What can make a diamond susceptible to chipping or breaking?

[leapinghorse]

I believe a very thin girdle is one. Anything else to look out for?

Thanks again all

 

[oldminer]

A pointed culet which sticks out below the mounting''s protection. In sizing a ring, such an exposed culet often gets chipped.

Besides a thin girdle, a shallow crown angle often contributes to chipping. Crown angles under 29 degrees seem to increase the liklihood of chipping and make thin girdles even more prone to problems.

Feathers which break the surface are a little weaker than surrounding material and may extend if hit with just the right direction and force. Existing chips and abrasions are likely to extend with continued wear if left unrepaired.

Diamonds which have been enhanced with glass in-filling are far more likely to be broken in use since the glass is not anywhere near as strong as pure diamond material.

Don''t be scared. Diamonds rarely break. It is a good reason to carry insurance, just in case.

 

[somethingshiny]

I remember reading somewhere that inclusions that are at the surface could also cause chipping.

 

[somethingshiny]

Sorry, my whole post didn''t come up. My question was Do only feathers cause the chipping, or would any inclusion be able to damage the stone in that way?