The Girdle of a Diamond
Friday, May 27, 2011 by admin
Where is the girdle on the diamond? The diamond girdle is fattest part of the diamond, located in the middle. Diamond girdles are rated according to their size. The smallest girdles are rated “extremely thin” and the largest girdles are considered “extremely thick.” Each has its own disadvantage. A girdle that is too thin is easily chipped. A thick girdle puts extra weight in the diamond, but it doesn’t make the diamond look larger. If you purchase a diamond that has a very thick girdle, you will pay for the extra weight but you won’t get a diamond that appears any larger.
When purchasing a diamond you want to find one that has an even medium girdle. However, if you get a pear shaped diamond, you will want a thick girdle at the tip of the diamond to help prevent damage to the diamond.
One thing to check when examining your diamond is if your girdle is faceted and polished. Sometimes a diamond cutter will skip this step in order to keep the diamond a larger weight or simply to save a step. However, a girdle that is polished and faceted will help reflect the internal light in the diamond better and make your diamond appear more attractive. A faceted diamond will not improve the grade of a diamond however. You also want to check for bearding or fringes, around the girdle. These are hair-like lines that occur around the girdle when the diamond was cut. If this is excessive, you will want to consider having the diamond polished or cut again.
When purchasing a diamond you want to find one that has an even medium girdle. However, if you get a pear shaped diamond, you will want a thick girdle at the tip of the diamond to help prevent damage to the diamond.
One thing to check when examining your diamond is if your girdle is faceted and polished. Sometimes a diamond cutter will skip this step in order to keep the diamond a larger weight or simply to save a step. However, a girdle that is polished and faceted will help reflect the internal light in the diamond better and make your diamond appear more attractive. A faceted diamond will not improve the grade of a diamond however. You also want to check for bearding or fringes, around the girdle. These are hair-like lines that occur around the girdle when the diamond was cut. If this is excessive, you will want to consider having the diamond polished or cut again.
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