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The Pennyweight

Glossary · Fine Jewelry

Girdle

The girdle is the narrow band around a stone’s widest point, where the crown meets the pavilion. It is where a setting grips the stone, and where a laser inscription of the grading-report number is usually placed. Girdles are described from extremely thin to extremely thick: very thin girdles chip more readily, and very thick ones carry weight that never shows face-up.

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