You don’t mention the other 3 C’s aren’t they important, too?

Yes, but unlike Cut they are quite easy to quantify. In fact, Color, Clarity and Carat weight are quite well known by the public. These three traits traditionally were the sole criteria for most people (except for price) when buying a diamond. There is a lot of good info on the Web about the other C's our focus here is Cut.

Why aren’t hearts and arrows available in lower colors and clarities?

The labor costs and weight loss incurred in manufacturing these goods can be quite substantial. Therefore, in lower priced diamonds these costs have a much higher impact on price (by percentage). Cutters would have to ask a very high price to be profitable, so they choose more expensive rough to cut into hearts and arrows.

Why don’t more jewelers carry ideal and hearts and arrows cuts?

There are many reasons…here are a few:

• Some sell lower price point diamonds only-which include bad makes.
• Some lack the expertise to sell ideal cuts.
• Hearts and arrows are so new many jewelers do not understand them.
• Still others do not have reliable supplies of these diamonds and therefore they choose to sell what is readily available.

How does one know if a diamond is really a hearts and arrows cut?

Sellers of these phenomenal stones check them for the hearts and arrows pattern with a special magnifying viewer shown on our trade page. They are happy to show this to prospective buyers. Ask to see them.

If a diamond has an AGS 0 or GIA EX/EX report, is it then also considered a hearts and arrows cut?

Not necessarily, as hearts and arrows stones go beyond just ideal cutting. They are cut to ideal proportions and to a specially prescribed formula of facet placement. A set of ratios, percentages, and relationships must be observed throughout the cutting process. Again, the faceting arrangement is paramount. Unfortunately, many sellers refer to top ideal cuts as hearts and arrows ideals if they show a passable H&A pattern. These would never have passed for hearts and arrows cut in Japan.

Can we buy them directly from you over the net?

We are diamond dealers operating in the wholesale market. We sell to dealers and to better retailers in the United States. We do not sell to the public. We are happy to refer you to one of our dealers in your area. If you have a favorite jeweler that does not carry our incredible diamonds, let us know and we will contact them.

When shopping for a hearts and arrows diamond, what type of diamond certificate is best?

This is an interesting question. It should be noted here that most of the biggest internet sellers are guilty of misusing the term Certificate. Neither the Gemological Institute of America nor the American Gem Society will certify any diamond. They simply grade diamonds in their labs and issue grading reports. GIA calls theirs a Diamond Grading Report, while the AGS refers to their report as a Diamond Quality Document. GIA discourages the use of the term "certificate" to describe it's grading reports. The dictionary describes the word certify as: "to guarantee the quality or value of" or "to guarantee as certain." GIA clearly states on the bottom of every document: "this report is not a guarantee." We use GIA and AGS reports for our hearts and arrows diamonds.

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