Diamond Culet

As it goes from the title, the article is about the main culet’s characteristics: its shape and grading.

The culet is a tiny point, placed on the bottom of a diamond pavilion. Nowadays the culet is preferred to be cut as a sharp point. However, you may also encounter a diamond with a flat culet made like a facet. It explains the fact that in one source the number of facets is indicated as 57, while in other texts it is indicated as 58. This 58th facet is a culet.

It should be mentioned that flat-cut culet prevents the bottom of a diamond from chipping while being cut and set. However, if the flat culet is too large, the diamond will not reflect light properly. As culet is paralleled to the table, too large culet will behave like a window and it will be possible to see through it. When it comes to large stones, such a defect is seen with the unaided eye.

The culet characteristics should be listed on a certificate because they are invisible to the naked eye. The culet is graded as pointed (no culet), very small, small or medium.