American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratory issues cut grades on grading reports based on measurements provided by Sarin Dia-mension technology.  This is the first major American laboratory to use a numerical system for assessing an overall cut grade.  The lab grades seven main components of cut (including polish and symmetry) and applies them to a deduction chart with grades from 0 to 10.  The top grade is 0 Ideal (no deductions), 1 Excellent (almost ideal), and so on down to 10 Poor.  Though they have considered it, the AGS lab currently has no plans to include hearts and arrows comments or photos in their reports.  The terms 0 Ideal, zero cut, triple zero, and AGS 0 have become buzz words in the trade for ideal cut diamonds. Not all ideal cuts are hearts and arrows… remember we call them "super ideals".

Take a closer look at a hearts and arrows…

The best examples of these stones exhibit (tight tolerance) ideal proportions and (near) perfect symmetry. Unlike normal ideal cuts, parameters for all angles and percentages, i.e., table size, crown angles, pavilion angles, crown height, pavilion depth, girdle thickness, and total depth are closer to original Tolkowski specs.  The most important difference between diamonds cut to ideal (range) proportions and hearts and arrows is symmetry.  They have been called "super symmetry" ideals.  The 8 arrows visible from the crown side are the 8 pavilion main facets, while the 8 hearts visible through the pavilion side are created by reflections of 16 lower girdle facets in the table of the stone.  One can see why at all the facets must be exactly the same shape and size.  If the cut of the diamond is even slightly asymmetrical the result will be a distorted, crooked, uneven, or incomplete pattern.  Diamonds that show just partial (and not well formed) hearts are not uncommon.  Some diamonds may show partial arrows, but no heart pattern.  A true hearts and arrows ideal cut is a very rare and beautiful thing to behold!