Why is Diamond Girdle Important?
When people shop diamonds from reputable online jewelers or from best diamond retailers near them, the thing most of the people look for is the cut specifications of the diamond. Yes, it is really an important characteristic, which should not be ignored. Nevertheless, only a handful of people have a proper understanding of the diamond girdle.
The girdle is really a significant part of the diamond, the beauty of the stone as well as its stability depends on the girdle of the stone. Below are a few points to remember while selecting the right girdle for your stone.
Outermost Edge of the Diamond
The girdle of the diamond actually relates to the peripheral edge of the stone. This is the part the top crown of the diamond meets the bottom pavilion. The girdle of the stone could as well be related to the widest edge or the perimeter of the diamond. The setting of the stone is actually set on the girdle of the gem. Furthermore, you would be able to find out the dimensions such as the length and the width of the stone by measuring its girdle.
The cut grade of the round brilliant diamonds depends solely on its girdle. Whereas, diamonds that are cut in different fancy shapes may not give much importance to the thickness of the girdle.
Girdle Types
When it comes to the girdle of the stone, most people think it to be made in a single style. At the same, if you take a closer look at it you would be able to find many variations for the diamond girdle.
Bruted Girdle
Unpolished girdle is otherwise known as bruted, frosted, or rough girdle. This seems to have a rough and opaque look. This girdle type was prominent during the beginning of the 20th Century. You would not be able to find this type of diamond girdle nowadays, as more people prefer polished and sleek diamond girdle these days. The rough girdle is not much favored in the present times as it could diminish the performance of the light.
Faceted Girdle
You would be able to find a number of diamonds with a faceted girdle these days. There would be a number of facets in the total circumference of this girdle. Another thing that you would notice is regarding the positioning of the facets, all facets are cut vertical to the stone in order to maximize the sparkle of the diamond. The faceted girdle, when compared to the smooth girdle, promotes more reflection of light.
Polished Girdle
Polished girdle, just as it sounds, is smooth, continuous, and refined. It could be compared to as a single large facet that goes around the diamond. You would be able to see this type of girdle in the princess cut diamonds, step cut diamonds and in the round brilliant cut stone. This really helps in elevating the performance of the light.
Choosing a girdle mostly depend on the individual preferences of a person. Moreover, the girdle of the stone also would not have much impact on the total appearance or the value of the stone.
Girdle Thickness
You would be able to find a good range of girdle thickness from very thin to very thick. In addition, the thickness of the girdle would not be the same throughout the circumference of the stone. The girdle would have both narrow and wide parts as it goes around the stone. This makes the grading of the stone girdle very important.
Diamonds usually have a thick point and thin point of the girdle, and thus, there would have two girdle grades. For instance, consider that a diamond has thin girdle, which becomes slightly thick as it goes along, this diamond would be graded like Extremely Thin – Slightly Thick.
Best Thickness for Girdle
If the girdle of the stone is very thin, there are chances for it to be susceptible to chipping off or getting damaged if they are freely exposed to the surroundings. This makes it important to protect the diamond girdle with a protective setting like the channel setting or bezel setting. On the other hand, if the diamond has a thick girdle a large amount of the diamond would be wasted on it and would result in you having a smaller looking diamond. This means that even if you pay a fortune on the diamond carat weight it would not be reflected much on the appearance of the stone.
In both of these extreme girdle variations reflection of light would be reduced, and hence, it is always best to choose a stone girdle having medium thickness. This would play a great role in creating a good balance between the beauty and durability of the stone. It is always common for all of the best-cut diamond to come in the grade that ranges from medium to slightly thick.