Do H&A inscriptions mean hearts and arrows?
“I’ve been reading up on diamonds, trying to get a handle on all the information so that I can make an informed decision that I won’t regret. Everything that I read seems to indicate that I should focus on ideal cut diamonds that exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. This realization led me to Brian Gavin Diamonds, which seems to offer diamonds of exceptional quality. In the midst of searching, I ran across a GIA Excellent cut diamond that is inscribed “H&A” according to the comments provided on the lab report. Does the H&A inscription mean that the diamond is hearts and arrows?”
A picture of hearts and arrows is worth 1000 words:
Gemological laboratories will record the presence of a pre-existing inscription under the comments section of the diamond grading report. People tend to assume that this means that the laboratory has determined that the diamond exhibits a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. However, this is not the case. It simply means that the diamond cutter used an inscription machine to inscribe “H&A” on the girdle edge of a diamond. Inscription machines are relatively inexpensive these days, and it’s much easier to inscribe “H&A” than produce the degree of optical precision required to produce a perfect pattern of hearts and arrows.
This is not to say that diamonds inscribed with “H&A” do not exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. We’re simply saying that the presence of an inscription does not make a diamond hearts and arrows. The proof is in the precision of the hearts pattern exhibited by the diamond. The only way to see it is to view the diamond while unmounted through a hearts and arrows viewer, or be provided with a photograph of the pattern.
True Hearts & Arrows patterns:
Diamonds which exhibit true hearts patterns are extremely rare, and take a great deal of planning and skill to produce. Every facet section polished on to the diamond must be consistent in shape, size, and indexing upon the surface of the diamond. Even the slightest variance will result in an imperfect and irregular pattern of hearts and arrows, which will be apparent in a high resolution photograph of the diamond as seen through a reflector scope.
We provide hearts and arrows images of the Brian Gavin Signature round diamonds produced, so that you can verify the existence of a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. The pattern of hearts and arrows exhibited by the 1.710 carat, I-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond (pictured above) is typical of our production.
H&A Inscriptions versus Photographs:
It takes approximately 1 – 2 minutes to inscribe “H&A” upon the girdle edge of a diamond. However, it takes about four times longer to produce a hearts and arrows diamond, than it does to produce a standard ideal cut diamond. It takes a higher degree of skill to polish a diamond to exhibit hearts and arrows, than it does to simply make the mark for the GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal polish and symmetry grades.
It also requires high-end diamond cutting equipment that is state-of-the-art, and requires that the polishing wheels be changed out more often. But this is a necessity that Brian Gavin feels is well worth the expense, since it results in his ability to produce super ideal cut diamonds that exhibit the highest volume of light return, and a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion in the form of broad spectrum sparkle. This is sparkle which is larger in size, bolder, brighter, and more vivid, than what the average ideal cut diamond is capable of producing.
