So much fuss has been made about the "cut" of a diamond- including quite a bit by yours truly.

In fact, many "average" consumers ( ones not nearly as diamond aware as our readers) know that Cut is a very important "C"

This has lead to many sellers to target consumers by giving their particular diamonds "Cut Grades".

For example, the term "Ideal Cut" is bandied about recklessly. Such terminology does make it seem as though an "ideal Cut" is better than a ....regular (?) cut.

The term "Ideal" could actually refer to a particular specification on AGS reports.  But many times the term is used where no AGS reports exists.

HOW TO JUDGE A PEAR SHAPE'S CUT

Let's talk about "Make" , and "Model".
I'm using dealer and cutter lingo here. Many dealers will use the term " An excellent make"- Or " A well made Stone"- or " The parcel has good makes"
"Make"= what many consumers equate to "cut"

When we look at the "Make" of a Pear Shape we're looking at a lot of the things we look at in a round diamond.
These include things like: Do the facets line up properly? How is the depth/table combo? Does it sparkle? Look large for it's carat weight?
All these have to do with "the make" or how the diamond is cut.

Of course when judging Fancy Shaped Diamonds,  there's a lot more to consider than when judging a round.
For example, there's a lot of different shapes a pear shape can be.
When we are considering the overall shape of a Pear Shape ( or any fancy Shape) "Model" refers to the general outline of the stone. This is much more subjective than if a diamond is well cut.

Below is a lovely diamond. It was well cut with a lot of sparkle- no small feat considering the color. It's even more difficult for the cutter to get sparkle while trying to cut in a manner that maximizes the color.
It was well cut,  although it had an unusual model ( for us)


I'm sure the diamond lovers among you will notice the color first and foremost - it was a Fancy light Pink. A strong one at that. For that reason, I did not consider the shape a deficit.

But truth be told, I don't think I'd love a colorless pear shape with that model.

Here's a more organic model


When I say "Organic" I mean that the pear share- to me- is evocative of a tear drop. As such is should have a point at one end, opposed by a semi circular shape at the other end.
The pink had a flat bottom.

Not that any pear with a flat bottom is....bad.
In fact, there are surely folks that will disagree about what makes a nice model for a pear shape diamond.

What do YOU like?

If the cut was equal on both pears, for me, I'd rather go for the "organic" one.  To me, when someone says that they have a pear diamond, the "organic" shape comes to mind, not the other shapes.  But I like the color of the pink one!!!!!!

Tough question---I don't think that I can choose a favorite shape, I think I would have to take a look at each stone and judge on a stone by stone basis!

The first pear's shape reminds me of my Pink Lady

I know when I chose my pear shaped diamond--the shape was a huge factor!   I really like the make and model of my pear! (It is my perfectly, pudgey, pear)

David, would the "flat bottom" of the pink pear effect the price of the stone  -or would  that make no difference since someone may prefer that shape?   

A beautiful pendant Jen. It`s the first time I`ve seen it. I think pears are one of the most elegant diamond shapes which never date. I`ll nip up the motorway to borrow it should I ever have an audience with Her Majesty 

Naaah I wouldn`t want to overshadow the Queen`s bling 

Hi Everyone!

This is a good question. It brings up the discrepancy about names of cuts.
When I used to sell diamonds in the Caribbean, all the store owners were Indian. They speak such a lovely brand of English.
They always called pear shaped diamonds "Teardrops"
"Do you have a Teardrop David" ( I can hear the accent in my head)
But in the States, all the stores I used to sell to called them Pear Shapes.

Anyway, to my knowledge, there's no difference between a pear shape and a tear drop.

Ya wanna know a secret?  I don't really care for pears in rings.  I think that whole point up/point down thing is just too bewildering for me  .

But when I saw my sweet lil' pudgy baby-fat pear, I knew it was Just Right for a pendant-- and boy, is it.  My pendant is one of my absolute FAVORITE possessions.  I actually have to make myself wear other jewelry sometimes-- I have quite a few pretty earrings and necklaces, so some of the others should get an airing every once in awhile.

Another important phrase involving the cut of a pear shape is "bowtie"


Here's what causes bow ties in pear shapes: The facet patern in a pear shape is based rughly on that of a round briliant cut. The basis of this "brilliant' faceting is dividing the diamond into 8 parts. Look at the round I've marked up below, and you should be able to notice what I'm talking about.



Theoretically, we can divide this circle into 8 equal parts.

The culet is at the intersection of these lines, and all the main facets are based around this design.


Divide a teardrop ( insert Hindi accent here) into 8 parts, and they are all different.
Still, they meet at the culet, and all the facets are based no these 8 parts.



It's the longer facets created by the inherent shape that sometimes causes the effect.

Is a bow tie bad?

Not neccesarily. In fact,the difference in facet size it's part of the essense and beauty of the cut.
There are stones where it can be viewed as a detraction- I am very particular about this aspect - we don't carry "bad bowtie" stones.

Below is an example of a pear shape that has a bit of the bow tie effect, yet it does not detract from the beauty....

No Problem!
Here's I've outlined what could be termed as a "bowtie" on this yellow.


You can see why it got the name, if you look at the shape of the darker area in the center.
Still, the stone remains desirable because of it's color- and the fact that it's weaknesses in cut don't really affect the sparkle or life.

Cool E!
These close ups really exaggerate things as well- which is good for the purposes of making a point.
Looking at the yellow pear in person, the cut is really nice.

In fact, this pear is part of a pair of pears.....

or of course earrings to match GL pendant   

  Would the same be true for marquise diamonds? I've seen some with BAD bow ties, and often wondered if they got the "bow tie" for the same reasons some pears do....