There’s no doubt that diamonds are among the most valued resources in the world.
They are also one of the most popular precious stones on the global market.
People have always respected these gemstones due to their impressive appearance and great properties.
Of course, not all of the diamonds are the same. Some of them are much more valuable than the others and the size of diamonds is not always the main factor in the evaluation of diamonds.
Actually, there are four basic characteristics which help jewelers and buyers determine the price and true value of diamonds – carat weight, clarity, color, and cut.
Due to the fact that we are talking about Princess cut diamond rings in this article, we will focus on the cut.
The importance of cut
The cut of any diamond is among the most important characteristics that the diamond has.
With its help, it is possible to boost the value, quality and overall beauty of the gemstone.
If you take a closer look at the situation on the market, you will notice that there is a wide array of cuts and each cut comes with unique impacts on three distinctive features in diamonds.
Namely, the cut affects the brightness, fire, and scintillation of diamonds.
The brightness represents the level of light that is reflected by the diamond.
The fire is actually the palette of colors that diamonds show off.
Finally, the scintillation represents the brilliance and sparkle that is created when the diamonds are moved.
Brightness, fire, and scintillation at diamonds
When the diamond is cut well, the light has a chance to enter the diamond directly through the top flat facet (also known as the table) and go through the pavilion. At this point, the light is reflected and spread right through the diamond’s crown where it creates a special effect.
Sadly, in diamonds that are not cut well, a certain amount of light is lost through the girdle and as a result of that, the sparkle of diamonds is minimized.
Generally speaking, the quality of any diamond cut is related to the polish and symmetry, and the proportions of the angle of the crown, the size of the table and the depth of the pavilion.
Typically, the higher the number of facets in a diamond, the more sparkle and brilliance you can expect.
But, the pavilion dept can also affect these two things.
Namely, if the pavilion depth is too big or small, the light is lost.
Now that you have learned more about the importance of cut, it’s time to talk about the main feature of any princess cut diamond ring – the princess cut itself.
What is the princess cut?
The latest reports have shown that Princes cut is the second most popular type of cut for diamonds.
The frontal shape of this cut is rectangular or square while the profile looks similar to an inverted pyramid.
What is interesting is that the princess cut is often considered to be a new diamond cut. It was in the 1960s when this cut appeared for the first time.
But, even when it appeared it didn’t grab the attention of the public right away.
The fact is that people have started buying princess cut diamonds in the last two decades because most people have become fed up with the brilliant cut.
Keep in mind that a princess cut that comes with exactly the same width as the round brilliant cut’s diameter will be heavier because it has four corners.
Another important thing that you should remember is that princess diamond cuts were inspired by the French cut and the modifications of this cut like Cross and Double French cut.
Arpad Nagy of London was the jeweler that introduced this cut in the 1960s. He advertised the princess cut as a mixed cut which contains elements of standard round brilliant cut and step cuts like the Asscher cut and Emerald cut.
As we said before, the princess cut comes with unique, specific, rounded corners that are growing from the foundation of the diamond. It has similar facets to the ones found in round brilliant diamonds and that’s why they have similar brilliance and sparkle.
Finally, princess cut diamonds, similar to many other non-round gemstones, are available in different dimensions, even though they tend to have a narrow range.
The majority of these diamonds have a length to width ratio of 1.0.
In other words, they have a squared shape, but at the same time their length-width can reach 1.2 and become slightly rectangular.
Reasons to opt for princess cut diamond ring
We have already mentioned that princess cut is the second most popular diamond cut.
Every year, hundreds of people are buying rings that are featuring exactly this kind of cut.
We should also point out that this is the first fancy cut that was able to get AGS status about 13 years ago.
The attractiveness of princess cut comes as a result of its ability to get fire and brilliance reflection that can’t be matched by many diamonds.
While it’s true that the first princess cut was designed in the 1960s, it took a few more years for this cut to be improved. A South African jeweler is the founder of the modern princess cut which was subjected to many patent limitations in the past.
Today, jewelers are free to use the princess cut in any way they want.
The princess cut got its shape thanks to the cutters who were trying to get the most from the weight of diamonds while keeping the extraordinary level of brilliance.
In other words, they were able to reduce the waste from the rough diamonds making these diamonds more affordable.
Of course, you should not expect to find princess cut diamonds of premium quality at a low price.
The factors that contribute to the price of princess cut diamonds
One of the best things about princess cut diamonds is that they are usually cheaper per carat than round brilliant cut diamonds.
We have already mentioned that there is significantly less waste when these diamonds are shaped which is why the price is lower.
Obviously, this doesn’t affect the impressive visual appearance of these diamonds.
But, what are some other factors that contribute to the price of princess cut diamonds?
Color
If you want to get the best princess cut diamonds, you should focus on the gemstones that don’t come with a yellow tint that you can see with a naked eye.
In other words, the minimum grade that you should select is Near Colorless (J, I, H or G grade).
Of course, you can buy a diamond with a higher grade too.
Round cut stones give you more freedom of choice when it comes to colors, but the situation is different with princess cut diamonds and you should not forget that.
As we said, you can opt for a princess cut diamond with a higher color grade like F, E or D, but the truth is that they are much more expensive and the difference is not significant.
Many experts say that this investment is not worth the money. If you want to find out more about diamond color, read the following guide.
Clarity
We have already pointed out that princess cut diamonds have great sparkle and brilliance and the inclusions of the stone are barely visible.
It’s good to know that diamonds of this kind with clarity worse than SI1 are not common.
This is the reason why the simplest method of finding a gemstone with good clarity at a relatively low price is to look for SI1, VS2 or VS1 stones.
Focus on this clarity range and opt for diamonds that don’t have visible inclusions.
In addition, the diamond you find interesting should not exhibit inclusions located on the corners.
This is the Achilles heel of these diamonds and inclusions will put the diamond at risk of chipping in the future.
Carat
There is not much to talk about carat weight as a factor for princess cut diamonds.
Similar to other kinds of diamonds, princess cut diamonds are becoming more expensive once you start looking at diamonds with more carats.
The only thing that you should remember is that the price is not rising proportionally.
A 2-carat princess cut diamond is not just two times more expensive than the 1-carat princess cut diamonds.
The difference is even greater when it comes to 3-carat diamonds which are very rare.
Cut
We have saved one of the most important contributors to the value of a princess cut diamond for the end.
Jewelers and gemologist are still unable to determine the ideal proportions for this kind of cut.
Needless to say, people should look for certified diamonds preferably diamonds with a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificate.
But, even in this case, the grading report won’t state the quality of cut. In this case, you will only learn more about the symmetry and polish of the diamond.
What’s known for sure is that high-quality cut will optimize the diamond’s brilliance.
A Short Guide for Buying Princess Cut Diamond Rings
If you are in the process of buying a princess cut diamond, you must ensure that the diamond is placed in a mounting that keeps the corners of the stone protected.
Unfortunately, there are situations when these corners are chipped and that’s why it’s crucial to provide adequate protection.
For example, if you use a V-prong setting, you can rest assured that your diamond is protected well.
Princess cut diamonds have a very beautiful and unique shape that brings a high level of brilliance.
This means that people can use this diamond in any kind of style or setting of the ring.
Yet, there are a few settings that are more popular than the others.
For starters, there are so-called princess cut halo engagement rings.
Many people use the engagement rings to send a message to the world and the attractiveness of a halo ring with a princess cut diamond on it will definitely make the message stronger.
In some cases, people use double halo style.
In most cases, this is a setting which includes pave set diamonds that are placed around the central stone and the band.
There is no doubt that this setting will emphasize the beauty of the ring and make it more visible to the people around you.
Furthermore, there are princess cut solitaire rings which are usually used as engagement rings.
They are the ideal solution for those who want to keep things simple.
The classic solitaire style has been used for many years and it has still not lost its value.
We should also mention the 3-stone princess cut rings.
This is one of the latest trends at least when it comes to engagement rings.
Obviously, this ring includes three princess cut diamonds – typically the larger is placed in the center and one smaller on each side.
Some people think that this is just too much while others are fascinated by the level of fire and brilliance that this specific kind of ring produces.
You can also use other kinds of side stones to emphasize the beauty of princess cut diamond.
While we are talking about princess cut diamond rings, we must analyze the material. A yellow gold ring is a real classic (and classy) solution. However, if you are a little bit tired of this simple and traditional appearance, you can also choose a white gold or platinum princess cut ring. They can be modernized even more with a twist setting. On the other hand, you can make them look more elegant and more traditional by selecting a minimalist look.
There’s no doubt that princess cut diamond rings are a great choice for engagement rings and other types of rings.
If you are planning on buying a ring with this type of diamond, our advice is to look for online diamond stores.
This shopping method will save you time and energy and in some cases money too.
Just follow the tips we have shared in this guide and you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for.