Diamond Shape princess

The Essentials You Need To Know When Purchasing and Caring For Your Diamond.

Princess Cut Diamond

The Princess Cut Diamond is square or almost square and is cut with 58 facets. Due to its unique faceting arrangement, high brilliance and distinctive square shape, the Princess Cut Diamond is the second most popular cut after the Round Brilliant. The Profile Cut was the precursor to the Princess and developed in 1961 by Arpad Nagy of London. The shape as we know it today was designed and made popular in the 1980's as an alternative to the Radiant and Emerald Cut and is sometimes referred to as a square modified brilliant. Because of its square shape, a Princess Cut Diamond will weigh more than a round diamond of similar diameter and will be slightly less expensive per carat due to higher weight retention during the cutting process.

The Princess Cut's straight lines and additional facets make it a fashionable and trendy alternative to the Round Brilliant, giving it a clear advantage over other square or rectangular shapes with less brilliance. The Princess looks great in three stone rings, channel set mountings or by itself in a beautiful solitaire. It's versatile and at home in either a contemporary minimalist design or more traditional antique settings.

Selecting a Well Cut Princess

There are several variations of the Princess Cut, with the primary difference being the pavilion construction, where 2, 3 or 4 chevrons can be applied. Princess cuts can also feature pointed corners or slightly clipped or chamfered corners. Pointed corners can be susceptible to chipping and chamfering provides a higher level of durability without changing the visual appearance of the stone. Because of their large table, imperfections in SI1 or lower clarities may be eye visible under the table. Additionally, care should be taken when purchasing diamonds of I or lower color because the Princess Cut tends to hold color in the corners.

The science of analyzing light performance in diamonds utilizing computer models is in its infancy. To date, only the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL) has developed a cut grade for the Princess Cut. Until clear standards have been widely adopted it is best to look for a square or slightly rectangular outline, and follow the suggested proportions and characteristics below as a guide.

What to Look For

Cut Factor	Excellent	Very Good	Good
Length to Width	1.00 - 1.05	1.00 - 1.05	""
Table %	58% - 74%	63% - 72%	""
Total Depth %	63% - 72%	58% - 77%	""
Girdle Thickness	Thin - Thick	Thin - Thick	""
Cut Grade (GIA - AGSL)	EX	EX - VG	""
Polish	EX	EX - VG	""
Symmetry	EX	EX - VG	""