Princess Cut Engagement ring

Princess

The princess cut is the most popular non-round diamond, boasting a brilliance and uniqueness that makes it a favourite for engagement rings. Designed for getting sparkle from its square cut, the princess typically disperses more light than many other shapes.

The streamlined angles of a princess diamond also gives it a distinctive geometrical look, which is perfect for those wanting a modern and contemporary ring.

So for something truly special, look no further than a princess shaped stone from Nova Diamonds.

What You Need to Know About Princess Diamonds

Often labelled as a square or rectangular modified brilliant cut by the GIA, the princess shaped diamond is an ever-present favourite for engagement rings. It’s now the fourth most coveted choice after the round, oval and cushion cut.

Similar to a round or cushion cut, the princess has impressive fire and maximises sparkle. Its extra facets not only disperse more light through the stone but also minimise the appearance of clarity characteristics and inclusions.

The symbolic attributes behind a princess wearer’s personality are sensible, efficient leader, organised, bold and fun-loving.

History and Origins of Princess Cut Diamonds

The princess shape was originally developed from an older style of cut called ‘the profile cut’ in 1961 by Arpad Nagy, a diamond cutter based in London. But as its popularity began to grow, a group of jewellers - Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar, and Israel Itzkowitz - took this design and created the quadrillion cut in the early 1970s.

Nearly 10 years later, the same jewellers took inspiration from the popular radiant cut and channel settings of the time to create what we now know as the princess cut.

Because princess-cut diamonds use up to 80% of the rough stone, they've become the shape of choice for celebrities interested in sustainability. These include Cameron Diaz, Emily Ratajkowski and Jaime Pressly.

A Guide to the Cut, Colour and Clarity of Princess Diamonds

Cut

Of all of the square cuts, the princess comes the closest to achieving the fire and brilliance of a round diamond. The most lively and beautiful princess cut diamonds have good play between light and dark when rocked back and forth.

Colour

Seeing as princess diamonds are 'brilliant' stones, you can mask some colour with great sparkle. This means that near colourless princess stones in the G and H range will often appear white while providing great value.

Clarity

Once again because of its brilliance, a princess cut is more forgiving of inclusions than other square cuts (like Asscher and emerald), especially when viewed with the naked eye. However, evaluating clarity in princess cut diamonds is subjective.

Princess Diamond Ring Settings

The right setting can maximise the aesthetic appeal of any engagement ring and provides added security to protect the diamond itself. Recommended settings include:

Solitaire

This setting will draw attention to a princess cut and can create the illusion of a larger carat weight.

Channel

Channel settings are perfect for smaller princess-cut diamonds or for princess-cut diamonds wrapped around the band.

Halo

For those who like to stand out, a halo setting featuring a princess diamond will rival the twinkle of the night sky, especially when surrounded by elegant accent stones.

Classic Prong

This setting works exceptionally well for princess cut diamonds as it allows more light to pass through the stone thanks to the use of less metal than other settings.

Princess Diamond Ring Settings

When comparing similar diamonds, focus on its measurements. You'll find certain diamonds with similar weights can vary significantly in measurements. It's advisable to choose the one with wider measurements because you will benefit from a larger diamond surface area for the same value.
You should also consider diamonds of varying shapes, which could be the same carat weight but priced differently. For example, round diamonds are typically more expensive than other shapes because they produce the most waste in their cutting process.
Select a carat weight that is slightly below the whole and half-carat marks. For example, rather than purchasing a 2.00 carat diamond, think about a 1.90 carat weight instead. You will save yourself a considerable amount of money, but the difference will be unnoticeable.
Keep the size of your fingers in mind when buying a diamond ring. If you've got slim fingers and want a fairly basic metal band, you won't need to buy a large carat weight. But if you've got larger fingers and want something more extravagant, you'll probably need a heavier carat weight.

So what carat weight is right for you? Well, a lot depends on personal preference and budget. Just remember that with diamond rings, the most visible aspect of the stone will be its surface area at the top.

You should also consider the diamond’s cut and diameter, as this will have an impact on its aesthetic. Carat has the biggest effect on a diamond’s price, but more expensive doesn’t always mean better stone.

4C Of Diamond

Diamond Color

GIA developed the definitive diamond color scale or chart in the early 1950s, a time when there were a lot of different and subjective terms in the marketplace for describing a diamond’s color: white, blue white, AAAA, for example.

The GIA scale begins with the letter D, representing colorlessness, and continues with increasing presence of color to the letter Z, representing light yellow, light brown or light gray. The 23 color grades on the GIA Color Scale (or diamond color chart) are subdivided into five subcategories, which are: colorless (D-F); near colorless (G-J); faint (K-M); very light (N-R); and light (S-Z).

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Diamond Clarity

Diamond Clarity refers to the inclusions and blimishes.

To understand diamond clarity, we must first understand how diamonds are created. Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes.’

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. If you are trying to determine what is the best clarity for a diamond, remember that no diamond is perfectly pure. But the closer it comes to purity, the better its clarity

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Diamond Cut

Achieving the best cut for a diamond reflects in the stone’s final beauty and value.

Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but what diamond cut actually does mean how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond.

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Carat Weight

Diamond carat weight measures Diamonds Apparent size.

To put it simply, diamond carat weight measures how much a diamond weighs.

A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its ‘points’ alone. For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a ‘twenty-five pointer.’ Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as ‘one point oh eight carats.’

All else being equal, diamond price increases with diamond carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and more desirable. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values (and prices) depending on three other factors of the diamond 4Cs : Color , Clarity , and Cut

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