A culet is the bottommost point on a faceted
gemstone.
______ ,----the table (upper line)
/______\ ,----the girdle (lower line)
\ /
\ / <----the pavilion
\ /
\/ <----the culet
Technically, the culet only exists if a facet is cut there. In other words, a
cabochon never has a culet, nor does a faceted stone with a sharp point where the culet should be. A
facet on the culet is desirable because 1) a facet will assist in light
dispersion and
scintillation and 2) a pointed culet is more prone to chips and breaks.
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