Will You? Hearts on Fire Review

Key Takeaways

• Hearts on Fire’s whole brand is centered on the premise of expertly cut diamonds. They have their own signature cut – backed by a formula which took years to perfect – which aims to maximize a diamond’s brilliance. 
• There are no Hearts on Fire stores. You will only be able to see their expertly cut diamonds at select stores. We, as ever, encourage visits to stores to really see the diamond. Additionally, you’ll be able to compare a Hearts on Fire Diamond with an unbranded one, and, perhaps, you may not be able to tell the difference, as unbranded diamonds have expert cuts too.
• You pay a premium for Hearts on Fire diamonds. The brand has high craftsmanship. It also has a great marketing team to ensure customers know about the excellence of Hearts on Fire. It’s possible to find as-good diamonds and save money.

Everyone who has spent more than, say, ten minutes researching diamonds will know the quality of the cut is absolutely paramount to the stone’s beauty, and the beauty of their engagement ring. Of course, we want diamonds that aren’t brought down by noticeable inclusions or unwanted yellow color, but the parameters are not nearly so narrow in those categories.

Shoppers can afford to take several steps down from the highest grades for color and clarity but, for the best cut possible, to look for only Excellent or Very Good cut grades, awarded by the GIA (or, second best, the AGS). The differences between one grade and the next are minor, but not so minor that you can afford to go any lower than ‘Very Good’.

But choosing a well cut diamond takes more than that. Beyond the grades for cut (in the case of Round diamonds), polish, and symmetry, shoppers also need to look at proportion. This is relatively simple if you know the ideal cut proportions for your chosen shape but, for a complete beginner, still daunting, nonetheless.

Hearts on Fire is, seemingly, the perfect solution. A Hearts on Fire diamond is, in their words, the world’s most perfectly cut diamond – eliminating the need for shoppers to agonize over the cut quality of a diamond when they have no experience in judging cut quality to begin with.

Our grade: 2 stars

The positives: all diamonds are cut to an extraordinarily high standard, ensuring great light performance.

The negatives: plenty of other unbranded diamonds feature excellent cuts, and equally beautiful light performances, for much lower prices.

The Brand

Hearts on Fire boasts a signature diamond cut – one backed by a precise formula that was years in the making. In reality, the Hearts on Fire ‘signature’ Round Brilliant cut follows the exact same facet pattern as the standard Round Brilliant – it’s just been cut to a very high quality that gets the most brilliance (sparkle) out of the diamond as possible.

There’s a certain prestige attached to impeccably cut diamonds – partly because of the widely-known fact that a better diamond cut produces better sparkle, and partly because of the romantic connotations attached to the Hearts and Arrows phenomenon, which only exists in the best cut diamonds out there.

But, if you take a look at our guide to Hearts and Arrows diamonds, you’ll see that this phenomenon is totally invisible to the naked eye and, in our opinion, a waste of money.

Hearts on Fire only offer Round or Square diamonds

The Experience

As with Forevermark diamonds, Hearts on Fire diamonds are only available through selected retailers, so your experience will depend entirely on the knowledge and experience level held by the clerks and jewelers working in each the induvial store. 

We will always be proponents of going to see your diamond in store before you commit the money to it, so we consider to be something in Hearts on Fire’s favor. Pictures and video can only show so much, and shoppers can’t feel sure that they’ve found the diamond unless they actually see it in person first.

But, then again, that’s not the ‘selling point’ of a Hearts on Fire diamond. What makes it possible for them to charge a premium on their diamonds is the cut quality they can promise.

So, let’s think about the experience of seeing a Hearts on Fire diamond and an unbranded diamond – featuring, say, an Excellent GIA cut grade – in person. We’re very sure you wouldn’t be able to spot a difference between the two since they will both follow the exact same facet pattern and deliver tremendous amounts of brilliance and fire. 

Another one of their selling points is the fact that, unlike other diamond cutters, they polish their diamonds under 100x magnification, rather than the industry standard of 10x magnification. Again, this will not impact your experience of the diamond, since you won’t be admiring it under a microscope (we hope).

The Cost

Hearts on Fire are incredibly good at what they do. The marketing surrounding their diamonds – particularly when combined with the fact that many shoppers are overwhelmed by the prospect of accidentally picking out a ‘bad’ diamond – means that plenty of people are willing to pay a very high price for what they promise.

And those people will, of course, receive beautiful diamonds – there’s no denying that. But we’re pretty sure they could have paid much, much less for the same level of beauty – just without the clever marketing.

In our experience, Hearts on Fire diamonds are often priced way above comparable diamonds – and, in some cases, close to double what we’d expect to pay. This means that, if you’re restricting yourself to Hearts on Fire branding, you’ll probably have to curb your expectations when it comes to carat weight (not to mention shape).

FAQ

Still tempted by the idea of owning the best cut diamond in the world? Here are the answers to your biggest questions.

Are Hearts on Fire Real Diamonds?

Yes, Hearts on Fire diamonds are natural.

The brand sources their rough diamond crystals using some pretty high standards, and proudly state that they only accept 1/10 of 1% of the world’s rough diamonds.

Are Hearts on Fire GIA Certified?

No, their diamonds are graded for color and clarity by the AGS.

While AGS certification is not, in our opinion, anywhere near as reliable as the GIA, it’s also one of the stronger and more consistent laboratories for diamond grading.

Where are Hearts on Fire Diamonds From?

Hearts on Fire diamonds are sourced ethically from various locations around the world (all of which are partnered with the Kimberley Process).

According to their website, their sources include locations in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Russia, and Canada.

How are Hearts on Fire Diamonds Cut?

Hearts on Fire diamonds really are cut to an exceedingly high standard, and for that their cutters use some pretty powerful tools for magnifying the stone, and ensuring a very precise cut that works with the shape of the rough stone.

There’s no denying that their diamonds are beautifully cut, but we’re very doubtful that the level of quality and beauty they offer looks any different to a well-cut diamond not branded by Hearts on Fire.

Are Hearts on Fire Diamonds Valuable?

Yes, but all diamonds are valuable – particularly diamonds of a high cut quality.

It’s unlikely that Hearts on Fire diamonds will retain value any differently to other, unbranded diamonds.

What Grade Are Hearts on Fire Diamonds?

All Hearts on Fire diamonds feature an AGS cut grade of Ideal.

This is what ensures a good light performance and strong degree of visual symmetry.

Our Summary

We talk a lot about the importance of diamond cut, and how it trumps clarity and color when it comes to finding a perfect diamond, but there’s no need to overthink cut to the point of investing thousands more into a Hearts on Fire diamond just to make sure that the risk of a dull and lifeless diamond is eliminated.

You don’t have to be an expert in diamond cutting to know how to recognize a well cut diamond, particularly if you’re viewing it in a trusted jewelry store with plenty of time to put your research to the test. Doing so may be the less convenient route, but it’ll save you a lot of money on this one feature, and open up your options for a larger or more impressive diamond.