Choosing the Perfect Pear Shaped Engagement Ring

Why Choose a Pear Shaped Diamond?

Perhaps one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life is receiving a wedding proposal from the man she loves. No proposal would be quite romantic without the perfect engagement ring. For a man looking for a beautiful ring for his fiance-to-be, pear shaped engagement rings are one of the most elegant styles to consider. Also known as the teardrop or pendeloque, this beautiful style is a combination of the traditional round-brilliant or oval and the marquise styles for diamonds. The resulting unique tear drop shape has 58 facets and provides plenty of sparkle and elegance whether the ring settings are simple or elaborate.

What to look for in a Pear Shaped Engagement Ring

When choosing pear shaped engagement rings, it is important to consider the quality of the diamond’s cut. Two cutting issues to look out for are the bow-tie effect and high or uneven shoulders. A bow-tie effect is evident when a dark butterfly-shaped area is visible around the middle or thickest part of the stone. Although it is not unusual for tear drop diamonds or gemstones to have a slight bow-tie effect from some angles, it is best to avoid stones with strong black or dark areas that look dull from every angle and under good lighting conditions. To the unaided eye, all sides of the stone should also be symmetrical. Pear stones which do not have a nice round and gentle arch on the wide end are considered to have high or uneven shoulders. This defect is fairly visible to the naked eye and can decrease the value of the stone and make it more difficult to set in standard settings.

For strength and style, the length-width ratio of a pear shaped stone should ideally be between 1.45:1 and 1.75:1. Beyond either end of these ratios, the stone will resemble more of the oval or marquise cut respectively. The thin point of the stone should also be sharp. Color and clarity are also important considerations when choosing tear drop engagement rings. Although a larger tear drop diamond or gemstone may be perceived as better, a smaller stone with higher quality color and clarity may be a better chance than a larger one with flaws.

Designs for Pear Shaped Engagement Rings

Popular designs of pear shaped engagement rings include the traditional solitaire diamond with a six-prong setting which highlights the stone’s unique shape, and the fancier setting of pave diamonds where the main large pear-shaped stone is surrounded by smaller round or princess cut gemstones that are ‘paved’ into the ring. For the six-prong setting, it is important that there is a single prong at the pointed end of the stone in order to properly secure it. Some pear shaped engagement rings also feature two smaller pear-shaped, round or marquise cut stones on each side of the main center stone. This design is known as a three-stone engagement ring. Typically, the main stone is set perpendicular to the ring’s band (parallel to the direction of the fingers), but some jewelers may also offer cross-set pear stone rings.

A white gold or platinum band is usually the best match choice for a teardrop stone. When searching for a matching wedding band to go with pear shaped engagement rings, a simple ring without many ornate decorations is always a great choice to emphasize the sparkling and unique pear cut. Although there is no ‘right’ way to wear pear shaped engagement rings, it is more conventional wear the ring with pointed end directed outward toward the fingernails. This orientation gives a slimming and elongating effect to the fingers. However, some women prefer to wear the ring with the pointed end towards the wrist, which makes the stone appear a bit larger. Either way that a woman chooses to wear it, the effect will always be flattering and feminine, and will surely generate admiration and compliments from girlfriends.

Pear shaped engagement rings are stunning alternatives to the traditional round or oval engagement ring. If the bride-to-be is elegant and feminine, then a pear shaped engagement ring would be a good choice for popping the big question.