PRINCESS SETTING ENGAGEMENT RING
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.
Brides-to-be for many decades have been choosing Princess Setting Engagement Rings and this cut runs a very close second to the number one choice of the round brilliant cut in terms of popularity. Undoubtedly what makes Princess Setting Engagement Rings so popular is that this cut is one of only two square shaped cuts, the other being the radiant cut, which almost matches the fire and brilliance of the stunning round brilliant cut. The reason for this is that the princess cut was specifically designed to maximise the diamonds sparkle and brilliance with the combination of clean lines and angles giving the diamond its square shape, with sharp, uncut corners. A stunning princess cut diamond brings dazzle to many styles of engagement ring from the classical understated solitaire to a trilogy three stone setting, and antique to contemporary styles.
Characteristics of a Princess Cut Diamond
The princess cut is a ‘modified brilliant’ which combines the techniques used to create modified brilliant cuts and step cuts. It offers an alternative to the round brilliant cut and in comparison to a round brilliant cut diamond with the same weight will be as much as 15% greater in diameter. This is due to having four corners which in a round brilliant diamond would have been cut off and rounded.
A princess cut diamond has an inverted pyramid profile displaying a rectangular or flat square face. It will exhibit between 53 to 144 facets with a typical ratio of 1.0 to 1.05. The number of facets is dependent upon the shape of the princess cut, and the way in which the pavilion (the underside) of the diamond has been cut. The majority of princess cuts diamonds have either 58 or 76 facets which allow the diamond to achieve the maximum sparkle and brilliance for which this cut is renowned and which make this cut the most brilliant of all the rectangular and square shapes. It should be noted that princess cut diamonds with less than 50 facets will not achieve this desired level of brilliance.
The four bevelled sides and pyramidal shape of a princess cut diamond uniquely creates a greater dispersion of light than other square cuts.This helps to give a princess setting engagement ring the much desired illusion of being greater size which is highly prized by those who wish to wear an engagement ring with the wow factor. In addition the high number of facets in a princess cut diamond and its innate ability to disperse light means that inclusions are more easily hidden from the naked eye so adding to its brilliance.
Princess Setting Engagement Rings are available in a number of shape variations which other cuts of diamond simply cannot achieve, and this is one of the unique properties of the princess cut. A princess cut diamond can have either a rectangular or a square crown which is governed by the length to width ratio of the cut. For example, a ratio of between 1.10 and 1.20 will create a diamond that has the appearance of being rectangular, whilst a length to width ratio of between 1 and 1.05 creates a diamond that is square in shape. It is the square shaped princess cut diamonds that are more highly valued.
The History of Princess Cut Diamonds
The princess cut is a relatively modern cut of diamond. Many believe that it was created as a result of the introduction of two new diamond cuts. The first in 1971 a new diamond shape called the ‘Barion cut’ patented by the South African diamond cutter Basil Watermeyer. This was a square cut with rounded corners having over 80 facets and due to the need to cut incredibly symmetrical lines, the Barion cut proved incredibly difficult to create. Followed by the Quadrillion in 1979, which was very similar to the Barion except that it exhibited only 49 facets.
It is widely believed that the princess cut was a derivative of these two styles but whilst it is important to recognise the Barion and Quadrillion as leading to the development of the modern day princess cut, in fact the true introduction of the princess cut goes back much further in time to 1961, when a London based diamond cutter Arpad Nagy created a “profile” cut, but often referred to it as a princess cut. It was only in later years that Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar and Israel Itzkowitz made the “princess cut” name popular when in 1979 they undertook optical research to create the modern day version of the princess cut with facets arranged similarly to those of a round brilliant cut diamond.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Princess Setting Engagement Rings
One of the greatest advantages of the princess cut is that is very forgiving. Some of the other diamond cuts such as the Emerald or the Asscher cut accentuate even a minor inclusion, flaw, or colour tint. The princess cut does not, any diamond that is less than perfect in terms of clarity or colour grading will still look stunning as a Princess Set Engagement Ring as the princess cut camouflages many small imperfections in the diamond. This makes the choice of a Princess Set Engagement Ring a great option for those who want to buy a fabulous engagement ring but are working to a budget as diamonds with slightly lower clarity and colour characteristics are much more affordable and yet will work well with this cut to create a beautiful engagement ring.
In addition the princess cut is very suitable for diamonds that are of a smaller carat size, and therefore more affordable, because of the exceptional brilliance and sparkle qualities that this cut yields.
As mentioned previously, the clean liens of the princess cut compliment many styles of engagement ring including the ever popular princess cut solitaire diamond ring, and the Kristen design princess cut channel set diamond engagement ring is one of our best-selling styles.
One of the greatest disadvantages associated with Princess Set Engagement Rings is that the corners on the square shape of the princess cut are extremely delicate due to the sharp way in which they are cut. This means that the diamond can be prone to damage and chipping if not protected in the right type of setting but a well-crafted setting will be able to prevent this from occurring.
The other disadvantage of princess cut diamonds is that there is a limited amount of high quality princess cut diamonds available. It is fairly easy to find middle of the road princess cut diamonds but the really stunning and truly fabulous ones with high facet numbers that really fire, flash, and sparkle are quite uncommon.
Is A Princess Setting Engagement Ring Affordable?
The simple answer to this is that YES they are affordable. The reason for this is that in the cutting process the princess cut uses up to 80% of the rough diamond. In comparison a round brilliant cut will use only 40% of the rough cut diamond so a diamond cutter wastes about 50-60% of each rough diamond. The less the cutter can use the more expensive the diamond will be for customers to purchase. This is what makes princess cut diamonds a more affordable cut as there is simply less waste - in effect two princess cut diamonds can be achieved from a single rough diamond. This saving can then be reflected in the diamonds price tag which makes Princess Setting Engagement Rings a great option for couples on a budget but still wanting a show stopping engagement ring as on average a one carat princess cut diamond will sell for about the same as 0.80-carat round brilliant diamond.
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