In honor of Valentine’s Day, let me teach you about the history of the heart shaped diamond.
The heart-shaped diamond is universally accepted as the ultimate symbol of romance. Heart diamonds are really trendy today because the ladies love them, but they’ve actually been around for a really long time.
Heart Shaped Diamonds in History
Diamond shaped hearts started out as a symbol of royalty. The oldest mention of the heart-cut diamond is that of the legendary Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1444-1476), when he wrote a letter to Nicodemo in 1463. In his letter, he described the literary pursuits of the wealthy and powerful Cosimo de Medici to something amazing – “like a heart-shaped diamond.”
Shortly afterwards, Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland sent Queen Elizabeth a beautiful ring with a heart-shaped diamond in it. This is one of the most famous diamond hearts in history and during this period it was known to be a symbol of love and admiration.
Around that same time, a French nobleman named Cardinal Richelieu owned a 20 carat heart shaped diamond that given to to him by a wealthy diamond merchant. He gifted the heart shaped diamond to the king.
When you, the reader, buy a heart shaped diamond for your special someone, you know that you’re buying a regal gift, a gesture of royalty and devotion – just like these great historical figures.
Celebrities today also love heart diamonds in their jewelry
Before we get into Lady Gaga and Nikki Minaj’s heart shaped diamond engagement rings, let’s go a little back to the days of Elizabeth Taylor, the epitome of elegance in the 1950-1970’s. Elizabeth Taylor received a stunning heart-shaped diamond known as the “Taj Mahal” for her fortieth birthday in 1972, courtesy of Richard Burton. The diamond was flat and large, decorated with rubies in a gold necklace.
Back to our modern times, Lady Gaga also merited a heart shaped diamond. Her boyfriend, Taylor Kinney, gave her a glamorous engagement ring featuring a large, wide heart shaped diamond with perfect symmetry.
Another celebrity to flaunt the diamond heart engagement ring is Nicki Minaj. The fancy yellow heart shaped diamond has a halo of white diamonds around it.
There you have it, heart shaped diamonds signify romance, class and glamour. They’re a wonderful jewelry gift idea to mark the occasion of Valentine’s Day.
Tips When Buying a Heart-Shaped Diamond
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Symmetry:
Whether you’re purchasing a diamond heart for yourself or a loved one, you should always take a closer look at the diamond’s symmetry. You want the halves of the heart diamond to be identical in shape and size. The sides of the diamond (known as the wings) should be slightly rounded, while the cleft (the point in the middle between the two rounded halves) needs to be distinct. The fine folks at Caratsdirect2u took care of that for you; all the heart shaped diamonds that you will see in the 360-degree photographs are perfectly symmetrical.
If you are choosing a heart-shaped diamond that is much smaller, bear in mind that anything less than .50 carats is not recommended. This is because the diamond heart shape will be much more difficult to notice in a smaller diamond. Also, since making the heart shape is really difficult, smaller sizes than .50 might not be cut to perfection.
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The Heart’s Shape:
It’s always good to know what in certain types of jewelry, heart-shaped diamonds look better if they’re wider or narrower. For example, if the heart-shaped diamond is going to be used in a solitaire diamond ring, you will want a wider cut to give it the most flattering shape.
I will end with a quote “true love is like a diamond; it is rare, beautiful and lasts forever.” – unknown
This Valentine’s Day, you have the opportunity to prove it to that special someone that your love to them is rare, beautiful and truly lasts forever.
