Pear Shaped Diamonds: Everything You Need to Know

WHAT IS A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND?

As you might have guessed, a pear shaped diamond (also known as a teardop diamond) is shaped just like a pear, except with a much pointier tip. A fancy shaped diamond, pear diamonds marry the outrageous sparkle of a round diamonds with the elongated glamour of an oval diamondor marquise diamond.

WHY WE LOVE PEAR SHAPED DIAMONDS

PEAR DIAMONDS SPARKLE SHAMELESSLY

As a brilliant cut, a pear cut diamond is made to sparkle.Compared to other diamonds like step cuts, a pear diamond is a glitter bomb that shimmers and shines in every light. They're not quite as sparkly as a round diamond, but they come very close!

PEAR CUT DIAMONDS GIVE YOU MORE DIAMOND FOR YOUR DOLLAR

Pear cut diamonds are less expensive per carat than most other diamond cuts, meaning you get a bigger diamond for your budget! Yes, please.

Pear diamond ring

PEAR CUT DIAMONDS LOOK BIGGER

Thanks to their shape, pear cut diamonds look bigger than a round diamond of the same carat weight. And it's not just an illusion - the diamond top is actually about 8% bigger!

A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND IS A UNIQUE CHOICE

If you like to do things differently like us, you'll love a pear shape diamond. While they're a timeless and incredibly elegant cut, pear cut diamonds are still a uncommon choice, making up only 4% of all diamonds sold worldwide.

WHAT ARE THE CONS OF A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND?

Every set of pros has it cons and pear cut diamonds have a few potential hiccups to keep in mind:

PEAR CUT DIAMONDS ARE MORE PRONE TO DAMAGE

Thanks to their pointed tip, pear cut diamonds can get chipped much easier than round or oval cut diamonds. Having said that, a well-made setting with a claw prong or v-shape prong at the tip will mitigate this risk in your pear engagement ring.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND - THE 4CS

PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND - CLARITY

Clarity measures inclusions and blemishes in a diamond. Like other brilliant cut diamonds, pear diamonds hides imperfections well. That means you can opt for a lower clarity grade vs other diamonds cuts and still get an eye-clean diamond. With less money spent on clarity, more of your budget can go towards the most important factor - cut.

The goal here is to find the lowest clarity grade that still looks eye-clean. The highest clarity grades are exponentially more expensive, and it's really not worth paying more for a difference that only be seen under intense magnification.

Generally, an SI1 or SI2 pear shaped diamond (and all grades above that) will be eye-clean. As a diamond gets larger, inclusions become more apparent, so if you're splurging for a stone over 2 carats, you'll likely want to move up the clarity scale to stay in the eye-clean range.

Champagne pear shaped diamond ring

Of course, every diamond is different so use these parameters as loose guidelines and work with an expert jeweler to find the most beautiful diamond for your budget.  

The GIA clarity scale

• Flawless (FL) - No inclusions or blemishes can be seen with 10× magnification

• Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions (but some blemishes) can be seen with 10x magnification

• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions are difficult to see under 10× magnification

• Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Minor inclusions can be seen under 10x magnification

• Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) - Noticeable inclusions under 10x magnification

• Included (I1, I2, and I3) - Obvious inclusions under 10× magnification

PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND - COLOR

Diamonds are graded for color by the GIA from D (colorless) to Z (champagne).

Diamond color is subjective and looks different in every stone, so whether you're searching for a bright white diamond or a golden champagne diamond, pick the diamond you love the look of first, and worry about stats second.

Having said that, pear shaped diamonds show color differences more than round brilliant diamonds, so keep that in mind when comparing color grades.

PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND - CUT

The most important C of all, 'cut' is the true predictor of a diamond's beauty. A well-cut diamond will sparkle and shine with a magical blend of white and colored light.

Like all fancy shaped diamonds, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) doesn't give pear cut diamonds an overall cut grade like they do for round brilliant diamonds. That means alot more research and vetting is needed to find the well-cut diamond of your dreams. Your best bet: work with an expert jeweler to ensure you get the highest cut quality for your pear shaped engagement ring.

If you want to shop stones solo, peruse the chart below to see the recommended cut quality standards for pear cut diamonds.

IDEAL PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND LENGTH TO WIDTH RATIO

The ideal length to width ratio for a pear cut diamond falls somewhere between 1.55 to 1.75. Having said that, this is entirely up to your personal preference - pick the pear that feels perfect to you! Pear diamonds are a stone on their own with no rules. Some people love an ultra elongated marquise-esque pear, others enjoy a chubbier pear profile, and the rest fall somewhere in the goldilocks middle region. We've made custom pear shaped engagement rings with every shape of pear, and all garner compliments the world over.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND: SUMMARY

1. Start with cut - choose the highest quality cut your budget allows. Work with a trusted jeweler or peruse our cut guide chart above to start your search.

2. For a colorless diamond set in white gold, start at H (and up) on the GIA color scale. If you're choosing a yellow gold, rose gold, or peach gold setting, you can get away with a lower color grade. Keep in mind, every diamond is different and stats don't tell the whole story.

3. Choose the clarity grade that corresponds with an eye-clean diamond. Pear shape diamonds hide blemishes well so you can usually pick a lower grade and direct your budget towards more important factors, like cut for your pear engagemet ring.

4. Consider the length to width ratio: start by looking in the 1.55 to 1.75 range but be open to any proportions that catch your eye.  

Pear shaped engagement ring with pink sapphire side stones

YOUR PEAR CUT DIAMOND QUESTIONS ANSWERED

HOW RARE ARE PEAR SHAPED DIAMONDS?

Pear diamonds make up only about 4% of the diamonds on the market, making them a deliciously rare and unique choice.

WHAT RING GOES WITH PEAR SHAPE?

Honestly your options are endless when it comes to picking a wedding band or stacking ring for your pear diamond! The best place to start: check if your ring stackable or not. Stackable rings have a raised head allowing straight bands to slide underneath the setting, whereas non-stackable rings sit flush to the finger. For non-stackable rings, you'll want a tiara band, chevron band, or open cuff band to frame your diamond.

If you're on team #moreismore with us, go for both! To the left is an example of a non-stackable ring with a diamond tiara band on top and a diamond open cuff band on the bottom.

For more on how to find a matching wedding band for your engagement ring, read our blog!

ARE PEAR SHAPED DIAMONDS MORE EXPENSIVE?

Pear shaped diamonds are about 10 - 30% less expensive than round brilliant diamonds of the same carat weight. So, if you'd like a bigger diamond for your budget, befriend a pear shaped diamond.

IS A PEAR DIAMOND GOOD?

Pear shaped diamonds are a stunning and unique diamond cut. They look bigger than other diamonds cuts and are noticeably less expensive than the more popular round brilliant diamond.

WHAT DOES A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND SYMBOLIZE?

Pear shaped diamonds symbolize distinctiveness and confidence. They're the diamonds worn by effortlessly chic trendsetters the world over. On a more romantic note, the teardrop shape is said to symbolize tears of joy - aww.

IS PEAR OR OVAL CUT DIAMOND BETTER?

Both incredibly sparkly and elongated brilliant cut diamonds, the choice comes down to what you love best! A couple things to keep in mind if you're just not sure:

• Pear shaped diamonds are more prone to chipping thanks to the pointed tip. A well-made setting will mostly mitigate this risk however.

• Pear shaped diamonds look larger than oval cut diamonds of the same carat weight.

• Oval cut diamonds usually have slightly better brilliance (white light reflection) than pear shaped diamonds.  

OUR FAVORITE SETTING FOR PEAR CUT ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Whether you're looking for a pear shaped engagement ring or teardrop diamond treat-yourself ring, there are two settings we favor for pear diamonds:

FIVE PRONG SETTING

This setting allows the stone to shine its brightest with minimal diamond coverage and protects the delicate diamond tip with that fifth prong. It's minimal, chic, and perfectly secure.

HALO SETTING

There's something so mesmerizing about a pear shaped diamond surrounded by a glittering diamond halo - it's vintage yet timeless and opulent yet chic. Not to mention, your stone is seriously secure and protected in this setting style.