Gemstone Girdles
GIRDLES
The thin band which separates the crown, or top of the gem, from the pavilion, or bottom, is know as the girdle. It may or may not be polished, or covered with very small facets. A girdle which is too thin is likely to chip when the jeweler sets it in jewelry, as shown in Figure 19.
If the girdle is too thick, it results in a clumsy-looking gem. The proper girdle is neither too thin nor too thick, combining graceful thinness with ade¬quate thickness to resist the stresses applied to it when seized by the prongs which secure the gem to its mounting.
Sometimes girdles are seen which are covered completely by a series of very small, evenly-spaced facets instead of the usual matte finish left by the initial grinding of the rough gemstone to give it its profile. The makers of such gems, usually diamond-cutters, claim that some light is reflected back into the diamond which would otherwise be lost.
Others merely point out that the increased elegance of the gem is sufficient reason for employing such extra facets, especially if a rather large stone is to be set in a claw mount which would expose most of the girdle to view. There is no question that the latter reason is the better of the two, but another reason can also be advanced in support of polished, if not faceted, girdles—they are less likely to chip during setting.