{"id":7411,"date":"2022-11-07T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T14:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=7411"},"modified":"2022-11-07T16:56:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T21:56:34","slug":"whats-a-girdle-and-why-should-you-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/whats-a-girdle-and-why-should-you-care\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT’S A GIRDLE? AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"What's<\/div>\n

What’s up with the girdle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nYou hear jewelers babbling on about the girdle and whether it’s polished or rough, thick or thin, but does it really matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nMost people don’t really know anything about the girdle. A diamond’s girdle<\/strong> is the outside band that runs around the entire outer edge of your diamond (See picture)… Almost like a belt!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The widest part<\/h2>\n

\nThe girdle literally is the widest part<\/strong> of the diamond.<\/p>\n

\nThe girdle’s width is what the rest of the diamond is measured by<\/strong>. The girdle separates the top part of the diamond, which is called the crown<\/strong>, from the bottom part of the diamond, which is called the pavilion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nLook at your diamond from a side view and you’ll see the edge splitting your stone<\/strong>. That’s the girdle! Observe the images below!<\/p>\n

100% wide<\/h2>\n

\nThe girdle is always measured lengthwise as 100%<\/strong>, just because it’s the widest part of the diamond.<\/p>\n

\nJust so you know, when they talk about the cut of the diamond and the table measurements being percentages, that table (the top flat part of your diamond<\/strong>) is compared to the width of the girdle.<\/p>\n

\nSo if your table is 56%<\/strong> (for example), it’s just over half the width of the entire diamond<\/strong>. Make sense?<\/p>\n

Everything is relative to the girdle’s width<\/h2>\n

\n\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nThe craziest thing about the girdle is that it does make a BIG difference!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nIt makes a difference in a lot of areas…<\/p>\n

For example:<\/h2>\n

\nIf the girdle is very thin and almost comes to a point at the edge, it can be very brittle and chip easily<\/strong>. You’ll want to stay away from those.<\/p>\n

\nIf the girdle is alternating, thin to thick, that’s another sign of a bad cut<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nWhen the crown facets and girdle don’t line up well, chances are your diamond will not have good proportions <\/strong>and will actually lose life and light!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nIf your girdle is very thick all the way around, your diamond is probably cut too deep<\/strong> and losing light. The diamond cutter was probably more interested in preserving carat weight and maximizing profit<\/strong>, vs cutting the diamond correctly for ultimate brilliance and sparkle.<\/p>\n

What’s the best type of girdle to have?<\/h2>\n

\nGirdles can be graded with 8 different thicknesses:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Extremely Thin<\/li>\n
  2. Very Thin<\/li>\n
  3. Thin<\/li>\n
  4. Medium<\/li>\n
  5. Slightly Thick<\/li>\n
  6. Thick<\/li>\n
  7. Very Thick<\/li>\n
  8. Extremely Thick<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \nThe best thickness for your girdle is either a Thin or Medium sized girdle<\/strong>. Not too thick, not too thin.<\/p>\n

    \n(Just like Goldilocks finding the right bed, it’s there, you just have to hunt for it).<\/p>\n

    Thin-Medium<\/h2>\n

    \nWith a thin-medium sized girdle, if it’s consistent all the way around<\/strong>, it will help protect the diamond from chipping, not interfere with the overall beauty<\/strong> of the diamond and aid in the correct proportions of the cut.<\/p>\n

    \nIn fact, you can look at the girdle of the diamond and pretty much know if the diamond is cut well or not!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    What about the girdle’s finish?<\/h2>\n

    \nDiamond girdles can have three different types<\/strong> of finishes:<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n