After checking a diamond’s parameters on a lab report or with a Sarin machine, it is important to check each stone with an H&A viewer. It should be understood that these viewers are not made to any standard and many are inconsistent, some of them do not work at all, while others are below average, but still passable. We demonstrate how to use the viewer on our website, but it is important to know what to look for. The pattern should look like the image above. If the viewer is functional, any material deviation from this image demonstrates that the diamond has departed from the normal H&A parameters and has problems with its physical or optical symmetry, proportions, angular symmetry or it is not properly placed in the viewer.

The following four examples show Heart patterns that are not acceptable due to the inconsistency of the eight hearts or the lack of spacing and or symmetry between the bottom tips of the heart and the arrowhead shaped pattern (or V’s as they are often called). Many in the trade would consider these patterns acceptable, but they are not perfect enough to be classified as Super Ideal H&A’s. As the old saying goes, “Close, but no cigar.”

The following four examples show arrows patterns that are not acceptable due to an inconsistent or asymmetrical pattern of the eight arrows. Some of them show clustering, flagging or side effects that materially destroy the arrows pattern. Note: a pair of small triangles visible between each arrow, which is desirable to show optical symmetry. Many in the trade would consider these patterns acceptable, but they are not perfect enough to be classified as Super Ideal H&A’s.

The four examples above are off the mark, but are actually better than some that we have encountered in the trade today being sold as Hearts and Arrows, including some with H&A inscribed on the girdle of the stone. It is easy to call a diamond H&A, if the buyers are naïve about what they are buying.
Our advice: Trust, but verify!