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The round brilliant cut is seen as the gold standard for diamond cuts. Designed to maximize the potential of a diamond's brilliance, this cut is also known as the most wasteful, with over half of the raw diamond thrown away to get to this ideal shape. Not to say that it's the only shape diamonds should be in. In fact, the diversity of diamond cuts increases their overall desirability.

And diamond heart jewelry is as alluring as it gets. Heart cuts are in many ways similar to the pear cut, but vary in height and width. The heart cut retains some brilliance found in the round brilliant cut, but also flaunts the diamond's other qualities, like clarity. Bear in mind that this shape was not invented frivolously. The heart cut is essentially the pear cut with a cleft added in.

Admittedly, diamond heart jewelry may not appeal to everyone. Some people may feel that it is too puerile to use in their wedding rings. Still, it is hard to argue with the romantic appeal of the heart shape. Since it is a relatively new cut, there are less regulations in making heart cut diamonds compared to round brilliant.

In comparison, with round brilliant cut diamonds, your primary consideration really is just the brilliance of the piece. Diamond makers improved on Tolkowsky's Ideal Cut, the original standard for the round cut. Thanks to advances in the science of refraction and manufacturing technology, they're able to utilize a raw diamond's potential to reach maximum brilliance.

It is crucial that you do a quality check before you acquire any diamond heart jewelry. In particular, you need to confirm that it does not have any blemishes, cracks or other imperfections. Some imperfections are not discernible to the naked eye, but still affect the diamond's value. These imperfections do become detectable under the microscope, and are considered when the finished diamond is graded and priced.

If you prefer to get more value for your investment, you should keep watch for enhanced diamonds. These are treatments performed on diamonds after they have been cut and polished, to excise these imperfections. Government regulations require that any enhancements be disclosed to potential buyers. These treatments diminish their value and are only performed on seriously flawed diamonds.