What Makes Pear Shaped Diamonds “Fancy”?
Diamonds are a form of carbon that was subjected to preternatural levels of heat (upwards of 10,000 degrees!) and geologic pressures deep under the earth’s crust up to three billion years ago. Because of the molecular arrangement, diamonds usually have a natural octagonal shape, much like two pyramids joined at the base. These octagonal diamonds lend themselves best to traditional diamond shapes such as round brilliant – which is the most common and popular of all diamond shapes. However, if the rough crystal is malformed, joined to another gem (“twinned”) or has apparent internal flaws (“inclusions”), the diamond cutter may decide to do a “fancy cut” – a category that includes pear diamonds.
