Likeliness of Breakage (5.30)
Suppose we have a diamond that is extremely fish-eyed and has a Very Thin to Extremely Thin girdle. The likeliness of this stone chipping is very high. The absolute worst combination for possible breakage are the very acute angles that have been formed by the flat angles on top and bottom, together with a Very Thin to Extremely Thin girdle. To prevent this impending accident, have your diamond cutter facet the girdle with very little weight loss. The girdle is more important for protective purposes than the culet because: (1) it is handled by tweezers far more often than the culet; (2) it may receive pressure during the setting process; (3) it receives daily punishment after being set into a ring. Earrings and pendants generally get less punishment due to their location of wear (ears and chest).
