Color Grading of Pear Shaped Diamonds

[prs]

My wife and I love pear shaped stones and, having acquired a number of colored gemstone pears, we are thinking of looking for a diamond pear. If we were after a round stone we would be fine with H-I color grade, but I have read that, for pears, you have to move up two color grades because color is concentrated at the point. So instead of H-I color we would need to look at stones in the F-G range.

We would be looking in the 2 to 3 carat size range, and at that size, two color grades makes a huge difference in price. So I have a couple of questions for our diamond experts:

1. Is it true that GIA grades pear shaped diamonds on the color in the main body of the stone, and ignores the increased color towards the point? Do all the GIA graders do this uniformly or is it possible that some graders might use an average of the main body and point colors to give the grade?

2. When we were looking for pear shaped sapphires we found almost all the pears got darker at the point, and the greater the L/W, the darker they got. It makes sense that chubby pears with an L/W under 1.5 are closer in shape to rounds and might have less color concentration at the tip than long, lean pears with an L/W of 1.75 or more. So my question is; have the experts noticed that plump diamond pears show less color concentration than lean pears? If so, would we only need to move up by one color grade if we chose a chubby pear?

 

[metall]

I'm no expert, just someone whose looked at hundreds and hundreds of pear diamond while searching for one. I personally love a chubby pear, the round bottom really speaks to me, so do take what I say with my biases in mind.

I can't answer how GIA grades pears for color. But color is usually in the body, so if a diamond is well cut it will still hide the color.

With longer pears... they are more susceptible to have more "crushed ice" tips and bottoms. Probably because the facets have to be cut smaller and thus reflect smaller flashes of light. That said, if all facets light up well the color difference from the body and tip shouldn't be noticable...like the bowtie effect if the facets don't reflect light well, then you are left w. darker tips which shows the color. Shorter rounder pears on the other hand have more large bright flashes of light and fire. The 'bowtie effect' and crushed ice look is more minimal when I look at these types of stones.

Hope these ones see observations help! With fancies it is definitely best to see the diamond in person, and a lot of them so you get an idea of what YOU like.

 

[oldminer]

There can be some color concentration toward the pointed end of a pear just as the same occurs in the two pointed ends of some marquise and the rounded ends of some ovals. Like someone else told you, it only matters if the diamond you are looking for has a tint of color from about G and lower, in my experience. The visibility of those color concentrations are not simply the GIA color of the diamonds, but the combination of the faceting and proportions of individual diamonds. I don't think we can predict this for you, but when you see what you do or don't like, then that's the big test. I have seen I/J pears with rather even coloration and some with noticeable concentrations of color. They can look perfectly fine either way, but your own taste is the decision maker.

 

[prs]

@metall @oldminer thanks for your comments. It seems that searching for a pear is not going to be as easy as searching for a round. When my wife and I went shopping for studs a couple of years ago we decided very early in the process we could go with J color in order to maximize size, and then it was just a question of finding the best cut and clarity to fit our budget.

I'm not sure if one can tell from photos and videos just how much color is concentrated at the tip of the pear, so that may mean having to look at every stone in person. Are there any "rules of thumb" for pear color that might enable us to shop online more easily?

 

[John P]

Ditto the comments by @oldminer

Are there any "rules of thumb" for pear color that might enable us to shop online more easily?

The challenge with online shopping is that diamond grading was designed so the report would back up up a live presentation. Not the other way around... If you ever wondered why GIA doesn't judge 'eye-clean,' or transparency matters, or whether a diamond faces-up whiter or more tinted than its lab grade, etc. - that's the reason. Those things are self-evident in live viewing. A half-century ago nobody was surfing grading reports to choose a diamond. They saw diamonds live. The report just verified the basics. I realize that's not a solution, but it may be useful to understand 'why' things are the way they are.

As far as the online market goes; photos/videos which are consistently made, along with certain performance assessment tools are useful supplements to grading reports. This community can also help immensely, with its many experienced enthusiasts who love to provide help to online shoppers.

With that said, the information you see online will always be virtual. For that reason, and especially with fancy shape assessments, my advice is to find a like-minded professional you trust who is in a position to access and personally inspect promising diamonds on your behalf.

 

[prs]

For that reason, and especially with fancy shape assessments, my advice is to find a like-minded professional you trust who is in a position to access and personally inspect promising diamonds on your behalf.

Thanks John, are there any of the board favorite diamond suppliers who stock pears in quantity, and would thus be in a position to offer such help?

 

[John P]

Thanks John, are there any of the board favorite diamond suppliers who stock pears in quantity, and would thus be in a position to offer such help?

That's a smart question, especially for fancy shapes. I'll start by saying that all of the board favorites have passed some level of positive product and service scrutiny. Otherwise... #notfavorites

In the macro, you probably realize many sellers publish 'virtual inventory' lists offering thousands of diamonds, but those diamonds are located with distant suppliers. Some companies are 100% virtual, with 0% investment in inventory. There are others who have put their own money into vetting, buying and offering some percentage of exclusive stock.

You can always ask directly: "Are the pear-shapes I see on your site in your hands, or located with a supplier?" Just don't expect a windfall. Inventory-turn is a priority for all sellers and fancy shapes don't move as fast as rounds, so even those who stock pears may not have eleventy-seven on hand.

That's ok if your chosen pro knows great suppliers. I regularly have jewelers contact me to ask "Does your company produce a high-performing [XYZ-shape]?" We don't, but I can point to a cut-focused supplier for each breed of fancy. The board favorites will also have such contacts. Another option is to work with a seller based in a popular diamond district, with around the corner access to a concentration of suppliers.

In all cases I think having a dialogue is important. I'd suggest to contact as many sellers as you like, hear what their opinions and selection criteria are, and see what resonates with you.