‘Hearts on Fire’ was founded by Glenn and Susan Rothman in 1996. Glenn had always been an entrepreneur at heart, and when he realized that the diamond industry (ie diamond engagement rings) could also become in a lucrative business model, he thought as he set his sights on learning the diamond trade.
It was in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1996, that Glenn and his wife met the renowned Belgian diamond cutter, Van Blerk. At the time, Van was working on a new type of diamond cut for the Japanese market. Eager to show off the American’s new cut creation, Van Blerk set a diamond in a proportioned visor and displayed Rothman’s now-infamous eight arrows and hearts. It was at this time that an idea was born within Glenn and they soon began patenting the Hearts on Fire cut. In fact, the ultimate secret to Hearts on Fire’s success can be boiled down to one key thing: brand recognition.
Rothman was an entrepreneur at heart and used his early business knowledge to his advantage. He knew that if he wanted to get anywhere in the diamond industry, he needed to offer something different to the average diamond consumer. Stemming from the fact that most people are shy and a bit insecure when it comes to buying diamonds, he offered each of his Hearts on Fire diamonds with a brand name and serial number laser etched on each belt. Diamond. In addition, each stone would be accompanied by a certificate from the American Gem Society (AGS) certifying the highest cut grade. In this way, all Hearts on Fire diamonds come with the coveted ideal zero-cut grade, further ensuring safety and confidence in the mind of the average diamond buyer.
Rothman’s business sense paid off. Since 1997, the Hearts on Fire brand continues to grow and innovate. Consumers are so convinced that Hearts on Fire is the absolute best diamond that they are willing to pay up to $12,000 or more per carat! But the question remains… Are Hearts on Fire the most perfectly cut diamonds in the world? Do they make the most beautiful engagement rings?
Hearts on Fire diamonds are truly very beautiful diamonds. However, so are William Goldberg’s Ashoka diamond, Tiffany’s Lucida diamond, and Lazare Kaplan’s famous Lazare diamond. All these diamonds are beautiful and all these diamonds are obscenely overpriced.
But fortunately times are changing and other diamond suppliers have recognized the increasing importance of quality in diamond purchases. Many are also jumping on the brand bandwagon. For example, James Allen’s True Hearts diamonds are much cheaper than Hearts on Fire or Tiffany’s Lucida.
However, whichever way you look at it, the truth is that all of these diamonds are ideally cut and display the visual effect of hearts and arrows when viewed at a scope of proportion. The only difference is that each supplier now promotes their own diamond cut as their own BRAND.