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0.42 ct heart cut, F VS2, on a pavé band in 18K white gold
A heart cut diamond of 0.42 carat, colour F, clarity VS2, with 0.33 ct of D–F pavé running down the shoulders. 18K white gold.
The heart is the only shape judged on its outline
Every other brilliant cut is assessed mainly on what it does with light. A heart is assessed first on whether it is a good heart, and that is a question about symmetry rather than optics. There is no grade for it on any report, so it is entirely on the buyer to look.
Four things decide it, and you can check all four by eye:
- The lobes. The two shoulders must match in height and in roundness. A heart with one lobe fuller than the other reads as lopsided immediately, even to someone who could not say why.
- The cleft. The notch between the lobes should be defined and cut cleanly to a point, not rounded off. A soft cleft is the commonest way a heart goes wrong, because keeping it crisp costs weight.
- The centre line. The point at the bottom must sit directly below the cleft. If it is off axis the whole stone leans.
- The ratio. Length against width, around 0.95 to 1.05, is where a heart reads as a heart. Wider than that and it squats; narrower and the lobes stop being lobes.
Being honest about 0.42 carat
Heart cuts carry a penalty at small sizes, and it is worth stating rather than glossing. The shape is read from its outline, and an outline needs room — the smaller the stone, the harder the cleft and lobes are to resolve at arm’s length. Below roughly half a carat a heart can read as a round stone with something going on at the top.
At 0.42 ct this one sits just under that line, which is why the setting matters as much as the stone. The point is left clear of metal so the silhouette is unobstructed, and the 0.33 ct of pavé runs down the band rather than around the stone, so nothing crowds the outline. Seen at reading distance it is unmistakably a heart; seen across a room it reads as a bright stone on a diamond band. If the shape is the reason you want the ring, look at it close up before deciding — that is the honest test.
Specification
- Centre stone: natural diamond, heart cut, 0.42 ct, colour F, clarity VS2
- Side stones: natural diamonds, 0.33 ct total, D–F colour, pavé
- Metal: 18K white gold
If the outline matters less than the brightness
A round centre inside a halo does the opposite job — no shape to resolve, maximum width for the weight. See the 0.30 ct halo and pavé ring. Both are in engagement rings.
Buying from Antwerp
In stock at our workshop in the Antwerp diamond district. The shoulders are pavé set, so the ring sizes about one size either way — tell us the finger size before ordering.
