What are Hearts and Arrows in diamonds?

Hearts and Arrows describes a precise optical symmetry pattern visible in round brilliant lab-grown diamonds cut to the tightest tolerances. A standard round brilliant has 57 facets; when those facets align with near-perfect geometric consistency, a H&A viewer reveals eight symmetrical arrows from the crown and eight symmetrical hearts from the pavilion. IGI, which certifies all Valquère lab-grown diamonds, formally recognizes Hearts and Arrows as an optimal cut grade and issues a specific certificate for qualifying stones. No single industry standard defines the threshold, so the label varies between graders. GIA, for comparison, does not incorporate H&A into its cut grade at all. What matters practically: a clean, well-defined 8-heart, 8-arrow pattern is strong evidence of superior optical symmetry, but the pattern alone does not guarantee overall cut quality. Before purchasing a H&A-graded lab-grown diamond, ask to view the actual H&A images through a dedicated viewer rather than relying on the label.