By Gary A.
Edited by Brian M.
Published Aug 13, 2024
Edited on Dec 6, 2024
Unlock the enigma of princess cut engagement rings, where modern elegance meets timeless allure—dive into this refined guide to discover why this captivating shape might just be the perfect symbol of your love story.
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Proposals and weddings should make any one of us feel like royalty. Something about all that tulle, all that crystal cut glassware, all that champagne…and, yes, those diamonds…it all amounts to a very magical time where real life feels like it’s unfolding across the pages of a book of fairy tales.
So, what better diamond shape for your engagement than the one and only princess cut. Modern, but somehow emblematic of a timeless brand of luxury that makes any wearer feel part of royal lineage, this cut is one of our all-time favorites.
Thanks to its modified brilliant facet pattern and clean, crisp silhouette, the Princess offers a very unique appearance. The pattern reflected through the table has been likened to pixels or shards of confetti, only enhanced by a really spectacular show of fire (colored sparkle) that erupts every time the light hits.
This is a knock-out choice for any engagement ring.
Before we dive deeper into the specifics, here are some practical tips to help guide your decision-making process:
Tip 1. Understand the 4Cs:
Tip 2. Ring Setting Matters:
Tip 3. Quality of the Diamond:
Tip 4. Band Material and Durability:
Tip 5. Choose a Protective Setting:
Now that you’ve got these practical tips, use Jeweler AI below to find the perfect engagement ring that suits your style and budget:
While the Princess cut is one that requires no introduction, it’s always worth knowing the backstory. The Princess is a relatively modern cut, created in the 1980s, although it evolved from a much older shape, known as the ‘quadrillion cut’, dating back to the 15th century. The Princess Cut was created by a London-based diamond cutter, Arpas Nagy, in order to maximize the sparkle of the shape and create the most fantastic display of fire and brilliance possible.
Princess Cuts are incredibly versatile and, while modern, still offer that connection to history thanks to the shape’s link to the quadrillion. It’s no surprise, then, that celebrities are always happy to flash a Princess on the red carpet – or in their personal lives.
Sherri Shephard 2011 engagement to Lamar Sally skyrocketed interest in the princess. A relatively simple 3-carat (at a guess) Princess engagement ring accentuated by a single row of shimmering pavé, it’s no surprise at all that she said, ‘Yes!’
Hilary Duff’s engagement to Mike Comrie was sealed with an incredible three-stone engagement ring featuring a Princess cut – estimated to be around 4 or 5 carats – flanked on either side by two complimentary trap or halfmoon diamonds. The combination of the two different cuts creates a truly stunning effect, particularly alongside a bright platinum shank.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Katrina Bowden also said yes to Princess cut engagement rings.
The princess cut has a square face-up silhouette, with a particularly open table and four sharp, clean points – one at each corner. The pavilion comprises 4 triangles – each of which holds a number of triangular facets – which create a pyramid shape ending in either another sharp point or a small culet.
The shape is sleek and modern and offers a large face-up appearance thanks to its relatively shallow ideal proportions. This means that a 1 carat princess cut of correct proportions will appear larger than a 1 carat cushion cut of correct proportions since more of the diamond’s weight is concentrated into the pavilion of the cushion (and, as a result, face-up size is sacrificed).
Those four corners are considered ‘weak points’ in the diamond. While diamonds are naturally very hard and durable, it’s not impossible for them to be chipped or broken. Most jewelers would recommend placing a prong at each corner to protect the shape. Alternatively, a bezel or halo offer the most robust protection.
The princess cut isn’t the best at hiding color, but a color grade from the Near Colorless range will suffice. Since a white metal like platinum or white gold will accentuate any slight trace of color, go for an G or H grade; yellow or rose gold can afford you a slightly lower color grade, since some of that metal color will be reflected through the stone anyway.
With the fundamentals covered, here’s what you need to know about finding the princess engagement ring of her dreams.
Princess cuts really sing when they’re paired with a more contemporary setting. Since those facets create a unique, icy pattern throughout the diamond’s center, we love the way this cut looks with a platinum setting, particularly a knife edge or split shank. The princess brings so much of its own sparkle – even if it’s always going to fall behind the round brilliant’s light performance – that accent stones are very much optional.
That said, you can’t go wrong with a pavé.
Also, consider the option to get Princess cut melee diamonds channel set in the shank of your ring. If you feel like your heart is pulling you toward the round brilliant, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on the princess altogether. That, or combine two different shapes in a three-stone engagement ring design. The simple silhouette of the princess means it pairs with any shape you can dream of…
As we mentioned above, color isn’t necessarily high on the princess cut’s list of priorities. It’s certainly better at concealing a small amount of color than, say, the cushion cut, but the round brilliant is definitely superior.
Platinum or white gold demand a better color grade, and a princess without any visible color will help achieve that stark, star-like brightness better than virtually any other shape out there. Gold looks incredible with the princess too, but be prepared for some of that yellow or rose color to reflect through the diamond.
A lot of people really value that reflection, so don’t worry about it getting confused with a low-quality diamond.
While the name alone might conjure up images of vine-covered towers, ball gowns, glass slippers and singing birds, the reality is far different. This princess has edge, style, personality and all the makings of a modern classic. Its complex facet pattern makes it a hyper-feminine choice thanks to all the excess fire and brilliance, but it pairs perfectly with a more down-to-earth, polished style.
Whether you’re pairing your ring with a pantsuit, a leather jacket and skinny jeans, a fairycore dress or something a lot more casual, the princess will never look out of place on your finger…and it’ll always turn heads.
We love the princess cut – if that much wasn’t clear by now. It’s the perfect combination of modern and traditional, edge and softness, sparkle and sophistication. More affordable than the round brilliant, edgier (literally) than the cushion, and fierier than the Asscher, the princess is one to bump to the top of your shortlist today.
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