Diamond Girdle

by Muhammad Afzal Web Designer, SEO Expert

The diamond girdle is the section of a diamond that separates the crown above from the pavilion below. It is the widest part of the diamond and comes into contact with the setting. Moreover, the girdle is also the part of a loose diamond measured when finding the stone’s width and length.

The diamond girdle can either be faceted, rough or polished. Brilliant cut diamond shapes such as the princess cut or radiant cut often have a faceted girdle. On the other hand, step cut diamonds such as the emerald cut or the Asscher cut often have polished girdles.

During the diamond’s certification process, the technician measures the thickest and thinnest points of the diamond girdle. Consequently, the diamond will only get a single rating if both the thickest and thinnest points on the girdle fall into the same category. In the majority of cases however the girdle will receive a rating in a certain range such as Slightly Thick, Thick.

The girdle ratings are as follows:

Extremely thin- the girdle can easily break or chip
Very Thick- this is good diamond proportions. However, the diamond is still prone to chipping.
Thin, Medium- this is the ideal girdle proportions. It is not too thin neither is it too thick.
Slightly Thick, Thick- considered excellent to ideal diamond proportions.
Very Thick- considered good diamond proportions.
Extremely Thick- such a thick girdle causes the diamond to appear small as most of the carat weight is taken up by the girdle.

The effect of the girdle on the appearance of the diamond

The thickness of the diamond girdle affects the angle of the diamond facets. Consequently, an extremely thick girdle may result in less than optimum light reflection inside the diamond causing reduced brilliance, fire and scintillation.

The girdle’s thickness will also affect the carat weight of a diamond. A thick girdle results in a heavier diamond with more depth. However, the diamond will still appear the same size when observed from above since girdle thickness doesn’t affect the width of the diamond.

An extremely thin or very thin girdle is prone to chipping. Therefore, the jeweler should observe when setting the diamond. Diamond cuts that have sharp edges such as the princess cut should not come with a very thin or extremely thin girdle as their chances of chipping and breaking are extremely high.