Princess cut diamonds were born in 1980, when Israel Itzkowitz and Betzalel Ambar created a square diamond with all the shine of a round brilliant. Just like round brilliant cut diamonds, princess cuts look beautiful in any style of ring, including engagement rings.
One of the benefits of princess cut diamonds is their thrift. While other cuts reduce the original stone to 50% or less of its original size, the shape of a princess cut allows more of the rough to remain in the final jewel. It’s even possible to create two princess cut diamonds from the same stone. This efficiency is passed onto the final price.
When compared carat for carat, the overall surface area of the princess cut is around 10% smaller than that of a round diamond of the same weight. However, measured from corner to corner, the princess cut is about 15% greater than the diameter of a round cut diamond of an equivalent weight. In other words, princess cut diamonds appear larger than they actually are.
When buying a princess cut diamond, make sure it is set with prongs in order to protect its corners from chipping. As these tips are close to the outer edge of the original rough, there may be clarity characteristics such as inclusions or extra facets. Prongs help to hide these characteristics while keeping the diamond secure.
