DIAMOND EDUCATION
CENTER

The exact origins of the cut are vague, although historical evidence of its popularity dates back almost 600 years. They are the subject of a conversation between the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, and Nicodemo in 1463, with the duke describing the pursuits of Cosimo de Medici, the banker and politician who was the first head of the famous dynasty from Florence, as being similar to a heart-shaped diamond. A century later, in 1562, Mary Queen of Scots sent a Heart Shaped diamond in a ring to Queen Elizabeth I of England. At about the same time, in France, Cardinal de Richelieu was said to own a 20-carat Heart-Shaped diamond. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the French adventurer and gemstone dealer who brought the Hope Diamond to France, recalled in a book that he wrote in 1655 a “Heart Diamond,” which was described as 36-carat stone that was part of crown jewels of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in India. Generally cut with between 56 and 58 facets, the number of main pavilion facets typically vary between 6 and 8. Like other diamonds with more fragile pointed ends, Heart Shapes sometimes feature French tips, where the large bezel facet at the point is replaced with star and upper girdle facets. The cleft must be distinct and the wings of the diamond are slightly rounded. As mentioned, ideally the Heart Shape’s length will be equal its width, but ratio between 0.90 and 1.10 are considered acceptable. What is important is that the two upper arches, or lobes, be absolutely symmetrical. Like similarly shaped stones, these cuts are prone to displaying the bow-tie effect.