Cut & certification
Hearts & Arrows and Super Ideal Cut, Explained
Hearts & arrows is a pattern of eight hearts and eight arrows that appears under a special viewer only when a round diamond's facets are cut and aligned with great precision. Super ideal is not a lab grade: it is a retailer term for that level of precision, so look for proof on the certificate instead.
Most cut language stays abstract: "excellent", "ideal", "super ideal". Hearts & arrows is a cut claim you can check with your own eyes through a viewer. This page explains what the pattern shows and what it doesn't.
What does hearts & arrows actually show?
A round brilliant's facets are arranged in an eight-fold pattern around the center. When those facets are cut to consistent angles and lined up precisely, a special viewer reveals two patterns:
- Arrows: looking down through the crown (the top), you see eight evenly spaced arrows radiating from the center.
- Hearts: looking up through the pavilion (the bottom), you see eight small, evenly shaped hearts.
The pattern is a test of optical symmetry and facet alignment. Small misalignments show up as uneven or split hearts, errors a single symmetry grade can hide.
What hearts & arrows does not prove
Hearts & arrows proves symmetry. It does not, on its own, prove the best light return. The International Gem Society notes that some diamonds showing hearts and arrows may lack proper proportions. A stone can be perfectly symmetrical and still be cut a little too deep or too shallow. Treat the pattern as one piece of evidence, alongside proportions and measured light performance.
Why you can't judge it from a ring
You need a hearts & arrows scope and a loose stone viewed exactly face-up or face-down. Once a diamond is set, the pattern is hard to see or photograph. Handheld viewers are not made to any standard, so two viewers can make the same stone look different. The most reliable record is a lab photograph taken under controlled conditions.
Who grades hearts & arrows?
GIA and IGI don't give it a standard grade. GCAL does: to earn 8X, a round must score Excellent on hearts & arrows as well as seven other factors, and the certificate includes photographs of the crown and pavilion patterns. Our guide to GCAL 8X certification walks through all eight.
"Super ideal" is not a lab grade: it is retailer language, defined differently by each seller, usually for a round cut to tight proportions with a hearts & arrows pattern.
Hearts & arrows photographs and measured proportions on a lab certificate are evidence. A label is not.
What proportions should a round have?
Table, depth, crown angle and pavilion angle work together, and the certificate lists each one. The 4Cs for lab-grown diamonds covers how cut is graded, and upgrading your ring diamond covers how depth affects face-up size.
How should you shop for hearts & arrows?
- Start with the certificate. Look for a lab report that grades or photographs the pattern, rather than a retailer claim.
- Check the proportions on the certificate.
- Look at the stone in motion. The 360° video shows how the diamond behaves under changing light.
- Remember it is a round-only pattern. For an oval or another fancy shape, GCAL grades shape aesthetics instead.
In Arelia's catalog as of November 3, 2026, 95 of 253 diamonds were hearts & arrows rounds, each graded GCAL 8X with the hearts and arrows photographs on the certificate. You can filter the live search to hearts & arrows diamonds only.
Every round in Arelia's catalog carries hearts & arrows as part of its GCAL 8X grade, with the photos on the certificate.
Shop hearts & arrows diamondsKeep reading
What Is GCAL 8X Certification?The eight cut criteria behind GCAL 8X, how to read the certificate, the laser inscription and GCAL's guarantee.Read the guide →
The 4Cs for Lab-Grown DiamondsWhat cut, color, clarity and carat mean, and why our catalog stops at GCAL 8X, D–F and VVS2 or better.Read the guide →
GCAL vs. IGI vs. GIA: Which Diamond Report Matters?What each lab's lab-grown report actually includes, GIA's 2025 change, and how to pick.Read the guide →
Frequently asked questions
Is a hearts and arrows diamond worth it?
It is worth it if you want proof of precise faceting and the certificate photographs or grades the pattern. It is not worth paying extra for a hearts & arrows claim with no images or grade behind it, and the pattern alone does not guarantee the best light return. Look for it alongside strong proportions and a certificate that grades it.
Can you see hearts and arrows with the naked eye?
No. The pattern only shows up through a special viewer, looking straight down or straight up at a loose stone. Once the diamond is set it is hard to see or photograph, so the certificate images are your best record of it.
Does GIA grade hearts and arrows?
No. Neither GIA nor IGI gives hearts & arrows a standard grade. GCAL includes it as one of the eight criteria in its 8X cut grade, with photographs of both patterns on the certificate.
What is the difference between ideal cut and super ideal cut?
Neither is a universal lab grade today. Ideal usually refers to the proportion ranges of a well-cut round, and super ideal is a retailer term for stones cut to tighter tolerances, often with hearts & arrows. Because each seller defines it differently, compare the measured proportions and the lab's cut assessment instead of the label.
Do oval or other fancy diamonds have hearts and arrows?
Hearts & arrows is a round brilliant pattern. For fancy shapes, GCAL's 8X grade replaces it with shape aesthetics, which looks at outline, symmetry and length-to-width ratio, and for ovals a very minimal bow-tie.