Pear-cut

Innovative Flemish Diamond cutter Lodewyk Van Bercken invented the Scaif in the mid 14th century.  

The Scaif, a diamond polishing wheel that revolutionised the craft of diamond cutting and polishing and allowed for new and more intricate shapes.

 

This new tech led to the creation of the Pear-cut  in 1475.

Pear-cuts are very "spready" which makes them appear larger than the majority of their counterparts by about 10 to 20% . 

They also cost about 20% less than the Round  Brilliant-cut .

(the most expensive shape)

This gives them great value with regards to size.

 

 

Pears are reasonable good at hiding pesky inclusions, although the larger the carat weight the lager the centre facets which will allow you to see straight into the stone. meaning the larger the stone the higher the Clarity needed to maintain an "Eye clean"  appearance.

Experts prefer Pear-cuts with a ratio of 1.5 or 1.75 this is referring to the length vs width

But here at London rocks you know we are sticklers for the rules and we enjoy stones with character that don't always fit within these tight restrictions, although symmetry is key 

Moving away from a good ratio will eventually result in a poor cut and a loss of sparkle, a well cut Pear shape diamond will have symmetrical proportions and excellent facet alignment allowing light to reflect and refract optimally

We believe that shape is a personal preference and sometimes the technical graded attributes can be overlooked for the sake of silhouette.

This must of course be within certain boundaries as the further a stone gets from an Ex, Ex cut grade the less the stone will refract light and the less it will sparkle.

Be sure to pay close attention to the "wings" of a Pear-cut Diamond as this is the main aspect that will change the shape of your stone when faced up. 

Flat wings will result in a narrow longer Pear, where as Wings that are to curved will produce a short stubby appearance.

Remember there are two things going on here, shape and cut which are directly related but aren't mutually exclusive, you can step away from the industry standard of 1.5 ratio and still maintain an amazing sparkle. just make sure the cut grade is above Vg, Vg and you should be a in pretty safe territory.

                                                     CONS;

Pear-cut diamonds certainly aren't with out their issues, being a more shallow cut than a lot of other shapes, they can exhibit "Bowtie"

The centre portion of the stone where the facets are larger can result in a dark shadow ,although you can still make out a bowtie on a bright well cut stone. the longer and thinner the ratio the more you can expect to see darker shadows.

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                                                 COLOUR:

Pear-cuts can hold colour more than say Brilliant-cut or Cushion-cut diamonds. This can mean even though they are more affordable than Brilliant-cuts you may wish to keep a higher colour grade which will push the price upwards .

swings and round about.

                                                  CLARITY:

Inclusions can be an issue!

If located in the main body of the stone imperfections can be more visible through the larger facets or table. but if hidden in the point can make the stone weak.

The point of a Pear-cut is the weakest portion of the stone.

Only Pear-cut and Marquise-cut have this kind of point.

We have seen some jewellers creating bad designs and sometimes clients bring pictures of these into the shop. Whether you think the images below look good (which we do) it is irresponsible for any jeweller to sell rings with the point exposed , this is something we will never do!

 

 

The tip of a Pear should always be secured by a v claw a Talon claw or a bezel setting. This is not just for the protection of the stone but the protection of you and everyone around you. The tip of a Pear-cut can be extremely sharp and can cut through paper which means it can cut through skin.

WATCH THIS FLUID RING BEING MADE

 

 

 

                                        THE FUN STUFF

When it comes to Design the Pear-cut ranks as a highly versatile shape .

Teetering between soft feminine aesthetics and edgy points , the Pear can adapt to many styles. 

                                                    SOLITAIRES

Classic Solitaires is simple and elegant placing your diamond centre stage and can be emphasized by a diamond set band. Wed - fit Solitaires can be an issue so be sure to ask. Adding small details like Mill grain edges gives a timeless vintage aesthetic. Solitaires with stones of 2 carats or above can really benefit from wishbone or split bands

 

                            CLICK HERE TO VIEW SOLITAIRES

 

                                                    HALOS

 Halos ring feature a delicate border of diamonds and can also benefit from a split band. These details can add brilliance and drama to already striking Pear-cut

 

 

                    CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR HALO RINGS

                                         3 STONE RINGS

3 stones rings featuring Pear-cut centres can be flanked by anything from Tapered Baguettes to give the 1920s art deco vibe to heart shapes for a really balanced and unique look.

 

And lets not forget that Pear-cuts are great in other pieces, not always as a hero stone in an engagement ring. They can be side stones for 3 stones or be utilised in really interesting ways to create eternity rings and little tiaras.

The elongated shape lends itself very well to more modern abstract and asymmetric designs to!

 

WATCH HOW WE MADE THIS AMAZING RING 

CLICK HERE FOR TOI ET MOI RINGS

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS RING

Quirky oriented positions can create abstract designs that really catch the eye and the Teardrop shape is our go to when designing two stone( Toi et Moi) rings for custom clients.

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW WE MADE THE BELOW RING

  

 

Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned one of the first Toi et Moi ring designs.

CLICK THE LINK TO WATCH THE STORY 

 

The only thing left to consider is whether a Pear-cut diamond should be worn pointing down the finger or up  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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