Heart
A heart shape is a brilliant-faceted stone in the outline of a heart — effectively a pear with a cleft cut into the rounded end.
Also known as: Heart cut, Heart-shaped brilliant
| Outline | Heart |
|---|---|
| Faceting | Modern brilliant |
| Typical use | Engagement rings, pendants |
| Availability | Uncommon |
| Common issue | The cleft and point are both vulnerable; symmetry is critical to the shape reading clearly as a heart |
| Typical L:W ratio | Close to 1.00 (symmetrical) |
What defines the cut
A heart shape is a brilliant-faceted stone cut with a distinct cleft at the top and a single point at the bottom — structurally related to a pear shape with an added notch. It's a demanding shape to cut well: at very small sizes the cleft can be hard to see clearly, and the two lobes must be closely symmetrical for the outline to read unambiguously as a heart rather than an odd pear.
Buying considerations
- Symmetry between the two lobes is the single most important quality factor — an off-centre or shallow cleft weakens the shape's identity more than most other cut-quality issues would on a different shape.
- Below roughly 0.5ct, the heart outline can become difficult to distinguish at a glance — worth viewing the actual stone or a close video rather than judging from carat weight alone.
- Both the cleft and the bottom point are structurally more delicate than a round or oval outline and benefit from protective prong placement.
Jewellery suitability
Given the shape's obvious symbolism, hearts are most often chosen for engagement rings and pendants rather than earrings or eternity bands. They're a comparatively uncommon choice as a centre stone relative to round, oval or cushion.
Frequently asked questions
- How small can a heart shape diamond be and still look like a heart?
- There is no fixed cutoff, but many cutters and buyers find the outline starts to lose clarity below roughly 0.5ct — smaller stones can still work but deserve closer inspection.
- Which way up does a heart shape get set?
- Point down, cleft up — the orientation is effectively fixed by the shape itself, unlike pear or oval where orientation is a choice.
Compared with
Related cuts
A pear is a brilliant-faceted shape combining a rounded end with a single point, resembling a teardrop.
An oval is an elongated brilliant-cut shape — effectively a stretched round brilliant, with the same 57/58-facet arrangement adapted to an elliptical outline.
A cushion is a square or rectangular shape with rounded corners and sides, giving it a soft, pillow-like outline; the modern cushion brilliant applies contemporary brilliant faceting to that outline.
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