Pear Shaped Diamond Guide: Pear Cut Diamonds Explained

What is a pear shaped diamond?

A pear shaped diamond, also called a pear cut or teardrop diamond, is a modified brilliant cut. It uses the same triangular and kite-shaped facets as a round brilliant, laid out on an outline that is rounded at one end and tapers to a single point at the other. Most pears have 56 to 58 facets, depending on the cutter and on whether the stone has a culet (a tiny flat facet at the very bottom).

Every pear has the same five parts. The head is the rounded end. The shoulders are where the head curves into the sides. The wings are the long sides running down to the tip. The belly is the widest part, just below the head. The point is the tip. How evenly those parts are cut decides whether the stone looks like a clean teardrop or a slightly bent one.

The pear belongs to the family of elongated diamond cuts, alongside the oval, marquise and moval, and it is one of the 34 diamond cuts GemTrove works with. Cutters often choose a pear for rough crystals that are naturally long or irregular, because it keeps more of the weight than cutting a round would. If you are still deciding on a shape, our overview of every diamond shape is a good starting point.

Do not confuse a pear with a briolette, a drop faceted all the way round. A briolette has no flat table and is usually drilled to hang from earrings or a pendant. A pear has a flat table on top and a cone-shaped pavilion underneath, so it can sit in a ring like any brilliant.

What is the best ratio for a pear shaped diamond?

The length-to-width ratio compares the stone's length (from the top of the head to the point) with its width across the belly. Divide one by the other: a pear measuring 9.0 × 6.0 mm has a ratio of 1.50. The ratio changes the character of a pear more than any other number on the report.

There is no single right ratio, only the one you like on your hand. Our detailed pear ratio guide shows each range on the finger. Beyond the ratio, the depth (how deep the stone is as a percentage of its width) and the table (the top facet, as a percentage of width) affect brightness. Many cutters aim for a depth of roughly 58–66% and a table of roughly 53–63%; the pear proportions chart sets out the ranges in full.

GIA does not give pears or other fancy shapes an overall cut grade, as it does for rounds. That means the report's numbers, the stone's symmetry and a good video tell you more than any single grade.

How do you judge pear diamond symmetry?

Imagine a line from the point to the centre of the head. A well-cut pear mirrors itself along that line. When you look at one, check five things:

• Point: sitting exactly on the centre line, not tilted to one side.
• Shoulders: level with each other. Shoulders that sit too high make the pear look square at the top; too low and it looks pinched.
• Head: a smooth, even curve, neither flat-topped nor narrowing to a point of its own.
• Wings: gently curved. Wings that bulge make the stone look fat; wings that are too straight make it look like a triangle.
• Belly: full enough to carry the shape without the stone looking swollen.

The report's polish and symmetry grades describe how accurately the facets are aligned, not whether the outline is balanced. A stone graded Excellent for symmetry can still have uneven shoulders. Our guide on judging pear diamond symmetry by eye goes through each check with examples.

Do pear cut diamonds have a bow-tie?

Most do, to some degree. The bow-tie effect is a dark band shaped like a bow-tie across the middle of an elongated brilliant. It appears where light leaks out through the pavilion instead of reflecting back up to your eye. In a pear it usually runs across the width of the stone, through the belly just below the head.

A faint bow-tie that shifts and lightens as the stone moves is normal and adds contrast to the sparkle. A strong, black band that stays put from every angle is a cutting problem and makes the stone look smaller and duller. Very slim pears (above about 1.75) and stones with a pavilion that is too shallow or too deep tend to show it more.

Photos rarely show a bow-tie honestly, because studio lighting fills it in. Ask for a 360° video, or look at the stone under ordinary room light, and watch the middle as it turns. The same check applies to ovals, which is one of the closest comparisons when people are choosing a pear.

How big does a pear diamond look for its carat weight?

Pears spread well. Because the weight is spread along a long outline, a pear usually looks larger face-up than a round of the same carat weight. A 1 carat round is about 6.4 mm across; a 1 carat pear is typically about 8.5 mm long and 5.5 mm wide.

These are typical figures for a pear with a ratio around 1.55. Two stones of the same weight can differ by half a millimetre or more: a deep pear hides weight underneath and looks smaller from above, while a shallow one looks larger but may show a stronger bow-tie or a glassy centre. Always compare the measurements in millimetres, not just the carat weight.

What colour and clarity should a pear diamond be?

Fancy shapes show body colour more than rounds, and in a pear the colour gathers in the point, where the stone is narrowest and light travels through more diamond. In white gold or platinum, most people are happy from H colour or better; if you are sensitive to warmth, look at G or higher. In yellow or rose gold, an I or J pear can look white, because the warm metal tints everything around it anyway.

For clarity, aim for an eye-clean stone, meaning no inclusions you can see without magnification at a normal viewing distance. In a pear that usually means VS2 or a carefully chosen SI1, because brilliant faceting hides small inclusions well. The exception is the point. A feather (a small internal crack) near the tip is more visible there and weakens the thinnest part of the stone, so check the plotting diagram on the report before you commit. Our jewellery glossary explains each grading term.

The girdle, the thin edge around the stone's outline, matters too. A girdle graded extremely thin at the point is more likely to chip. Thin to slightly thick is a sensible range for a pear.

What are the best settings for a pear diamond?

The point is the most exposed part of a pear, so the setting's first job is to protect it. The usual choices for a pear shaped engagement ring:

• Five or six claws with a V-claw: a V-shaped claw wraps the point, and four or five round claws hold the head and sides. This shows the most of the diamond while guarding the tip.
• Bezel or half-bezel: a thin rim of metal around all or part of the edge. Very secure and suited to active hands, though it shows a little less of the outline.
• Halo: a ring of small diamonds around the pear makes it look larger and shields its edge.
• Three-stone: a pear centre flanked by smaller stones. Compare trilliant and pear side stones to see which suits your centre.
• Pendants and drop earrings: a pear hangs naturally point-down, one of the most popular ways to wear the shape.

Our guide to protecting the point of a pear covers claw styles and wear in detail, and pear diamond settings compared shows each option side by side. Because the point can knock against a straight band, many people choose a curved or contoured band; see which wedding bands sit flush with a pear.

Traditionally a pear is worn with the point towards the fingertip, which lengthens the hand. Point towards the wrist is just as secure; it is purely a matter of taste.

Pear vs oval, marquise and heart: how do they compare?

If you like the pear's length but would rather avoid a point, the oval diamond gives a similar elongated look with no fragile tip. The marquise cut is longer still and has two points; our marquise vs pear comparison weighs up the extra length against the extra risk.

The heart-shaped diamond is the pear's closest relative, with a cleft added to the head; heart vs pear explained covers the trade-offs. Newer hybrids such as the moval cut, a cross between oval and marquise, sit between all three. For an antique look, pears are also cut as flat-based rose cuts; see how rose cuts differ from brilliants.

How much does a pear shaped diamond cost in Australia?

Pears are cut from both natural and laboratory-grown diamond, and the two look identical to the eye. A lab-grown pear diamond costs much less than a natural one of the same size and grade, and is easy to find above 2 carats. Natural pears are rarer. Both should come with an independent grading report from a lab such as GIA or IGI, and a lab-grown stone's report will state that it is laboratory-grown.

These are indicative ranges for loose stones around G–H colour and VS–SI clarity with good symmetry; prices move with the market, so check current stock for real figures. As a rule, a pear costs less per carat than a round of the same weight, colour and clarity, because less of the rough is lost in cutting and demand is lower. Within pears, the stones with the most even shoulders and the weakest bow-tie sit at the top of the range.

How to choose a pear shaped diamond: step by step

1. Pick natural or lab-grown. Decide this first, as it sets your budget and the sizes you can consider.
2. Read the report. Confirm shape, measurements, colour, clarity, polish, symmetry and the girdle thickness at the point.
3. Work out the ratio. Divide length by width from the measurements; aim for about 1.45–1.75, depending on the look you want.
4. Check the outline by eye. Level shoulders, an even head and a point on the centre line.
5. Watch a 360° video. Look for a bow-tie that stays dark and for any feather or inclusion near the point.
6. Plan the setting. Make sure the point will be protected by a V-claw, bezel or halo, and choose a band that sits neatly beside it.