---
title: "Girdle thickness: meaning in gemology"
description: "Girdle thickness is how thick the girdle is at its thinnest and thickest points. A report gives it as a range of words, such as \"Thin to Medium\"."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/girdle-thickness
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/og-digital-gemology.png?v=d224fb01
---

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[Glossary](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary) · Anatomy and proportions

# Girdle thickness

Also called girdle description, Thin to Medium, Slightly Thick, Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick

Girdle thickness is how thick the girdle is at its thinnest and thickest points. A report gives it as a range of words, such as "Thin to Medium".

## In more detail

The eight words are: Extremely Thin, Very Thin, Thin, Medium, Slightly Thick, Thick, Very Thick and Extremely Thick. A round's girdle has 16 valleys and 16 hills. The grader reads it at the valleys, in profile at 10x. Too thin is a chipping risk and too thick adds hidden weight; GIA allows Excellent for Thin to Slightly Thick.

## On a grading report

On the proportion diagram as a range of words plus an average percentage, and the girdle finish. IGI's Ideal band is Thin to Slightly Thick.

## Related terms

- [Girdle](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/girdle): The girdle is the narrow band at the widest part of a cut stone, between the crown and the pavilion. It is the edge that a setting grips.
- [Knife-edge girdle](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/knife-edge-girdle): A knife-edge girdle has no girdle band at all: the crown and the pavilion meet in a sharp line.
- [Durability (cut grade)](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/durability-cut-grade): Durability is the part of GIA's cut grade that checks for a risk of damage. The risk comes from a very thin girdle or thin points.
- [Weight ratio](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/weight-ratio): Weight ratio is the part of GIA's cut grade that compares a diamond's weight with its diameter. A stone can carry too much or too little weight for its width.
- [Total depth](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/total-depth): Total depth is the height of a stone from table to culet as a percentage of its average diameter. It equals crown height + girdle thickness + pavilion depth.

## Learn more

- [Diamond girdle thickness: thin, medium, thick and what it costs you](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/diamond-anatomy/diamond-girdle-thickness)
- [How to read the proportion diagram on a diamond report](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/grading-reports/diamond-proportion-diagram)
- [How to read diamond proportions: decode a stone from its numbers](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/diamond-anatomy/how-to-read-diamond-proportions)

[All 328 terms](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary)