While there is no doubt that Hearts on Fire diamonds are beautiful and have great optical performance, the premium and costs that come attached to them are grossly inflated. And this brings to us the question of whether they are worth it for their price points.
When it all boils down to it, Hearts On Fire diamonds are simply AGS triple ‘0’s ideal cut rounds with good optical symmetry. My personal advice is not to get caught up in the marketing hype seen in the form of television advertisements and mass media marketing campaigns. As a savvy shopper, there are other alternatives where you can purchase a better or comparable super ideal cut diamond at much lower prices.
Let’s Do Comparisons – Plain Solitaire Hearts On Fire Ring
This is a listing extracted from Reeds.com, an authorized dealer of HoF…
For a 0.578 carat diamond with J color and SI1 clarity, the HoF ring commands a hefty price of $4,900 (inclusive of setting). Note: a J colored stone will show up with a slight nuance of yellow in it.
Did You Know That Hearts On Fire Has An Online Store?
Personally, I would stay away from it. Why? If you decide to purchase an engagement ring with a “sensational quality center diamond”, you are not allowed to cherry pick your diamond. Instead, you buy the ring knowing that the diamond is guaranteed to fall with the range of “G-I color” and “VS1-SI1 clarity”.
Read this guideline given on their website to find out more…
Definitely Not a Good Idea to Make a Huge Purchase Like This.
It is basically a roll of the dice where you have no control over your purchase. Obviously, there is a stark difference in value and costs between a G color VS1 diamond against an I color SI1 stone. What do you think you will probably end up with when you purchase the ring?
If you are insistent about buying a Hearts on Fire ring, the best way to go about selecting one is to head to the nearest dealer in your area. This will enable you to inspect diamonds in person and to cherry pick the higher quality ones.
Let’s See What $4,900 Can Get Us Elsewhere
0.838 Carat – H Color – VS2 Brian Gavin Signature Round
From left to right: actual diamond, ASET, Idealscope and hearts patterning imagery.
In case you are wondering why there is a slew of images above, these are data that depict how well a diamond is cut. The ASET and Idealscope images reveal details on the diamond’s light performance and how well it reflects light. In layman’s terms, they tell us the overall brightness/contrast of the diamond and how much the diamond will sparkle.
Next, any jeweler who claims to be selling hearts and arrows diamonds must always show you the “evidence” to back up their claim. In this case, the online vendor, Brian Gavin, has made it really easy for consumers to assess the information. If you are in the physical store, always request to see the diamond through a viewer and inspect the symmetry of the hearts and arrows patterning carefully.
Here’s the Shocking Revelation of the Price: $4,614.
Comparing it with the Hearts on Fire diamond, the Brian Gavin diamond is better by 2 color grades and 1 clarity grade. Besides that, this Brian Gavin diamond is significantly larger with a weight of 0.838 carats. In all aspects of the 4Cs, the HoF diamond simply pales in comparison for the value it presents.
Now, if you were to add in a simple solitaire setting, the total cost of the diamond ring purchased at Brian Gavin would be:
$4,614 + $325 = $4,939
That’s almost the same price you had to pay for a 0.578 carat Hearts On Fire ring at Reeds! If you asked me, the disparity in prices and quality is HUGE! Why would you want to fork out $4,900 for a smaller, lower quality Hearts On Fire diamond when you can get something significantly cheaper and better at Brian Gavin?
It’s Not a Fluke! Let’s Compare Another Diamond From a Different Vendor
For the next comparison, we are visiting JamesAllen.com. At the point of writing this review, there isn’t any J colored diamond with SI1 clarity that has a carat weight close to 0.58 for us to do an apple to apple comparison. Instead, we found a slightly larger stone that weights 0.72 carats for this analysis.
0.72 Carat – J Color – SI1 James Allen TrueHearts Signature
Great looking Idealscope image and hearts patterning of the diamond
At a price point of $2,480 for the loose diamond, it is obvious that there is a stark difference in pricing compared to the Hearts on Fire stone. Mind you, this diamond is way larger and even after adding a simple 18k white gold solitaire setting that costs $400, the total is still $2,000 cheaper than the HoF ring!
That’s Close to a 100% Price Difference!
Why pay the extra premium for something that isn’t necessarily better?
You can easily do the math to verify it yourself. In fact, if I were to purchase a similar True Hearts diamond that has a carat weight of 0.58, the total cost (inclusive of setting) would be less than half the price for the HoF ring at Reeds.
Which Is Better And Worth Your Money?
At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answers on where you want to purchase your diamond. You are the paying customer and you can choose how to spend your money. For people who love the branding and are totally adverse to online purchases, heading to an authorized retailer who sells Hearts On Fire diamonds is a great option if you can afford the ridiculous premium.
Hope this review helps. Have fun shopping for the perfect ring!
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