In this James Allen True Hearts review I will be specifically referring to the signature line True Hearts diamonds. Whereas my general James Allen review deals with James Allen as a whole I will now be having a very close look at the performance of James Allen’s True Hearts diamonds.

According to James Allen’s own description their Hearts and Arrows collection is the ultimate expression of love. And that’s why they call these diamonds True Hearts 🙂

While this sounds really romantic I intend to dig deep into these diamonds. I will specifically have a look at how they perform and what kind of value they offer for the money.

What proportions are used for James Allen “True Hearts” diamonds?

James Allen does not provide any official data on which proportions are required for a diamond to be considered a True Hearts diamond. An official guide that determines a specific range of proportions is nowhere to be found.

For this reason I had a look at 6 random “True Hearts” diamonds:

As you can see, depending on whether the grading report is by GIA or AGS the style of the report differs.

I just want to remind you of the proportions for super ideal cut diamonds:

Super ideal cut diamonds are diamonds that exhibit a maximum of light return, brilliance and scintillation. They are the top diamonds of all diamonds within the Ideal/Excellent cut grade.

As you can see, nearly all True Hearts diamonds from James Allen fall within the proportions for super ideal cut diamonds. It is only the right bottom diamond that falls outside the proportions because of the 33° crown angle. But of course all of them have the best cut grade by GIA and AGS.

Thus, if you want to have a True Hearts diamond within super ideal cut proportions you will have to make sure to have a close look at the diamond proportions. Most of them can be relied upon to be within super ideal cut proportions.

Are James Allen “True Hearts” diamonds near or true hearts and arrows diamonds?

In my post about hearts and arrows diamonds I have described the differences between true and near hearts and arrows diamonds.

Officially there is no commonly acknowledged definition of a hearts and arrows diamond. People from the diamond industry do however differentiate between true and near hearts and arrows diamonds.

In general, you can imagine the difference between true and near hearts and arrows diamonds to be something like that:

Can you see the difference between both diamonds?

The hearts of the diamond on the left side are all equal, uniform and symmetrical. The hearts of the diamond on the right side however, are not quite as uniform. Most people would not even notice it unless they have a very close look. The heart of the right diamond at the 8 o’clock position for instance deviates quite a bit from the other hearts.

Although this is a very minute deviation diamond perfectionists would not consider this diamond to be a true hearts and arrows diamond anymore.

So, let’s have a look at the hearts images of the six “True Hearts” diamonds from above:

Now, what do you think?

Let me tell you my impression: All of these diamonds are superb diamonds with a beautiful hearts pattern but to be fair, none of them is a true hearts and arrows diamond. They are all near hearts and arrows diamonds but for some of them there is not much missing to being a true hearts and arrows diamond.

For instance diamond 3 only misses to be a true hearts and arrows diamond because of the very slightly unequal gap at the 5 o’clock position.

But James Allen itself does not even describe their True Hearts signature diamonds as true hearts and arrows diamonds. In fact, in its educational section James Allen describes their True Hearts diamonds as follows:

“A True Hearts diamond is a round or princess cut diamond that exhibits a near flawless Hearts and Arrows pattern of perfect optical symmetry, maximizing the diamond’s fire, brilliance and light dispersion.”

The fact that James Allen describes their True Hearts signature diamonds as exhibiting a near flawless hearts and arrows patterns shows that James Allen is well aware that they are mostly selling near hearts and arrows diamonds.

What is great about James Allen True Hearts diamonds?

The great thing about James Allen “True Hearts” diamonds is the fact that you are mostly buying near hearts and arrows diamonds!
What?

Yes, exactly!

To be very honest with you: The difference between a true hearts and arrows diamond and a near hearts and arrows diamond is like the difference between an IF graded and VVS1 graded diamond!

To be more precise: You are paying a premium for true hearts and arrows diamonds although nobody would ever be able to see a difference between a true and near hearts and arrows diamond with their eyes. What you are paying for in a true hearts and arrows diamond is the supreme diamond craftsmanship that went into it and the fact that true hearts and arrows diamonds are among the rarest of the rarest!

It is absolutely fine to buy a true hearts and arrows diamond and pay a premium price as long as you are aware what you are paying the premium for.

If you badly want to have a true hearts and arrows diamond I recommend to check out Brian Gavin and Whiteflash.

The price differences can be quite significant though! Let’s compare a James Allen True Hearts diamond with a Brian Gavin Hearts and Arrows signature diamond.

James Allen True Hearts diamond:

Brian Gavin signature hearts and arrows diamond:

Both diamonds are E-VS2 diamonds with super ideal cut proportions. James Allen’s True Hearts diamond however has even a little bit more carat weight and is $2615 cheaper! That’s quite some huge difference.

Now, I truly do think that Brian Gavin is a fantastic place for buying true hearts and arrows diamonds with the best cut you can find anywhere! However, you would not be able to see any difference between the hearts and arrows diamond from Brian and the True Hearts diamond from James Allen with your bare eyes.

It is for this very reason that I think that James Allen True Hearts diamonds provide incredible value for the money you pay!

What are the best James Allen True Hearts diamonds?

Now, what I have just written above is the general tendency in James Allen True Hearts diamonds.

However, if you have the patience to look through a dozen hearts and arrows images you will sometimes also find true hearts and arrows diamonds within James Allen’s signature line.

Just have a look at the diamond below:

All hearts are equal, uniform and symmetrical: This is a true hearts and arrows diamond within James Allen’s True Hearts signature line.

If you are patient enough you can find it and make a great deal!

Conclusion of my James Allen True Hearts diamonds review

All in all I feel that James Allen True Hearts diamonds offer tremendous value for people who want to have a diamond with an exceptional symmetry. And of course with the beautiful hearts and arrows pattern 🙂

James Allen True Hearts diamonds are accompanied by James Allen’s usual value package.

This includes 30-day refunds, free shipping and especially free return shippings. No other online vendor offers free returns at this point. Thus you are able to return the diamond without having to pay for insured return shipping. An insured return shipping can easily amount to $75 – $100 depending on the value of the diamond.

Go and check out James Allen True Hearts diamonds for yourself!

If you should have any questions in regards to a particular diamond you can always contact me and I will be more than happy to help you out!