Pear Shape and Tapered Baguettes Design Diamond Engagement Ring

PEAR DIAMOND WITH BAGUETTES 

The Pear Cut Diamond is perhaps one of the most feminine and elegant diamond shapes. This cut is often also referred to as the ‘teardrop’ owing to its resemblance to the shape of a tear with a rounded end on one side and a tapering point at the other.  

The Pear cut is considered as a hybrid between the marquise cut and the round brilliant diamond being seen by many as a modified round brilliant cut diamond.  As with the marquise cut diamond, if not cut well the Pear Shaped Diamond is also prone to the bow tie effect. A well cut Pear Shaped Diamond will be fiery with an abundance of sparkle and flash and is generally considered to display a more dramatic flair than a traditional round diamond. 

Ideally Pear Shape Diamonds have 58 facets and as with many fancy shapes, length-to-width ratio should be carefully considered.  In general a ratio of 1.5:1.0 is preferred, meaning that the length of the stone should be about 1.5 times the width of the diamond.  Some may prefer a shorter, wider outline or a longer, thinner shape but above all what must be remembered is that good symmetry is a must when designing the perfect Pear Diamond with Baguettes ring to ensure maximum sparkle and desirability.   

A Pear Shaped diamond should be mounted in a special setting with five prongs: two to hold the rounded end, two to hold the curved sides of the stone securely, and one V-shaped prong to protect this vulnerable part of the diamond from chips and other damage. 

The Pear Diamond with Baguettes is currently one of the most popular styles of engagement ring being the choice of style conscious confident women who wish to stand out from the crowd and own a truly unique piece of jewelry.  A Pear Diamond with Baguettes engagement ring can accentuate the length of the wearer’s fingers as many women wear their Pear Diamond engagement ring with the tip of the pear pointing towards their fingers rather than pointing the tip towards their hand. With the tip of the diamond pointing towards the fingers, this gives the appearance of elongation of the fingers. Women who don’t naturally have long, graceful fingers will find that wearing a Pear Diamond with Baguettes ring will make their fingers appear to be longer. 

History of the Pear Shape Diamond 

Whilst the style of the Pear Diamond with Baguettes is viewed as very modern and edgy, the Pear Cut Diamond shape can in fact be traced back in history to as early as 1400s. During the Renaissance period diamonds became popular as ornaments in jewelry and the different techniques and styles of diamond cuts such as the Pear Cut Diamond were highly popular. The art of diamond cutting has been credited to a Flemish polisher called Lodewyk van Berquem of Brugge, Belgium who created the first Pear Cut Diamonds in 1458 - the ‘brilliant’ style of Pear Shape Diamond was introduced later in the 1700’s.  He invented a diamond polishing wheel called a ‘scaif’ which enabled him to cut the facets of a diamond.  Van Berquem also introduced the concept of using absolute symmetry in the placement of facets on the gemstone to maximize the shine and sparkle that radiates from each diamond.    

Famous Pear Shaped Diamonds 

When the Pear Cut Diamond was first introduced by Van Berquem its popularity with the public was diminished by the fact that many were not happy with the amount of rough diamond lost during the cutting process. However, today times have changed and the Pear Diamond with Baguettes is highly sought after as one of the most popular styles of engagement ring. Many celebrities, from Victoria Beckham to Katherine Heigl have rocked the pear shaped diamond engagement ring. However, possibly the most famous but perhaps the most famous Pear Diamond with Baguettes ring was worn by none other than the iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor. 

The Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond, was originally cut by Harry Winston and set in a platinum ring. It was originally sold in 1967, but was put back up for public auction on October 23, 1969.  Those bidding included Richard Burton (Taylor’s then-husband), the Sultan of Brunei, Aristotle Onassis (of Jackie Onassis’ fame) and Robert Kenmore the owner of the parent company of the jewelers Cartier.  The bidding started at $200,000, and Kenmore successfully won the auction and renamed the pear shaped diamond the ‘Cartier Diamond’.  However, Richard Burton was absolutely set upon buying this diamond for Elizabeth Taylor who was a great diamond aficionado. Burton had his lawyers contact Kenmore to buy the diamond with an open cheque book! It was sold to him within 24 hours for $1.1 million, and given to Elizabeth Taylor as an engagement ring being renamed the name it still carries today, the ‘Taylor-Burton Diamond’. 

Choosing a Pear Diamond with Baguettes Engagement Ring 

The Pear Diamond with Baguettes engagement ring is the perfect choice for someone who wants an elegant yet unique cut of stone. When purchasing a Pear Shaped Diamond, it is very important to pay attention to the quality and to select the highest grade cut that you can afford. Pear-shaped diamonds are prone to two cutting issues: the ‘bow-tie’ effect and ‘high’ or ‘uneven’ shoulders: 

As the term suggests, the ‘bow-tie’ effect seen on some Pear Shaped Diamonds gives the impressions of a black bow tie shape within the diamond. It is not unusual to see ‘some’ bow-tie if you examine a pear-shaped diamond from various angles and in different lights, but what you do not want is an obvious dark spot that is dull from every angle and in all lights.  

A Pear Shaped Diamond that has high or uneven shoulders should be avoided as they decrease the value of the diamond considerably. The non-pointed end of the pear shaped diamond should have a nice round and gentle arc. In addition to ‘uneven shoulders’, sometimes diamond cutters to increase the carat weight of the diamond, ‘square off’ or give a ‘rounded triangle’ end to the Pear Shaped Diamond.  

Whilst many people will not be able to afford a Pear Shaped Diamond that weighs nearly 70 carats like the ‘Taylor-Burton Diamond’, here at Rêve Diamonds we offer a choice of stunning Pear Diamond with Baguettes engagement Rings that will suit many budgets and are of the very highest quality.