Pear Engagement Rings · Bedfordview, Johannesburg
Pear shaped engagement rings, cut and set in South Africa.
A pear is a teardrop: a brilliant with one rounded end and one point, a hybrid of a round and a marquise. It reads larger per carat than a round and lengthens the finger, which is why it has become one of the most requested engagement shapes. Every Prodiam pear ring is made to order in our Bedfordview workshop, with the centre stone cut at Procut DCW and finished to keep the bowtie faint, then set with a V-tip claw to protect the point. Natural, GIA-certified diamonds, priced on application, with insured delivery anywhere in South Africa.
Brief us on a pear ring See loose diamonds → Custom engagement rings →
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Natural diamonds only
Mined-Earth, never lab-grown, by conviction, not price. Kimberley-Process documented from the mine of origin. Why we don’t sell lab-grown →
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GIA & EGL certified
Every loose stone certified by the GIA or EGL. Cert PDF supplied per stone.
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Insured overnight delivery
Brink’s, G4S or our nominated jewellery courier across South Africa. Ferrari Group / FedEx Custom Critical international.
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14-day in-person exchange
In-person sales at the viewing room come with a 14-day exchange courtesy on stock pieces. Distance-sale CPA cooling-off applies.
Why a pear reads larger than its carat weight
A pear is a modified brilliant, the same family of light-returning facets as a round, drawn out so that one end stays rounded and the other tapers to a point: in effect a round and a marquise combined. That shape does two things at once: it presents a larger face-up area than a round of the same carat weight, so the stone looks bigger for the money, and its long axis draws the eye down the finger, which lengthens and slims the hand. For a buyer who wants visible presence and brilliance together in a softer, more romantic outline than a marquise, the pear is often the most efficient way to get both.
The bowtie, and how a good cut beats it
Like every elongated brilliant, a pear carries some bowtie, a darker band across the centre where the facets shadow the eye rather than returning light. It is not a flaw in the rough; it is a consequence of how the stone is cut, so the amount varies entirely with the cutter’s skill. A well-cut pear keeps the bowtie faint and the stone bright from the rounded end to the point; a poorly cut one shows a heavy dark band that no setting can hide. Because we cut our own stones at Procut DCW, we select and finish each pear to keep the bowtie minimal, and we always show you the stone face-up under daylight so you judge it with your own eyes.
A protected point and even shoulders: why symmetry is everything
The single point is the most vulnerable part of a pear, the first place the stone will chip if it is left exposed, so it is held in a V-tip claw shaped to wrap and cradle the tip. Symmetry matters across the whole outline: the point should line up directly with the apex of the rounded end, and the shoulders, wings and belly should be even on both sides, or the stone reads off-balance on the hand. These are cutting and setting decisions, exactly the part a working cutting house controls, and we check the point and the symmetry under loupe and microscope before the ring leaves the bench.
Settings for a pear, solitaire to three-stone
- Solitaire, the pear alone with a V-tip claw on the point, usually worn with the point toward the fingernail to lengthen the finger. The clearest way to show the stone’s line.
- Halo, a pavé frame that follows the teardrop outline and exaggerates the pear’s size and sparkle, matched to the centre on our bench.
- Three-stone, the pear flanked by side stones that echo and extend its line down the finger.
- Pavé shoulders, small diamonds set along the band to carry light down the finger, in any of the above.
The pear also works beautifully beyond a ring, as a diamond pendant or a drop earring, where the point hangs naturally. We will talk you through the trade-offs against how the piece will be worn.
Choosing a pear: ratio, colour and clarity
| Choice | What we make to order |
|---|---|
| Length-to-width | ~1.45 (fuller) to ~1.75 (longer, more slender) |
| Carat | From around 0.50 ct to 5 ct and above, to your budget and hand |
| Colour | D–F colourless, or G–I near-colourless; pears can carry colour at the point, so we check face-up |
| Clarity | An eye-clean VS–SI1, chosen so inclusions do not show at the table |
| Metal | 18k white, yellow or rose gold, or platinum |
| Certification | GIA / EGL certified; report supplied with the stone |
Pricing is on application, the stone drives the figure, and you receive a firm ZAR quote, excl. VAT, before any work begins.
How a pear ring is made to order
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Brief
Ratio, carat, colour and clarity range, setting style, metal, budget and deadline. We respond within 24 hours.
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Choose the stone
We present GIA-certified pears at different ratios, face-up on the daylight tray or by video, each with its report.
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Build & cast
The setting is built and cast in your chosen metal, with any halo or three-stone work matched at the bench.
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Set & finish
The pear is set with a V-tip claw on the point, the ring hand-polished, and checked under loupe and microscope.
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Hand-over
Presentation at Bedfordview by appointment, or insured overnight courier nationwide. Certification and a written valuation included.
Comparing shapes? See the round brilliant, oval, marquise, princess, emerald and radiant cuts, or start from the loose diamonds and GIA certified diamonds on the bench. When you are ready, brief us and Darren will come back within 24 hours.
Pear shaped engagement rings: common questions
Do pear shaped diamonds look bigger than round diamonds of the same carat?
Generally, yes. A pear is an elongated shape, effectively a round and a marquise combined, so for the same carat weight it presents a larger face-up area than a round, and the long axis draws the eye down the finger, which makes both the stone and the hand look longer and slimmer. It is one of the main reasons clients choose a pear, you tend to read more visible size per rand than you would from a round of equal weight.
What is the bowtie effect in a pear shaped diamond?
The bowtie is a dark band that can appear across the centre of a pear (and other elongated brilliants), where the facets shadow the eye instead of returning light. Every pear has some bowtie; the question is how much. It is a function of cutting, not an inherent flaw, so a well-cut pear keeps it faint while a poorly cut one shows a heavy dark band. Because we cut our own stones, we select and finish each pear to keep the bowtie minimal, and we show you the stone face-up so you can judge it yourself.
Are pear shaped diamonds GIA certified and graded for cut?
Our pear shaped diamonds are GIA or EGL certified and the report grades carat, colour and clarity in full. GIA does not, however, assign an overall cut grade to fancy shapes such as the pear, it grades only polish and symmetry, so for a pear the cutter’s skill, not a printed cut grade, is what governs brilliance, how even the shoulders are and how faint the bowtie is. That is exactly the part a working cutting house controls.
How is the point of a pear shaped diamond protected, and how should symmetry look?
The single point is the most vulnerable part of a pear, so we hold it in a V-tip claw shaped to wrap and cradle the tip rather than leave it exposed. Symmetry matters across the whole outline: the point should line up directly with the apex of the rounded end, and the shoulders, wings and belly should be even on both sides, or the stone reads off-balance. We set every pear with a protected point and check the point and the symmetry under loupe and microscope before the ring leaves the bench.
Which way does a pear shaped engagement ring point, and what ratio is best?
A pear is usually worn with the point toward the fingernail, which lengthens the finger, though it is a matter of taste and some clients prefer the point toward the wrist. On proportion, most clients prefer a length-to-width ratio between about 1.45 and 1.75; nearer 1.45 looks fuller and rounder, nearer 1.75 looks longer and more slender. The report lists the measurements, and we will show you stones at different ratios on the hand before you choose.
Can you make a pear shaped engagement ring if I am not in Johannesburg?
Yes, clients commission pear rings from Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Gqeberha and across South Africa. The stone and design conversation happens by video and WhatsApp, you approve the diamond and the setting, and the finished ring is delivered insured and overnight nationwide via Brink’s or G4S, with its certification and a written insurance valuation.