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This blog post is going to be very specific. There aren’t a lot of people who appreciate or want a heart-shaped diamond, especially if it’s yellow. But from time to time, we receive a message about such a diamond and it’s always a pleasure diving into the search.
If I just got your attention, keep reading. We will talk about the different shapes and styles of a heart-shaped fancy yellow diamond and what is important to know when you’re choosing one which is exactly what one of our readers asked us in his email.
Why you should trust us
To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.
Here’s the reader’s original email:
Hello. I would like to get your opinion of this vs2 diamond that I am thinking about purchasing for an engagement ring. I think my girlfriend will like it because she likes the fancy diamonds and heart shaped diamonds. What do you think? https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/fancy-color/yellow/heart-shaped/0.50-carat-vs2-clarity-sku-15653105?a_aid=dmnd1357
NOTE: We changed the link in the reader’s email to a similar diamond since his original choice (that he purchased) was no longer available on James Allen’s website.
When To Give a Heart-Shaped Diamond
Engagement Ring
A heart-shaped diamond can be an amazing idea to use in an engagement ring. It’s unique which means that you won’t see it on every other woman on the street. However, you have to be 100% sure it’s what your partner wants. The proposal can easily go sideways if a heart shape isn’t what your future spouse dreams of.
Promise Ring
You could also use a heart-shaped diamond in a promise ring. That’s a very cute way of showing that your partner has your heart without being too permanent (assuming there is going to be an engagement ring in the future).
Pendant
Another option is to put a heart diamond into a pendant. It is never too early (or late) to have a heart-shaped pendant on your neck. Small or big, diamond or gemstone, gold or platinum, any combination would do the trick.
Deal Alert: Get 35% of engagement ring settings and select LG diamonds at James Allen.
Yellow Heart Diamond Ring
Our reader picked a great half a carat fancy intense heart-shaped diamond for his soon-to-be fiance’s engagement ring. For demonstrative purposes, since the one he picked and bought is no longer available, we replaced it with a very similar 0.50ct diamond:
The proportions look great, the color is very flattering, there are no blemishes to speak of and the overall feeling about this diamond is very pleasant. We are always so happy when people come to us with a great diamond pick and we can just tell them to go ahead and buy it. Especially if they chose it based on reading our educational material.
As for the color, they chose a fancy color intensity grade. That’s right in the middle and is the sweet balance between beauty and price. There is no shame in going either way, though. Some people prefer a very light yellow color, some need their diamond color to be as rich as possible. Whatever you choose, just make sure it’s what you want.
Badly Shaped Heart Diamonds
There is a lot that can go wrong with a heart shape diamond. Mostly the shape itself. We found a few examples that will demonstrate heart shapes that you should avoid.
Wide Heart Shape
The first thing you don’t want is for the heart to be too wide. The shape should resemble a nice and proportionate heart, not something like the one below. You see how the width is significantly bigger than the height of the diamond? Ideally, you want it to be a bit narrower and taller.
Narrow Heart Shape
The opposite is also a problem. When a heart shape diamond is too skinny and tall, it doesn’t look pleasant either. It feels like there should be more body to it. The sides are almost straight which doesn’t give you the heart-like feeling.
No-Shape Heart Shape
A hearth shape with no distinct shape is also a bad choice. As you can see on the diamond below, there is no clear shape to it. It sort of looks like a round cut, pear shape or something in between. There is no well-defined point at the bottom either which makes the whole heart very round-looking.
Misshaped Heart Shape
And, of course, when a heart shape doesn’t have great symmetry, people tend to look the other way too. The diamond below, for instance, looks like a butterfly. For some people may be intriguing, but for most not at all.
Perfectly Cut Heart Shape
After seeing what you should avoid, here is an example of a diamond that looks absolutely stunning.
Do you see how different it looks? The defined point at the bottom, nicely symmetrical, round. And the color is just a cherry on top. This is what a heart-shaped yellow diamond should look like.
Final Thought
There are so many engagement ring options out there that it can sometimes be truly difficult to make up your mind. But when you do, the diamond world becomes much more manageable.
If you pick a yellow heart shape diamond, make sure the actual shape is nicely round with a pointed bottom, the color intensity is what you want (or what your partner wants) and the size is just right.
We were so pleased to see that our reader picked the diamond on their own and it was a good one! But if you find it difficult to find the perfect heart shape diamond, don’t panic. Just message us and we’ll be more than happy to walk you through the endless possibilities online.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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