
Bow Tie Effect
The “bow-tie effect” is a dark shadow that appears across the centre of certain diamond shapes when viewed face-up. It is most commonly seen in elongated fancy cuts such as the Marquise, Oval, Pear, and Heart shapes.
The image shown depicts a Pear Cut diamond displaying a pronounced bow-tie effect, visible as a dark band across the centre of the stone. In our opinion, diamonds exhibiting a strong bow-tie effect should generally be avoided, as it can diminish the stone’s overall beauty and brilliance.
While some degree of bow-tie effect is common in these diamond shapes, the key is to minimise its appearance. Two diamonds with nearly identical proportions can display vastly different levels of bow-tie effect, making careful selection essential. The phenomenon is primarily influenced by the quality and precision of the cut, which affects how light is reflected and returned to the viewer’s eye.



