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Total height

The total height of a brilliant is measured between table and culet. In this the work must be carefully done, as the culet of the stone, because of a certain brittleness, is very sensitive and easily damaged. The total height in millimeters serves at the same time as an identifying factor and can be calculated in percentage of the average girdle diameter.

total height x 100
girdle diameter

The total height in percentage of the girdle diameter does not in any way allow any conclusion to be drawn as to the quality of the proportions, for the ratio of crown : pavilion and the thickness of the girdle are much more decisive, for the total height is found from the addition of these three. Checking the correct relationship of these proportions is far more important than measuring the total height alone. Thus, for example, three brilliants which all have a total height of 60 %, could have completely different crown and pavilion heights. One of them may be cut in the ideal crown: pavilion ratio, another stone possibly has too shallow a crown and too deep a pavilion, and finally the third brilliant may also show a total height of 60 % but have a high crown and shallow pavilion.
The percentages for total height quoted in books and tables are often given without reference to the thickness of the girdle. Thus, for example, for the Practical Fine Cut one reads a value of57.6%, which results from a 14.4 % crown and a 43.2 % pavilion depth. For an ideal girdle, which is visible to the unaided eye as a thin, light line, 3 to 4 % of the girdle diameter must be added for smaller stones, and 1 to 2 % for larger stones, to obtain the total value.
The height of the crown and pavilion is measured by the angles made by crown and pavilion facets with the plane of the girdle; the larger they are, the higher. are 'the crown and pavilion of a brilliant. As these angle sizes are of extreme importance to the refraction, total reflection and dispersion of the incident light falling upon a brilliant, greater attention should be paid, in estimating the total height, to the size relationships of the crown and pavilion and the thickness of the girdle. It is not sufficient to measure only the total height.

Table comparison method Crown height