The pavilion is the cone-shaped part of a cut stone below the girdle. A standard round brilliant has 24 pavilion facets: 8 mains and 16 lower halves.
In more detail
The pavilion works like a mirror: it reflects light that enters through the top back up through the crown. If it is too shallow or too steep, light escapes through the pavilion facets.
On a grading report
Described on the proportion diagram by the pavilion angle and the pavilion depth.
Related terms
- Pavilion angle: The pavilion angle is the slope of the pavilion mains, measured against the plane of the girdle.
- Pavilion depth: Pavilion depth is the depth of the pavilion, from the girdle to the culet. It is a percentage of the average diameter.
- Pavilion main: Pavilion mains are the 8 long facets of a round brilliant's pavilion that run from the girdle to the culet.
- Lower half facet: Lower half facets are the 16 long, thin triangles along the pavilion edge of a round brilliant. There are two between each pair of pavilion mains.
- Culet: The culet is the bottom point of the pavilion. It can also be a tiny facet, parallel to the table, that keeps the point from chipping.
- Leakage: Leakage is light that enters a stone and leaves where the viewer cannot see it, mostly through the pavilion. Lower leakage is better.