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  • Baguette - See Shape.
  • Bearded Girdle - Small hairline fractures running from the girdle into the gemstone. Also known as "bearding".
  • Bezel - The large facets (second to the table) on the crown of a diamond.
  • Black Pique - The black inclusions visible within a diamond.
    These are more detrimental to the diamond's value than white (or clear) imperfections. Despite this, a diamond grading report will often treat white and black inclusions the same for clarity grading purposes.
  • Blemish - An imperfection on the surface of a diamond.
    A diamond can be internally flawless (IF), even if it has blemishes, including scratches, nicks and abrasions. Blemishes can usually be easily removed by polishing.
  • Bow Tie Effect - A dark shadow shaped like a bow tie.
    This effect is evident in some cuts of fancy shaped diamonds, such as ovals and marquises. This is detrimental to the value of the diamond, but not significantly.
  • Brilliance - Also called Brightness.
    Brilliance is the effect of all the reflections of white light, both within and external to the diamond. The degree of brightness displayed is correlated to the diamond's cut grade. A diamond exhibiting a high level of brightness will attain a very good or Excellent cut grade, for example. Whereas, a diamond exhibiting low brightness would probably attain a Poor cut.
  • Brilliant Cut - The optimal cut of a diamond so as to provide maximum brilliance.
    A round brilliant has 57 or 58 facets (including the culet). Many fancy shapes have brilliant versions, including the cushion modified brilliant, the square modified brilliant (also known as the princess cut) and marquise brilliant.
  • Bruise - An inclusion (of small cracks or feathers) at, or near, the surface of a diamond.
    These are more detrimental to the diamond's value than white (or clear) imperfections. Despite this, a diamond grading report will often treat white and black inclusions the same for clarity grading purposes.