The polished diamond is divided into two main sections. First, there is the lower section of the diamond, called the pavilion. This section faces the base of the piece of jewelry and is usually covered in gold and not outwardly visible on a finished piece of jewelry. Second, there is the upper section of the diamond that faces the person viewing the piece of jewelry, and it is called the ‘crown’, or at times, the ‘table’.
These two polished areas meet at the girdle of the diamond which encompasses the entire diameter of the diamond. The crown of a circular diamond is made up of 33 polished surfaces: the ‘table’, which is one flat surface, 8 main facets, 16 halves and 8 stars. Over the years, several theories have been proposed regarding the requisite crown height, the requisite facet size in relation to the size of the ‘table’ and the requisite polish angle in relation to the diamond girdle.
The difference in polishing styles is manifest in the intensity of the shine and the glow that is reflected from the faces of the crown. Even in the various fantasy diamonds, the crown is of greatest importance to the appearance of the polished stone and the amount of light it reflects.
Courtesy of Talking Diamonds: A Lexicon of Diamond World Technology by Shalom Lissitzky
