Diamond Anatomy
With the intricacies and timeless allure of diamonds, the jewelry industry has given birth to a whole library of terms and definitions that are dedicated to understanding and judging these captivating stones.
From criteria like the 4Cs, to terms like brilliance, fire, and scintillation, understanding diamonds has become a true science that applies both to mined stones and their lab-grown counterparts.
This science even extends itself to the creation of terms that describe a diamond’s anatomy. Given the crucial role that a diamond’s proportions and faceting play in its beauty, it makes sense to have dedicated nomenclature.
In this article, we’ll explore the different parts of a diamond’s anatomy to help give a better understanding of its structure. Keep in mind that there are a myriad of different diamond shapes, each with its own set of dimensions and arrangements. That being said, there are parts that are common across all shapes. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll be discussing the anatomy of the round brilliant, which is the most popular diamond shape and the one that exhibits the most brilliance overall.
The Anatomy of a Diamond
Diamond Anatomy: A finished diamond is purposely
From its raw form, each part of a diamond has been specifically cut, faceted, and arranged to give the desired shape along with an optimal level of brilliance, scintillation, and fire. For a round brilliant shaped stone, this process involves crafting several key parts of the diamond that work together to give the optimal light performance that diamonds are known for. Below are the major parts of a round brilliant diamond:
Facets
Facets are the flat, smooth surfaces of a diamond. Each diamond shape, by definition, has a number of facets that are specific to that given shape. For instance, a round brilliant diamond typically has either 57 or 58 facets, depending on the presence of a culet, or bottom facet. In contrast, a cushion-cut diamond can have between 58 and 64 facets, depending on its specific cut style. Diamonds with a better overall cut have facets that reflect light more optimally leading to a more brilliant appearance than diamonds with a poor cut.
Table
The table is the largest facet of a round brilliant stone, it’s the front facing surface found at the top. This facet in particular plays a large importance in the stone’s brilliance. In well cut diamonds, the table is arranged and proportioned appropriately to allow an optimal amount of light to enter the diamond- meaning that it’s large enough to allow an ample amount of light into the stone, but not so much so as to cause any light leakage or unwanted refractions. Given the relatively large size of the table, inclusions present within it would be more noticeable than if they were in other parts of the stone.
Crown
The crown is the area of the diamond that’s just below the table. This part of the diamond has a specific height and angle, both of which play a role in reflecting light within the stone optimally. The crown is composed of different types of facets - bezel, star, and upper girdle facets. Along with the crown’s angle and height, these facets play a crucial role in light dispersion and scintillation within a round brilliant diamond.
Girdle
The girdle is the round band that encircles the circumference of the diamond and separates the crown from the pavilion. Speaking with regards to light performance, the girdle doesn’t have a big impact on the overall brilliance of the stone. Structurally though, it does play a role in durability. A girdle that’s too thin can be prone to damage and one that’s too thick can be a waste of carat allocation - meaning that a thicker girdle can cause the stone to appear smaller than it actually is for its carat weight. The ideal girdle size is one that maximizes both aesthetics and durability.
Pavilion
The pavilion makes up the bottom half of the diamond, it’s the “V” shape part of the round brilliant when looked at from the sides. Its area spans from the girdle down to the culet. While this part of the diamond is typically covered within the setting of a piece, it still plays a crucial role in reflecting light throughout the stone. A well cut diamond has its pavilions set up in a way that light refracts back through the table to the viewer, resulting in a high level of brilliance. Conversely, diamonds with poor cuts are crafted in a way where their pavilions are either too deep or too shallow, which leads to light leakage through the sides or bottom portions of the diamond.
Culet
The culet is the bottom facet of the diamond, formed where the pavilion’s facets converge. Depending on the cut of the diamond, it can be a point or a small flat facet. Note that when it’s present as a point, the round brilliant is classified as having 57 facets, rather than 58.
While the culet doesn’t play a large role in light refraction within a diamond, it does play a role in preventing chipping. A small point with no facet can be delicate, so a culet can be formed across the small point to help make this part less prone to chipping or cracks. Note that while having small culets is favourable, having one that’s too large can lead to light leakage through the stone’s bottom. In these cases, when viewing the diamond through the table the culet can actually become visible, leading to a dark circle that can be mistaken as a blemish that’s seen at the center of the stone.
Conclusion
In a finished diamond, each part of its anatomy is meticulously crafted to reflect light in a way that creates the hallmark sparkle that is so cherished and adored. This holds true for not only round brilliant shapes, but other shapes as well.
With even a basic understanding of the importance of diamond anatomy, you can now make an informed decision when purchasing your next stone, whether it be natural or lab grown.
If you’re in the market for a man made diamond, we invite you to our showroom in Calgary for a complimentary consultation. As a jewelry store that’s completely dedicated to lab grown stones, we can help you navigate the world of diamond cuts, shapes, and anatomy to help you choose the best loose stone or piece for your particular situation. Give us a call or get in touch with us to see why we’re one of Canada’s leading authorities within the lab grown diamond space.