A Real Heartthrob



Celebrated designer Bez Ambar creates The Light of Love
Royal History
We don’t know exactly who first cut a heart shaped diamond, but we can find some very early owners of this romantic shaped stone. As early as the 15th century, Italian nobility were exchanging these sentimental shaped diamonds. For such a modern-looking cut, the heart-shaped diamond has a very long history.

It was first mentioned in correspondence between the infamous Duke of Milan, a guy with a greedy, lusty reputation, and his betrothed Galeazzo Maria Sforza, and Nicodemo in 1463.   

In Elizabethan times, the heart shaped diamond was a gift of friendship signifying true fidelity and sincerity. Mary Queen of Scots was known to have given Queen Elizabeth I a ring with a heart-shaped diamond in 1562. They even appear in paintings from the era. Yup, true story.

Now Cut That Out
The heart-shaped diamond is based on the Round Brilliant with 59 facets, and has elements seen in the pear-shape and the oval. It is essentially a pear-shaped diamond with a cleft at the center of its rounded end creating two “shoulders.” Expert polishers like to take advantage of its unique shape to hide inclusions (if any) by careful cutting.

The model heart diamond is as tall as it is wide so it’s ideally cut at a 1:1 ratio. The heart must be symmetrical on both sides. A beautifully cut heart shaped diamond takes a very skilled cutter to create a flawless heart-shaped diamond. The slightest error could spell ruin to the elegant symmetry and negatively impact its brilliance. That would be a heart breaker now, wouldn’t it?

Ancient and Modern
Although its history is an ancient one, heart shaped diamonds still capture the imagination today. We heard Lady Gaga rocked a pretty dazzling heart shaped diamond given to her in 2015. But things change, hearts break and   . . . . and well, it went back to her ex-fiancĂ©.

Endearing Symbol
Armed with all this backstory, I hope you look at these hypnotic sparklers with newfound appreciation. Their difficult cutting—and their spectacular results transcend time and hold the promise of true devotion.
Be still my heart.

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