Whiteflash-Diamond Playground

The pavilion of a diamond is like a cone of mirrors. This means they will reflect a perfect picture of what’s seen from inside, including the interior of the girdle. At certain angles the girdle reflection can look like a break or new inclusion inside a stone. It’s not - it’s merely the diamond’s internal mirrors doing their job.

The girdle reflection may appear as a white, dark or ‘feathery’ line of varying thickness depending on lighting, angles and girdle particulars.  It is a natural feature of diamond reflectivity.

Appraisers can use this reflectivity to analyze bezel-set diamonds (normally the girdle is not visible) by spotting the girdle reflection through the table at a severe angle.  The only time girdle reflection is a negative is when the diamond is so shallow that you see its girdle reflection through the table directly face-up (photo at right). This reflection is called a “fish eye” and is caused because the shallow pavilion allows the reflection to be seen closer towards the center of the stone, instead of being tucked away under the bezel area facets.