Also known as the “Drop Cut” or the “Tear Drop Cut”, the “Pear Cut” is typically based on the brilliant cut and, as its name suggests, is pointed at one end and rounded at the other. The cut can look beautiful if it is proportioned correctly and the most aesthetically pleasing examples have a length that is one and a half times their width. However, some people prefer a slightly thinner style. When used with Diamonds the dispersion and brilliance is very similar to that of the round brilliant cut and often the point of the pear cut can light up like a torch.
One thing to be aware of in the pear cut, as with the oval cut (and especially in Diamonds), is what is known as the “bow tie” effect. If the angles of the facets on the pavilion have not been cut correctly, when viewing the gem from the table you can sometimes see a darker shape that looks like a bow tie. Although some people have commented that they actually like this effect, the reality is that the pavilion facets are not refracting light at the appropriate angles.
