Many of you may have heard or seen these hearts and arrow images that are evident in some diamonds. There are several branded diamond companies, Hearts on Fire, Hearts and Arrow and EightStar. If these diamonds from these companies with the hearts and arrow images are ideal cut diamonds they will be brilliant and beautiful. These symbols of romantic imagery make them marketable in a unique way. It is subtly implied that the presence of these images will guarantee that the diamond will the most brilliant and have the most sparkle.

Symmetry not Brilliance
In truth, these images do not represent the amount of brilliance or sparkle that would be displayed by the diamond. These images of hearts and arrows are a measure of its symmetry. If a diamond is cut with very good symmetry and the pavillion facets are made just long enough, these hearts and arrow images will automatically appear. This diamond may be a very brilliant and beautiful stone but not because of the images, it will be brilliant because is an ideal cut diamond with the right angles and proportions that allows the light to return to the viewers eye. The symmetry will help the optical symmetry and the optical contrast in an ideal cut and improve the scintillation of the diamond. An ideal cut diamond may not produce these images but can still have the maximum brilliance and sparkle.

Brilliance is Determined by Proportions
Brilliance in a diamond is actually determined by the proper angles and proportion of the crown and pavillion facets, the table, girdle and culet. If cut properly all the light that enters through the top of the diamond will be reflected back to your eye and you will see maximum brilliance and sparkle.

The following diagrams will help to explain the return of light and therefore its brilliance. In the ideal cut all the light entering the diamond is reflected back. If, as the deep and shallow cut diamonds portray most of the light entering the diamond is leaked through the sides and bottom of the diamond. These two diamonds will not have much brilliance or sparkle.

The Diamond Photoscope - A Way to Assess Brilliance and More
There is a way to actually to visually assess the amount of light return from any particular diamond, regardless of shape or size. Look at the image of the ideal cut diamond, what you see is that the diamond is turned into a mirror, all the light is returned. Imagine then if a green colored light shined on the diamond, as an ideal cut diamond that color will then be seen returning from that diamond. Now, imagine the deep or shallow cut diamond with that same colored light shining on it. Most of the light is leaked and what is then visible would be the red background light.

These are images from the Diamond Photoscope which is able to assess; light loss, brilliance, dispersion, optical symmetry and scintillation. Any loose diamond can be visually assessed for its brilliance or lack of it, regardless of diamond shape.

If you want a beautiful diamond that has the most brilliance and sparkle you want a diamond that is well cut proportionally. The hearts and arrow images do not, by themselves, define its brilliance. Having these romantic images built into your diamond is an added bonus, especially if your diamond is an ideal cut one, and one that exhibits maximum brilliance and sparkle.