Which term describes the outward curve of pavilion facets in a step-cut diamond?

Which term describes the outward curve of pavilion facets in a step-cut diamond?

• A. Pavilion angle
• B. Pavilion depth percentage
• C. Pavilion bulge
• D. Pattern

Answer: (C)

In a step-cut diamond, the lower portion beneath the girdle—the pavilion—can either flare outward or sit more flat. The term that describes this outward flare is the bulge. It captures the convex curvature of the pavilion facets as they curve toward the culet, shaping the diamond’s overall silhouette and affecting how light travels from the pavilion back up through the table. This is different from the pavilion angle, which is about the actual tilt between the pavilion facets and the girdle, or from the pavilion depth percentage, which is a single measurement of depth relative to width. It’s also distinct from the pattern, which refers to how the facets are arranged rather than how the lower facets curve outward. So the outward curve of the pavilion facets in a step-cut diamond is described by the bulge.

In a step-cut diamond, the lower portion beneath the girdle—the pavilion—can either flare outward or sit more flat. The term that describes this outward flare is the bulge. It captures the convex curvature of the pavilion facets as they curve toward the culet, shaping the diamond’s overall silhouette and affecting how light travels from the pavilion back up through the table.

This is different from the pavilion angle, which is about the actual tilt between the pavilion facets and the girdle, or from the pavilion depth percentage, which is a single measurement of depth relative to width. It’s also distinct from the pattern, which refers to how the facets are arranged rather than how the lower facets curve outward. So the outward curve of the pavilion facets in a step-cut diamond is described by the bulge.