What is a common drawback of a thicker girdle?

• A. It increases the diamond's brightness
• B. It adds weight but does not increase visual size or appeal
• C. It improves durability
• D. It reduces price

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how girdle thickness affects value versus visible size. A thicker girdle adds material around the diamond’s edge, which increases carat weight. But that extra weight doesn’t translate into a larger face-up size or a more striking appearance—the proportions you see when the diamond is set are largely unchanged, so you don’t gain any visual size or appeal. In other words, you pay more for mass that isn’t increasing how large or brilliant the stone looks. Light performance isn’t boosted by a thicker girdle because brightness and sparkle come from facet angles and proportions, not the edge thickness. So the common drawback is gaining weight without a corresponding improvement in size or visual desirability.