---
title: "Shoulder: meaning in gemology"
description: "The shoulder of an elongated stone is where the outline curves away from the end."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/shoulder
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/og-digital-gemology.png?v=d224fb01
---

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

# Shoulder

Also called shoulders

The shoulder of an elongated stone is where the outline curves away from the end.

## In more detail

GIA's oval guide uses head or end, shoulder and belly to name the parts of an elongated stone. On DG-Bowtie, the dark band across the belly stops near the shoulders, where the pavilion facets are less steep.

## Related terms

- [Head](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/head): The head, or end, is each end of an elongated stone such as an oval, pear or marquise. On a marquise the ends are points.
- [Belly](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/belly): The belly is the wide middle of an elongated stone such as an oval, pear or marquise.
- [Oval cut](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/oval-cut): An oval cut is an elongated round: the brilliant facet plan stretched along one axis.
- [Pear cut](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/glossary/pear-cut): A pear cut is a brilliant with one rounded end and one point, halfway between an oval and a marquise.

## Learn more

- [The bow-tie effect in diamonds: what it is](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/bow-tie/bow-tie-effect-in-diamonds)
- [Fixing a bow-tie: the steep belly of DG-Bowtie](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/bow-tie/how-to-fix-a-bow-tie)

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