DOES THE DIAMOND GIRDLE MATTER?

Does the Girdle of a Diamond really matter?

YES!

There are so many reasons why the Girdle of the Diamond is important; it can keep your Diamond from Chipping, it can be a Great Indicator of Cut, it can even help you Identify your Stone quicker, plus much more…

So let’s jump in…

First off, there are 8 GIA Girdle Grades, they are:

• Extremely Thin
• Very Thin
• Thin
• Medium
• Slightly Thick
• Thick
• Very Thick
• Extremely Thick

The Best Girdle Grades to have are:

Thin, Medium, or Slightly Thick.

The reason these are the best is because they’re not too thick or too thin! If the Girdle was too thin, like "Extremely Thin", it will be easy to Chip and break. And if it’s too thick or lumpy, like "Extremely Thick", then it’s just a waste of stone and the Diamond Cutter has added Carat Weight to UP the price.

It’s also a Great Indicator!

If the Girdle is really thick, it’s also an indicator as to how the stone is Cut. Extremely Thick Girdles usually mean the make of the stone, or the Cut, is Poor or bad. So if you want a good Cut, stick with either a Thin, Medium, or a Slightly Thick Girdle. These are listed on a GIA Diamond Report under Profile, as shown here…

Is it Straight?

Another Indication of a Poor Cut is if the Girdle is in a straight line or not. If the Girdle is wavy or it ranges greatly from Extremely Thin to Extremely Thick then that’s a Pretty Bad Girdle. The Girdle should form a straight line around the perimeter of the Diamond with even Hills and Valleys. Not Wavy or Uneven like this…

I’m Finished!

The Girdle of a Diamond can be finished with 3 different Cutting Styles: Faceted, Bruted or Polished (as shown below).

Personally I prefer a Faceted or Polished Girdle because it blends in with the rest of the stone. A Girdle that is Thick and Bruted (which is Natural and Rough) sometimes stands out like an ugly sore thumb.

100%

The Girdle is always the widest part of a Diamond. Every other Facet or Percentage is measured against it. That’s why the Girdle is always known as 100%, and the Table is generally around 50-60%. The same goes with the Depth of the stone, that’s usually around 60%. See the Table as compared to the Width of the Girdle here…

But, since the Girdle is the widest part of the Diamond that’s also the part that your Prongs and Mounting grip, or hang on to. Which means, it’s also…

The Most Vulnerable Part of the Diamond!

Because the Diamond Girdle sticks out on the sides, it’s also the section of Diamond that gets Bumped, Knocked, Chipped or Broken the most.

Many times if you take a Jeweler’s Loupe or a Microscope and you Magnify (10x) the Girdle of the stone you can sometimes see you little, tiny hairline fractures around the Diamond. This is called a Bearded Girdle.

A Chipped or Bearded Girdle is caused from normal wear and tear on the stone over Decades and Centuries of use. That’s just the way it goes. But sadly, these Chips or Breaks also affect the Clarity Grade of the Diamond (Which is why you should always buy a Diamond with a Current Report Date, and not one done 20 years ago). This will all be listed on a Diamond Report or Certificate. Make sure you check it out!

I Can Identify With That!

And one last thing that a Diamond Girdle can help you with… Identification.

If you’re Diamond is Certified AND Laser Inscribed, then that Laser Inscription will be etched onto the side of your Diamond, which is of course the Girdle.

Look at your Diamond, Magnify the Girdle, find your Inscription and you will be able to identify your stone in a second, anywhere, any time. Easy as that.

So the Girdle does matter more than you thought!

The next time you’re looking at Diamonds, turn the Diamond sideways and look at the Girdle.

See what you’re Missing?

You can tell you a lot about a stone…

All from a different view point!