Princess Cut Diamonds

The Princess Cut
The princess cut is the most popular cut or shape for diamonds since the invention of the brilliant cut over 60 years ago. The princess cut rings that are popular today are a great improvement over the step cut used for square and oddly shaped diamonds. It is basically a square version of the brilliant cut, and is known technically as a square modified brilliant cut.


History of the Princess Cut
The princess diamond cut was invented to obtain maximum brilliance from the diamond. It was invented about 30 years ago.


Advantages of the Princess Cut
The princess cut works best with deep stones. This allows the maximum weight retention, and lowers the final cost per carat.
Square stones are better for certain obtaining certain looks, such as eternity rings, as they can be set in one continuous line with no gaps between them.

More Sparkle
Princess cuts are naturally more brilliant and sparkly than other square diamonds. Any inclusions are less visible, and any slight yellowish or brownish color is less noticeable, helping to create better looking diamonds at more reasonable prices.

Limitations of The Princess Cut
Any sharp point on any diamond or other gemstone is a potentially vulnerable point, and the four corner angles of princess cut diamonds are no exception. For this reason, it is best if the jewelery mount is designed in such a manner as to protect the points. The greatest danger to most diamonds is when they are being set, as it is usually necessary to apply some force to the most delicate parts of the stone, for example the corners. This is of course true for any diamonds or other stones, but tends to be slightly worse for stones with points or corners.

Princess cut Advantages
The advantages of princess cut are not restricted purely to diamonds, it can be used on many other gemstones.
The princess cut will obviously work best with lighter colored transparent stones. Any stones which are opaque or dark will not benefit as much, if at all.

Future Developments of the Princess Cut
We believe that new variations of the princess cut will be developed with the corners cut in the manner of the emerald cut. This may be an advantage in helping the reduce the possibility of damage at the right-angled corners, and may well be an important development particularly for larger stones for use as solitaires. It would not really be an advantage in most eternity rings, as it would reintroduce a greater gap between the stones.