How to Buy a Pear Cut Diamond Engagement Ring NZ

Pear shaped diamonds, or tear drop cut diamonds are diamonds that look exactly as their names suggest. They have been growing in popularity in New Zealand and make a great centre stones for unique engagement rings.

However, finding a well cut pear diamond can be tricky. This article will walk you through how to choose the best Pear diamonds and how to add one to your custom pear cut engagement ring.

Why you should buy a Pear cut diamond.

There are lots of reasons that couples are choosing Pear cut diamonds over other shapes. They appear larger than Round cuts, are often more affordable and pair very well with Princess, Asscher and Emerald cut diamonds.

1: Pear cut diamonds appear larger than Round cut diamonds.

Diamonds are measured on carat weight and not diameter or area. Pear cut diamonds have around 8% larger surface area than an equivalent Round cut diamond because of their shape. This means that your Pear cut diamond will look approximately like a 1.2 or 1.3 carat diamond when it is a 1 carat diamond.

2: Pear cut diamonds can be more cost effective.

Pear cut diamonds not only appear larger than their Round equivalents, they can also be cheaper than Round diamonds too. Depending on diamond prices, they can be about 5 - 10% cheaper, especially in the mined diamond market. With lab grown diamonds, they tend to be similarly priced with pear shaped diamonds slightly cheaper.

3: Pear cut diamonds can make your finger appear longer.

The pear cut diamond can help your finger to look longer because of the tear drop shape. This is great if you happen to have short fingers.

Below is an example of a solitaire pear shaped diamond in yellow gold. This bespoke diamond engagement ring also has four prongs to keep the diamond safe.

Why you shouldn’t buy a Pear cut diamond.

Getting a Pear cut diamond can come with its own risks. And if you don’t work with a great jeweller, you can get caught out with a poor-quality diamond.

1: More likely to get damaged.

Because of the tear drop shape, Pear cut diamonds are more likely to chip, especially if the point is not protected with a bezel.

When we work with Pear shaped engagement rings at Four Words, we always ensure a bezel at the apex. This will ensure that your diamond will last a lifetime. The bezel can also be subtle, and even look like a prong.

For example, we designed bespoke a four prong and corner bezel solitaire Pear cut diamond engagement ring with a yellow gold band. The prongs and bezel keeps the diamond securely in place.

2: Pears suffer from the bowtie effect.

As with most elongated shapes (i.e., Oval cut and Marquise cut), the Pear shaped diamond can suffer from the bowtie effect. This is where two black triangles can form near the middle of the diamond because of the way in which the diamond is cut.

Ideally you want to avoid Pear cut diamonds with dark prominent bow ties. All Pear diamonds have some form of a bowtie. The reason large bowties are undesirable is that it darkens your diamond, changing how it looks and sparkles.

To make matters worse, bowties are not reported on independent grading certificates. The only way that you can avoid a bowtie is by visually inspecting the diamond.

Most jewellers only concentrate on the 4Cs (Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat). But at Four Words, we take the hassle out of choosing a Pear shaped diamond or gemstone. We check through about 15-20 variables to choose you the best possible diamond or gemstone that the eye can see. We also believe that you shouldn’t pay for things that you can’t see so you get the best diamond or gemstone that the eye can see.

3: The ratios are more important than you think.

The diamond shape, particularly for a Pear is not standard. Every diamond has a unique set of ratios. And there is goldilocks zone. For example, the ideal length to width ratio is around 1:1.60.

If you don’t work with a jeweller that understands this, then you can get a diamond that appears lopsided, too round or too narrow. And while there may be a matter of preference when it comes to the ratios, at Four Words we will tell you how this may influence the sparkle of the diamond.

A good jeweller will also take into account your preference. For example, at Four Words, one of our clients wanted a bit more of a round Pear with a muliti-coloured halo in a rose gold band.

By spending lots of time with our clients, we can create exactly what they are looking for.

Another customer wanted a more skinny pear, and below is the result. It features a 1 carat solitaire Pear Diamond in a gold band

The Pear Cut and the 4Cs

Cut

Unlike Round brilliant cut diamonds, there is no standard when it comes to Pear cut diamonds. The best way to ensure you are getting a sparkly diamond is to see it before you buy it. At Four Words, we visually inspect all the diamonds that we choose and only choose the best diamonds that the eye can see.

Clarity

Just like Ovals and Cushion cuts do not hide inclusions well, especially towards the centre. We recommend you buy from VS2 and above. The larger the stone, the more attention you need to pay to clarity.

Colour

If you are going for a colourless or white shine stone, we recommend a diamond from the colour grade G and up.

For anything larger than a 2ct, pick F or higher.

How We Design Pear Cut Engagement Rings

The first thing we do is help our customers choose a diamond. This is because there is so much variability when it comes to them. If our clients want to go more Round, we will ensure to find something within a suitable ratio. If they would like to go more elongated, then we will ensure that they are also aware of the Oval cut and Marquise Cut. It is not that we discourage Pears. We just want to ensure our clients know what is possible.

Simple solitaires ooze class

If you are looking for a classic but unique Pear shaped diamond ring, then consider a solitaire with yellow gold or rose gold. Then layer it up with small pavé diamonds. Below is a piece that we created for a client featuring a 1 carat Pear diamond in a gold band.

We think this is classy because it is simple, easy on the eye and speaks to tradition and modernism.

Go antique with a Pear Cut and Diamond Halo

If you want to add a bit more bling to your Pear solitaire engagement ring and don’t want to add diamonds to the band, consider adding a diamond halo. A diamond halo is a collection of small round diamonds that sit on the perimeter of your centre stone. Below is an example of one that we designed for one of our clients. It features a 1.5 carat Pear diamond with a halo held by a gold band.

Consider going asymmetrical

One of our most admired pieces is an asymmetrical Pear cut emerald engagement ring with accenting round side stones in a gold band. It is part of a wider bridal set for both partners.

The coupled designed their ring together and the asymmetry was also incorporated into the men’s yellow gold band. Wouldn’t blame you to put it on your wish list!

Pear cut diamonds go well in moi et toi

Moi et toi is when you have two stones in your ring that are similarly sized. They also don’t need to be the same shape or gemstone. We have had clients that have mixed up diamonds with aquamarines, and rubies too.

One of our favourite moi et toi’s featuers a 1.5 carat Pear cut diamond with an equivalent Marquise diamond held with a yellow gold band.

Pears come in all the popular gemstones

Don’t like diamonds but love the Pear cut shape? We got you. At Four Words we don’t just do diamond jewellery. We also work with coloured diamonds, rubies, sapphires and a whole lot more. Below is a client we worked with that loved the Pear cut but not diamonds. Instead we used pink and blue sapphires with a yellow gold band.

FAQs

Can I get a pear cut diamond pendant as part of a necklace?

Yes you can. At Four Words, we can design your pendant, including utilising different chain styles and settings for your pendant.

How do you grade your diamonds? GIA or IGI?

IGI, GIA and AGS are the most trusted independent certifiers in the industry. At Four Words, we mainly work with diamonds certified by IGI and GIA. All our diamonds are independently certified. We do not self-certify any of our stones.

Does Four Words also do wedding bands?

Yes! Many of our customers decide to also get a pair of custom wedding bands designed after proposing. Learn more at our wedding bands page

How do I work with Four Words? Do you do virtual appointments? Or do you have a showroom?

Yes! Free consultations are available to help design your ring. We have a showroom in Auckland, New Zealand. If you want to book an appointment (virtually or in-person), contact us here. All physical consultations required an appointment.

How important is it to get the correct ring size in a consultation?

If you are visiting us at our Auckland studio, we'll always try to get your exact ring size.

If you can’t come into the studio, we will either send you a sizer or ask you to get your ring sized at your local store. We can typically resize most rings 2 sizes up or down. But if you do have diamonds along the band, then this may not be possible and it may require making your ring again. We'll advise you of this prior to any design decisions!

What type of band materials do you use? Do you use white gold?

At Four Words we typically use hypoallergenic gold (yellow, white or rose) and platinum. We perfer platinum over white gold. While platinum can be slightly more expensive, the colour does not fade away. While white gold upfront is cheaper, it can cost you over time as it needs to be replated every two to three years.

Where are you based?

Four Words is based in Auckland, New Zealand but we service all over the world. We have crafted beautiful rings in Australia, US and the UK.