The Role of the Upper and Lower Girdle Facets (5.37)
Like every other facet on the diamond, the upper/lower girdle facets play an important role in bringing the stone to life. These additional 32 facets reflect the light into a multitude of directions. Without them, only slight brilliance is apparent, since the light is then reflecting in far fewer directions. The main facets (the kite-shaped crown and pavilion facets) are critical in arriving at the proper angles and percentages, but the upper/lower girdle facets are the framework around the masterpiece painting. Without that framework the artist’s rendition would perhaps lack that necessary crowning touch.
