The pear shaped diamond, also called a teardrop, is essentially half round and half marquis; with one pointed end and one rounded end. Being in the ‘brilliant’ family, its faceted structure sparkles with vigorous fire and scintillation. And its elongated and graceful tapering shape creates a subtle slimming effect on the finger, while conjuring thoughts of pure, shimmering water.

Impeccable cut is just as, if not more, important with pear shaped diamonds than any other. So many things can go wrong when cutting a pear shaped stone. Experienced cutters must ensure that the point lines up perfectly with the apex of the rounded end, that the shoulders and wings (upper and lower curves on each side of the diamond) form uniform, symmetrical curves with no straight edges and that the rounded top makes a perfect semi-circle, without being narrow or squat - just to name a few.

Like the oval diamond, most pear cut diamonds posses some degree of bow-tie - an effect that appears like a dark area running right to left across the center of the diamond in the approximate shape of a man's bow tie. This effect, varying from near invisible to severe, is caused by misaligned facets leaking light that should ideally be reflected back towards the viewer.

Between the endless possibilities for cutting errors and the potential for bow tie, it is paramount that you not only choose a pear shaped diamond with excellent cut attributes on the GIA certificate, but that you have it inspected by a diamond expert, in person, before making your final purchase.

Here are our cut, color and clarity recommendations for maximum beauty, brilliance and value in a pear diamond:

*Disclaimer: We are in no way guaranteeing that you will receive the best diamond possible if you blindly purchase a stone with these attributes. We are simply suggesting that, in our experience, we believe that narrowing down your selection of diamonds to only those that fall within these ranges of attributes, will give you the best chance of maximizing your diamonds beauty, brilliance and value. And we highly recommend having your diamond evaluated, in person, by an educated and experienced diamond expert before making your final purchase. Please contact one of our diamond experts, who will select and review diamonds on your behalf. Chat with us on our site, email us at info@mintdiamonds.com or call us at 1-877-646-8669