Pear Shaped Diamonds
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When a diamond cutter chooses to do a “fancy cut,” s/he is essentially making exquisite
lemonade out of what amounts to a lemon. Pear diamonds are an example of a less
common, but no-less-extraordinary cut of diamond.
What Makes Pear Shaped Diamonds “Fancy”?
Diamonds are a form of carbon that was subjected to preternatural levels of heat
(upwards of 10,000 degrees!) and geologic pressures deep under the earth’s crust
up to three billion years ago. Because of the molecular arrangement, diamonds usually
have a natural octagonal shape, much like two pyramids joined at the base. These
octagonal diamonds lend themselves best to traditional diamond shapes such as round
brilliant – which is the most common and popular of all diamond shapes.
However, if the rough crystal is malformed, joined to another gem (“twinned”) or
has apparent internal flaws (“inclusions”), the diamond cutter may decide to do
a “fancy cut” – a category that includes pear diamonds.
Pear Diamonds and Tear Drops
Pear shaped diamonds are also described as “tear-shaped.” Because of their assymetrical
shape, pear diamonds are not particularly suited for rings, but look exquisite when
mounted in earrings, pendants and diamond necklaces. Pear diamonds have a rounded
end and a single point.
The only drawback of pear diamonds is that if they are cut too thin toward the point,
they can be very fragile, and therefore difficult to insure. If you are planning
to purchase pear diamonds, you’ll want to make sure of the quality of the cut, and
that it’s fairly thick. Thin, or “shallow” stones are not only fragile (diamonds
actually can break, in which case they can becomes worthless), they fail to sparkle
as nicely (or display its fire and brilliance).
Other Fancy Cuts
Pear diamonds of course are not the only fancy cuts available. With the advent of
laser-cutting tools and more advanced techniques, diamond cutters are able to create
exotic cuts that were unimaginable only twenty years ago. Such fancy cuts include
hearts, flowers, stars, and even butterflies!
One popular fancy cut is called trillion or trilliant –so named because of its unusual
triangular shape.
Of course, the caveat regarding the relatively delicate nature of pear diamonds
goes especially for the more exotic cuts of diamond – keep in mind that they can
be easily damaged and should therefore be treated with extreme caution.
Whether you choose pear diamonds or some other fancy or rounded shape, you’ll want
to keep the intended mounting in mind and make sure the shape is appropriate.
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