Heart

Ancient Chinese, Egyptian and Greek scholars believed this vital part of the body to be the centre of thought and emotion. Over time, the heart grew increasingly connected with love and romance. The stylised symbol that we know today originated in medieval Europe, making its debut in illustrations of courtly romance.The shape of heart diamonds is more variable, with lobes, wings, a cleft and point. All of these elements must be in balance with one another, as well as be faceted to provide brilliance and fire.The parts that make up a heart shaped diamond are the lobes, wings, cleft, belly and point. Lobes are the curves that form the top of the heart, while the cleft is the gap that separates the two. The belly makes up the widest and roundest part of the jewel, tapering down into the bottom tip of the stone, known as the point. Wings fill in the space between the point and belly.  Each portion must be in balance with the rest for the heart to look attractive. The overall shape should be proportional, as should the facets which determine brilliance and outline. The stone’s length to width ratio should be between 1:1 and 1:1.2, and its tip should be defined rather than blunted.