. They have facets positioned in the right places and at the right angles to bounce light internally to other facets, then bounce it back to the viewer’s eyes. They are built for optimized light performance.

Note: light performance is a measure of a diamond’s interaction with light. It is the most accurate and comprehensive way to determine a diamond’s visual appeal and its uniqueness. In fact, light performance is another measure of a diamond’s quality on top of the 4Cs.

H and Arrows Diamonds vs Brilliant Cut

When shopping around for diamonds, you will definitely encounter such terms as H&A and round brilliant cut. In fact,  you may get them from the very jewelers you visit in the course of your quest. Both terms are used interchangeably or to compare one against the other. For an ordinary shopper like you, the two seem to be an imbroglio. So let’s untangle them.

What is a brilliant-cut diamond

A brilliant-cut diamond, not unlike the one in this Ritani review, also known as the round brilliant, is the most common and famous diamond cut on the market. In fact, three-fourths of all diamonds sold are brilliant because of their unrivaled fire and brilliance.

But what is it? Let’s put the horse before the carriage, shall we?

Diamonds have been around for billions of years but it was only in the past few hundred years that man discovered that they can be faceted and polished into beautiful gems.

The round brilliant cut diamond was the first diamond introduced into the market right after the discovery of diamonds in 1876 in South Africa. But they look drastically different than the round brilliant cut you see today. And this is due to the work of Marcel Tolkowsky, a Belgian-born gemologist, and mathematician.

The modern-day brilliant cut

In 1919, Tolkowsky established the best way to design, cut, and polish the ideal diamond. Of course, it took him years to determine the perfect symmetry and proportion for a gem to reach its full potential.

According to Marcel’s theory, a diamond must be cut to allow light to enter it through the top and exit it back through the top. This gave birth to brilliant-cut diamonds. They are so-called because of their excellent fire, brilliance, and scintillation.

 To make it put up a display of fantastic light management, a brilliant-cut diamond must have 57 facets (58 if it is polished with a culet). And these facets must be distributed as follows (see diamond anatomy chart for better understanding): 1 table facet on the crown, 8 bezel facets, 8 star facets, and 16 upper girdle facets. The pavilion should have 8 main pavilion facets and 16 lower girdle facets. Add to these, a culet.

Is that all that’s needed to make a brilliant cut? No. To make it give off its sparkle and brilliance, the pavilion, crown, and table must be in specific proportion to each other. Otherwise, the diamond would look dull and lifeless.

H&A vs Brilliant

A round brilliant cut diamond has 57 facets (58 if the bottom culet is included). H&A round brilliant also has 58 facets. But because of the exacting standards in which it is cut, H&A could never be a plain round brilliant, but a round brilliant can be an H&A. Here’s how…

For a round brilliant to be graded as an H&A, it must have a combination of proportions and optical precision.

Note: optical precision is the consistency of facet shape and size. They must be perfectly aligned as they are indexed for polishing.

For a gem cutter to elevate a round brilliant to an H&A grade, he or she must be skilled enough to address these issues from a 360-degree perspective. Then and only then can he make light perfectly reflect off adjoining facets.

What if a jeweler claims his diamonds are H&A grade? Many do and you may be taken in by their claims. To avoid this, ask for a hearts and arrows diamond certificate.

Hearts & Arrows Diamonds: Should You Buy One?

As mentioned earlier, buying “hearts and arrows diamonds” may not be a move if all you want is a simple diamond engagement ring like the one in this Natalie Diamonds review. However, if you want to splurge on something super special, then it is the ultimate choice—provided you know where to buy it from and how.

Not all jewelry shops are certified to carry the hearts and arrows grade of diamonds. So the first thing you do is to ask if their diamonds are certified.

There are several bodies that grade diamonds and certify them.  But among the most trusted are:

• GIA – Gemological Institute of America
• AGSL – American Gem Society Laboratories
• AGS ASET – American Gem Society ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Technology)

How diamonds are graded

Both GIA and AGS bodies have comparable results in the basics of diamond grading such as carat weight, clarity, color, fluorescence, polish, and symmetry.

But they differ in their measuring and judging cut quality. While both have the same way of sectional measurements, the AGS writes them in its proportions diagram. On the other hand, the GIA certification further rounds off some of the average measurements to the nearest half degree, resulting in different and tighter values.

Here comes the AGS ASET.

Instead of taking facet measurements, the AGS uses the Angular Spectrum Evaluation Technology, to measure the brightness exhibited by a diamond. In other words, the ASET is the modern version of the Firescope.

So when you go out to buy a “hearts and arrows” diamond, don’t just take the word of the dealer. Ask for an AGS certificate with an attached ASET image of the diamond.

What does Hearts and Arrows mean in a diamond?

It means precision-cut round diamonds. Its facets are exactly of the same size, set at the same angle, and perfectly symmetrical. In effect, it shows a pattern of hearts and arrows when viewed through a special tool. The arrows are visible when viewed from the top and the hearts when the diamond is face-down on a flat surface.

Of course, “hearts and arrows” diamonds come with a special price tag. Making one requires long hours of work by an expert gem cutter.

When it comes to colorless diamonds, cut quality is a very important factor. It can make or break a diamond; make them shine and glow like the sun, or be dull like a clump of broken glass.

Is a Hearts and Arrows Diamond for You?

For most shoppers, having a well-cut diamond with enough sparkle is good enough. But there are a few who wants to go beyond that—go for the diamonds with super-sparkle. For most people, a simple sedan is good enough. But not for a few who wants to go around in a limo. That’s exactly the same kind of mindset that drives people to go out and buy diamonds with overwhelming beauty and sparkle—the “hearts and arrows” diamond.

Now that you know more about hearts and arrows diamonds, you should brush up on the importance of diamond cuts. Read our article “No Cutting Corners: Why Is Diamond Cut Important.”