WHAT DOES CULET MEAN IN DIAMONDS?


When it comes to diamonds, one of the most important features is the culet. But what does this actually mean? It might sound intimidating, but understanding the role of a culet in diamonds is pretty easy - and can be a great way to get an even better value for your purchase! 



WHAT IS A DIAMOND CULET?


A diamond's culet (pronounced kyoo-lit) is the tiny point at the pavilion's base, where the facets of the pavilion come together. The pavilion facets are equally cut at the right angle and meet at a perfect point, leaving no culet (sometimes called a pointed culet) in most diamonds. However, when the pavilion facets do not align at a point, this produces a culet, which is a rough or polished facet.


While a pointed culet does not add a facet to the diamond's total number of facets, a culet does. For instance, a brilliant round diamond with a faceted culet has 58 facets, compared to 57 for a diamond with a pointed culet.



WHAT IS A POINTED CUTLER?


When the pavilion facets do not meet at a point, a rough or polished facet called a pointed culet results. The culet is rated from none to extremely large. Although the absence of a culet is the most desirable, a diamond with a small or medium-sized culet will appear to have a point at the pavilion's base and will perfectly reflect the light that passes through the stone.


So, what does this mean for you as a diamond buyer? If you have a diamond with a pointed culet, your jeweler will have to be particularly careful when setting it (not that they shouldn't be careful in the first place). If the diamond is already set in a ring, you shouldn't be concerned about the culet becoming chipped because the setting should shield it from future blemishes.

 


IS A DIAMOND CULET GOOD OR BAD?


Although culets were commonly used in Old European Cut and Old Miner's Cut diamonds a century ago, large culets are now not favored by modern diamond cutters because they are visible through the table facet when you view a diamond from above.


A large, very large, or extremely large culet acts like a window parallel to the table of the diamond, allowing light to pass through the bottom of the diamond and giving the culet the appearance of a black circle.


Although not having a culet is the ideal option, a diamond with a small or medium-sized culet will appear to have a point at the pavilion's base, perfectly reflecting the light that passes through the stone.



CULET RATINGS:


The following are the typical rankings to describe a diamond culet:


  • None (Pointed), Very Small, Small: Ideal: You should exercise caution when setting this stone.


  • Medium: Very Good; chip-resistant, but not visually ideal.


  • Slightly Large, Large: Could impact the diamond's look.


  • Very Large: Usually distorts the diamond's look.


  • Extremely Large: Highly noticeable and will change the diamond's appearance



WRAPPING UP:


So, there you have it. The diamond culet is a tiny point at the pavilion's base where the facets of the pavilion come together. A diamond without a culet is ideal; however, if your diamond has a small or medium-sized one, then it won't significantly impact the stone's appearance. So keep an eye out for culets when you go diamond shopping! Good luck, and happy hunting!