Princess Cut Diamond

The Princess Cut was designed to maximize brilliance and sparkle and produces a diamond that is truly breathtaking. It’s combination of angles and clean lines gives the Princess Cut Diamond its characteristic square shape, with sharp uncut corners which make it the perfect centerpiece for diamond engagement rings, earrings, pendants and necklaces.

In short: The princess cut is a square modified brilliant with 57-77 facets — invented in 1980 by Basil Watermeyer, now the second-most-popular fancy shape (3-5% of US engagement-ring sales). Aim for length-to-width 1.00-1.05 and sharp, V-tipped corners. The vulnerable corners need full prong coverage. Mohs 10 throughout. Lab-grown princess cuts run 60-80% below natural equivalents at identical 4Cs.

The Princess Cut diamond is second in popularity only to the Round Brilliant Cut. There are only two square shaped diamond cuts, the Princess Cut and the Radiant Cut. Both of these cuts exhibit almost as much brilliance and fire as the Round Brilliant Cut, which undoubtedly contributes to their popularity in both contemporary and traditional jewelry styles. So let’s take a look in more detail at the beautiful Princess Cut Diamond.

If you are looking for an engagement ring that embodies sophisticated elegance combined with a dramatic modern presence then a Princess Setting Engagement Ring is the perfect choice.

THE HISTORY OF PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS

The Princess Cut is one of the more modern diamond cuts. It first emerged in 1961 as a ‘profile cut’ created by Arpad Nagy a London based diamond cutter who first used the term ‘Princess Cut’. However, it was not until the 1970s that the Princess Cut that we see today was fully developed.

It is widely believed that the Princess Cut was a hybrid of two new diamond cuts – the ‘Barion Cut’ and the ‘Quadrillion’, which led to the development of today’s Princess Cut. In 1979 Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar, and Israel Itzkowitz were involved in optical research that led to the creation of today’s Princess Cut that exhibits facets in a similar arrangement to those seen in a Round Brilliant Cut.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS

When viewing a Princess Cut diamond you will see that it has an inverted pyramid profile and displays a flat square or rectangular face. This combination creates a unique dispersion of light which is greater than other square cuts, and helps to give the diamond the illusion of being larger than its actual size.

Dependent upon the shape of the Princess Cut Diamond and the way that the underside (the pavilion) of the diamond has been cut, it will be comprised of 53 to 144 facets. Princess Cut diamonds with less than 50 facets will not show the level of brilliance that is desirable with this cut, therefore the majority have 58 – 76 facets. This amount of facets achieves the optimum level of brilliance and sparkle for which the Princess Cut is loved, and makes it the most stunning of all the square and rectangular shaped diamonds. Plus, this number of facets and the level of light dispersion also means that a Princess Cut Diamond hides inclusions from the naked eye more readily, which also adds to its brilliance.

Unlike the other diamond cuts available which are of one shape only, Princess Cut diamonds can be found in two shapes – a square or rectangular crown. The shape of a Princess Cut diamond is determined by the length to width ratio of the cut. A square shape is created by a ratio of between 1 and 1.05 and a rectangle between 1.10 and 1.20. Princess Cuts in a square shape are the more highly valued of the two shapes.

PROS AND CONS OF PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS

PROS

The Princess Cut camouflages many small imperfections within a diamond. Therefore it means that diamonds that have a slightly lower clarity or color grading, or a minor inclusion, and therefore will command a lower price, can still look stunning when Princess Cut. This is a real plus point for those on a budget but wanting a diamond with the wow factor!
The Princess Cut is the ideal cut for smaller carat size diamonds as due to its light dispersion abilities the sparkle and brilliance that this cut exudes create the illusion of a larger gemstone.
The Princess Cut is suitable for far more settings and styles of engagement rings and diamond jewelry than many other diamond cuts. This factor makes it a truly versatile cut whose popularity spans many age groups, styles and tastes.

CONS

The major disadvantage of selecting a Princess Cut diamond is that the corners of the diamond can be prone to damage. This is due to the sharp way in which the corners of a Princess Diamond are cut. Princess Cut diamonds can fall out of their setting or be easily chipped if they are not protected in the correct setting that will protect the corners – this should ideally be a 4 prong setting.
There are a limited amount of higher quality Princess Cut diamonds which means that if you require a high quality Princess Cut diamond with an exuberance of flash, fire and sparkle, these are relatively uncommon.

DO PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS REPRESENT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY

Princess Cut Diamonds offer good value for money and are affordable to a wide variety of budgets.

When cutting a Princess diamond, up to 80% of the rough diamond is used so there is very little waste! In comparison, cutting a Round Brilliant diamond wastes up to 60% of the rough diamond. This means that from one rough diamond it is possible to obtain two Princess Cut diamonds which in turn drives down the price. On average a one carat Princess Cut diamond will sell at the same price as a Round Brilliant diamond of only 0.80 carat.

This makes Princess Cut diamonds a very affordable option for those wanting a head turning diamond engagement ring or other item of diamond jewelry without the expected price tag!

Princess-cut diamonds: frequently asked questions

What is a princess-cut diamond?

A square diamond with a brilliant-style facet pattern that gives strong sparkle. It is the most popular fancy shape after the round.

Does a princess cut sparkle like a round?

Almost — it has plenty of fire and brilliance, at a lower price per carat than a round.

What should I look for in a princess cut?

Its pointed corners can chip, so choose a setting with V-tip claws that protect them.

Is a princess cut good value?

Yes. You get a large, brilliant look for less than a round of the same weight.

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