How To Buy A Pear Shaped Diamond

Pear shaped diamond rings have always been a popular alternative after the classic round brilliant diamond. Many women prefer pear shaped diamonds for their more distinctive shape and generally larger face-up appearance.

Pear shaped diamonds have varying shape outlines and can range from fat/wide to slim/long with distinct advantages and disadvantages for each. If you search for pear diamonds with a length/width ratio between 1.33 – 1.75 you will find a good selection of well proportioned diamonds with the fatter diamonds being closer to 1.33 and the slimmer diamonds being closer to 1.75.  If you would like a pear that is not overly fat or slim, but shaped as a perfect pear, then stick to length/width ratios of around 1.50. (Tip* ODBA’s The Diamond Genie already searches for pear’s with this length/width ratio combinations making your diamond search much easier)

As for proportions, it is best to select a pear diamond with a table between: 54% – 61% and depth between: 58% – 63%. However, these proportions are just a guideline as you should NEVER buy a pear shaped diamond without seeing actual magnified pictures or videos! Fancy shaped diamonds (anything that is not a round brilliant) will always need to be evaluated either in person or via images because overall symmetry and light performance can only be seen and not inferred from a lab report. If the pear comes with either ASET or ideal-scope light performance images, this is even better.

Wide or Fat Pear Shaped Diamonds

If you are a fan of the fat or wide pear shaped diamond, then you’ll look for a length/width that is under 1.50. Here is an example a pear with a length/width ratio of 1.39:

1.03ct E VS1 pear shaped diamond with 1.39 length/width ratio. This is an example of wide/fat pear shaped diamond.

Notice that the above diamond does not have any dark bow-tie across the widest part of the diamond. Wide pear shaped diamonds tend to not suffer from the dreaded dark bow-tie across the middle which is one advantage of seeking out this shape. This would be an example of an ideal cut fat pear diamond.

Long or Slim Pear Shaped Diamonds

If however, you prefer a longer and leaner pear shaped diamond, then it is best to look for a well proportioned stone that has a length/width ratio of 1.50 or more. Here is an example a pear with a length/width ratio of 1.71:

1.02ct D VS1 pear shaped diamond with 1.71 length/width ratio. This is an example of a slim/long pear shaped pear diamond.

In the 1.02ct diamond above we see once again that the diamond reflects light well and shows no obvious dark bow-tie across the widest part of the diamond. Although not seen in this example, diamonds that are long and lean tend to show the dark bow-tie effect more prominently so it is very important to evaluate the diamond from all angles (HD video or in person is best).

Traditional Pear Shaped Diamond

For those that seek a nice balance between too wide and too long, a length/width ratio of around 1.50 will be best. Here is an example a pear with a length/width ratio of 1.51:

1.50ct E VS1 pear diamond with 1.51 length/width ratio. This is an example of a classic pear shaped diamond that is neither too fat nor too slim.

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Pear shaped diamonds come in many different shape outlines including the slim/long and fat/wide with shape outline being largely personal preference. Light performance can be ideal in both slim/long or fat/side but will take a keen eye in finding these top quality stones. If you are interested in buying a pear shaped diamond, please don’t hesitate to contact me for diamond recommendations and advice.

Happy Diamond Buying!