Hearts & Arrows Diamonds

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Hearts & Arrows Diamonds — The Complete Guide

Hearts & Arrows is one of the most admired — and most misunderstood — designations in the diamond world. It refers to a specific optical phenomenon produced only by diamonds cut to the very highest standards of precision. But it is also one of the most widely misused marketing terms in the industry.

This page explains what a true Hearts & Arrows diamond is, how the pattern is created, which laboratories properly certify it, and — crucially — what every buyer needs to know about the "Laser Inscription H&A" warning on GIA certificates.

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What Are Hearts & Arrows Diamonds?

Hearts & Arrows describes diamonds that display a complete, precise, and symmetrical pattern of eight hearts (visible from the pavilion — the bottom of the diamond) and eight arrows (visible from the crown — the top of the diamond) when viewed through a specialised Hearts & Arrows viewer.

This pattern is not decorative. It is a direct consequence of optical perfection. When all 57 or 58 facets of a round brilliant diamond are aligned with absolute precision — every angle, every proportion, every mirror surface in exact relationship with each other — light reflecting between the facets creates this unmistakeable symmetrical pattern.

A true Hearts & Arrows diamond has three distinguishing characteristics: perfection in polish, perfection in symmetry, and ideal proportions. All three must be present. The absence of any one of them will produce an incomplete, uneven, or distorted pattern — and the diamond cannot be classified as a true Hearts & Arrows stone.

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How the Pattern Is Created

The Hearts & Arrows pattern is created by the reflection of 16 lower girdle facets in the table of the stone. When viewed through the pavilion, these reflections form eight symmetrical hearts. When viewed from the crown, the same facet alignment creates eight arrows pointing outward from the centre.

For this pattern to form correctly, the diamond must be cut to ideal proportions — not just graded Excellent. The cutter must sacrifice a significantly higher percentage of the original rough stone to achieve the required angles. A standard Excellent cut diamond can be produced in approximately one hour of polishing. A true Hearts & Arrows diamond can take up to four days.

This additional time, skill, and material sacrifice is why true Hearts & Arrows diamonds cost more than standard Excellent cut stones of comparable size and quality.

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The Hearts & Arrows Viewer

The Hearts & Arrows pattern can only be seen with a specialised Hearts & Arrows viewer — a small optical device that filters light in a specific way to reveal the pattern within the facets. It cannot be seen with the naked eye or an ordinary loupe.

The viewer is merciless. Any deviation from perfection — a heart that is misshapen, an arrow that is asymmetrical, a pattern that is incomplete or unclear — is immediately visible. This makes it one of the most objective tools available for assessing cut precision, even for an untrained eye.

• Hearts visible from the pavilion (bottom): Eight symmetrical, evenly spaced hearts of equal size and clear definition.
• Arrows visible from the crown (top): Eight symmetrical arrows of equal length and width, pointing outward from the culet.

A diamond that displays a partial, blurry, asymmetrical, or inconsistently sized pattern is not a genuine Hearts & Arrows diamond — regardless of what the seller calls it.

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Not All Ideal Cut Diamonds Are Hearts & Arrows

This is one of the most important points on this page. A diamond graded as Ideal Cut or Excellent Cut does not automatically qualify as a Hearts & Arrows diamond.

Ideal Cut and Excellent Cut refer to the proportions and light performance of the diamond. Hearts & Arrows refers specifically to optical symmetry — the precision of facet alignment. A diamond can fall within Excellent cut proportions and still not produce a complete Hearts & Arrows pattern, because the facets are not aligned with sufficient precision to create the optical effect.

All round brilliant diamonds display some version of a hearts and arrows-like pattern to a certain extent. But it is extremely rare for a diamond to qualify as a true Hearts & Arrows stone by laboratory grading standards. The term has been widely and loosely used as a marketing description by many dealers and jewellers — and most diamonds sold under this label would not qualify as true stones by a rigorous laboratory test.

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Which Laboratories Certify Hearts & Arrows?

Two internationally recognised grading laboratories formally assess and certify Hearts & Arrows status on their certificates:

• DCLA — Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (Sydney). DCLA tests diamonds for Hearts & Arrows status and notes this on the certificate when the diamond qualifies.
• HRD — Hooge Raad voor Diamant (Antwerp, Belgium). HRD similarly tests and certifies Hearts & Arrows status on qualifying diamonds.

Both DCLA and HRD are members of the International Diamond Council (IDC) — the body that has established the standards for Hearts & Arrows grading.

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The "Laser Inscription H&A" Warning — What Every Buyer Must Know

Some GIA-certified diamonds have the inscription "H&A" or "Hearts & Arrows" laser-inscribed on their girdle. When GIA graders observe this inscription, they note it on the grading report as "Laser Inscription: H&A" — but this does not mean GIA has assessed the diamond as a true Hearts & Arrows stone.

What has happened is this: the diamond was laser-inscribed with "H&A" by the seller or cutter before being submitted to GIA for grading. GIA noted the inscription on the report because the grader observed it — not because GIA assessed the diamond for Hearts & Arrows status.

This practice is, at best, misleading. True Hearts & Arrows status on a GIA-certified diamond requires a separate assessment by DCLA or HRD.

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Are Hearts & Arrows Diamonds Worth It?

A genuine Hearts & Arrows diamond represents the pinnacle of cutting craftsmanship. However, the premium is real — and worth considering honestly. A beautifully cut Excellent grade diamond without a verified Hearts & Arrows pattern can be visually indistinguishable from a certified one to the naked eye. For most buyers, an Excellent cut diamond with exceptional transparency and light performance will be equally beautiful at a lower price.

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