Understanding the girdle of a diamond
What is the girdle of a diamond? The importance of the size of a diamond's girdle? With the help of Nadia Zitout, diamond dealer at Celinni in Paris, you will know everything about the girdle of a diamond, its definition, its criteria, and its importance when choosing your diamond choix de votre diamant on a ring, a solitaire or a diamond wedding band and finally our advice for choosing your diamond well.
What is the girdle of a diamond?
The girdle is the thin perimeter of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. When viewing a diamond in its setting or from a profile, the girdle is the widest part (or circumference) of the polished diamond - the part of the stone that comes into contact with the setting itself.
When diamonds are loose, they are measured by the girdle to obtain the width in millimeters. A girdle can be rough, polished, or faceted.
Brilliant cut diamonds (with triangular shaped facets) usually have a faceted girdle rather than a perfectly round girdle; this gives the gem greater transparency.
Step cut diamonds usually have a polished girdle that has no facets.
The engraving of the certificate number takes place on the diamond's girdle.
How to evaluate the girdle of a diamond
When a diamond is certified, it is measured at different points along the girdle to determine its thickest and thinnest points.
If both points fall into the same category, only one grade is given.
However, the girdle is most often classified within a range, such as "Very thin to thick", in order to take into account the variance between the thickest and thinnest points.
Buyer's guide on the girdle of a diamond
● Extremely thin: may be subject to chips or breaks; precautions must be taken when setting the stone
● Very thin: Very good proportion of gemstones; precautions must be taken when setting the stone
● Thin, medium: ideal proportion of gemstones
● Slightly thick, thick: excellent for an ideal proportion of gemstones
● Very thick: good proportion of gemstones
● Extremely thick: the diamond may appear smaller, as the girdle takes up more depth
When buying a diamond, the girdle is not an important consideration, as a thinner or thicker girdle will not necessarily have a significant impact on the appearance of an otherwise well-cut diamond.
However, the variation between the thickest and thinnest points will be taken into account in the evaluation of a diamond's symmetry, as a significant variation can give the impression that the diamond is disproportionate.
For those looking for ideally cut diamonds, we recommend looking for a stone whose girdle falls between Thin and Thick.
A perfectly proportioned diamond would have a medium girdle rating, although ratings close to the medium category are also considered to be perfectly cut.
The effect of the girdle on a diamond
A diamond with an extremely thin girdle presents a slight risk of chipping along the edge of the belt during setting or during wear.
For maximum protection, the diamond should be securely set to minimize contact with hard or abrasive surfaces.
A diamond with an extremely thick girdle will have a lot of brilliance and fire as long as it is cut to ideal proportions.
However, an extremely thick belt concentrates the weight of the diamond in the center, making it appear smaller than a diamond of similar weight with a thinner belt.
Diamonds with an extremely thick or thin belt rating are sometimes priced lower than similar diamonds with an ideal girdle rating.
In conclusion, as you may have seen in the article, the girdle of a diamond is specific and very technical, which is why if you plan to buy a diamond, it is strongly recommended to consult an expert, for example a diamond dealer, who can help you find the certified diamond with the best quality/price ratio.
Celinni Diamond Merchant: First French Diamond Merchant for 6 generations
France's leading diamond dealer for 6 generations with over 100,000 diamonds and stones available in Paris, Antwerp, Bombay, Hong Kong.... Thanks to partnerships in the world's largest trading places, Diamantaire Celinni offers you certified diamonds at the best price.
Close to the production sites, the partners are located across Asia, Africa and South America to ensure the best possible traceability.
You can then use your diamond to mount it on a piece of jewelry, a ring, or create a custom ring or piece of jewelry in our Parisian workshops in the greatest respect for the French jewelry tradition.
If you are not near Paris and you wish to meet one of our diamond dealers, you can consult below, our different Celinni showrooms present in France, Switzerland and Belgium.
