Pear cut

A pear is a rounded end tapering to a single point, cut with brilliant facets. It combines the brilliance of a round diamond with the dramatic outline of a marquise, which is why people call it a teardrop.

GIA calls every shape other than the standard round a fancy shape, and it gives an overall cut grade only to round brilliants, because they are the only cut with standardized facets. A pear's report will not carry that grade, so the judging falls to you: your eyes, and the polish and symmetry lines on the grading report. For the round outline that pears borrow from, see the round brilliant cut.

The ratio is the stone's length divided by its width, both in millimetres on the report. A pear measuring 9.0 mm by 6.0 mm is 1.5:1. A lower number gives a plumper, rounder pear. A higher number gives a slimmer, more elongated one.

GIA's own guidance is not uniform. Its pear-selection article gives about 1.50 to 1.75:1 as the range many experts prefer, while its shapes guide puts most pears between 1.3:1 and 1.4:1, adding that shorter ratios can make the stone look off-round and longer ones can be more delicate and harder to find. GIA also notes that the bow-tie grows stronger as the gap between length and width increases, so a slimmer pear is more likely to show a darker shadow. Treat the ratio as a matter of taste: lay out a few pears of similar weight and choose the proportion you like on your own hand.

Start with the bow-tie effect, a dark shadow that runs across the width of the stone from the centre of the table. The darker versions are more distracting, and the most desirable pears have a soft, minimal shadow. A slight bow-tie is common, so compare stones rather than hunting for a perfect one.

Next, symmetry. The two halves should mirror each other. High shoulders, flat or bulged wings and an undefined point are flaws to avoid. Read the polish and symmetry grades, then confirm by eye.

Finally, colour. GIA's guidance is that pears tend to hold more colour than a round brilliant, so choose a stone high on its colour scale. Check inclusions near the point, since that is the most exposed area.

The point is the weak spot, and a hard knock can chip it. It can be protected by a V-prong over the tip or a bezel setting around the whole stone. Ask to see how the tip will be covered before you approve a design. A V-prong is a prong setting whose prong is bent into a V to wrap the tip.

As for direction, GIA's view is that the traditional way to wear a pear, with the point facing downward, is meant to make the finger look more slender, and modern preferences vary. Both directions are a choice of style, not a flaw, so you can try each on a hand before settling.

Elongated shapes such as the pear look bigger face-up than a round diamond of the same carat weight. The trade-offs are the bow-tie, the extra colour and the exposed tip, and none of them can be read off a cut grade.

If you are weighing shapes, the diamond shapes guide puts them side by side. For a pear engagement ring, the engagement ring collection shows finished styles, and the design studio is the place to sketch a pear with the tip protection you want. For a made-to-order pear, Diamond Bros takes custom engagement ring enquiries by showroom or video appointment; see the showrooms page.