All About Princess Cut Diamonds
Princess cut diamonds are one of the most unique and distinctive shapes of diamonds regularly available. Their angular edges belie a playful interior with kaleidoscopic scintillation. Maybe that's why celebrities such as Kate Bosworth, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Hilary Duff all wear them. However, they are not an easy diamond to pick out, especially for a first-time stone. In this Michael Gabriels article we’ll go over what you need to know to get the Princess cut diamond that’s perfect for you!
Are You Looking For Something Special?
Are you looking for a diamond with an exuberant personality? A diamond with a little more edge, but a great deal of warmth and a playful tone? Something that really pops?
In 1981, the first Princess modern cut diamonds were developed by Betzalel Ambar and Israel Itskowitz, based on several years of development by many diamond cutters across the globe.
One of the newer shapes in jewelers' arsenals, they have skyrocketed in popularity. Princess cut diamond engagement rings, princess cut diamond necklaces and princess cut diamond tennis bracelets are consistently fashionable and timeless, a true modern classic.
Join us, in this Michael Gabriels blog, where we will go over all the basics on choosing a Princess cut diamond.
What are Princess Cut diamonds? Why do you want a Princess Cut diamond?
When you walk into a jewelers showroom, and the light glints off the many diamonds and sparkles in your eyes, which one will you most likely notice first?
Money on the shine of a princess cut diamond might well be worth spending, because it is one of the most expressive of all cuts. Its scintillating dazzle shines more explosively bright due to the unique nature of its facet structure design.
Defined by GIA as “Square Modified Brilliants,” they can actually be rectangular or tapered, though a perfect or near perfect square or rectangle is most popular. Generally they appear like an upside down pyramid with a slightly beveled base.
Cut very differently from the design of many of their fellow brilliant cut stones, they are no less expressive. In fact they are one of the most scintillating of the brilliant cuts and have an extra degree of warmth in the way they share their light.
They are often less expensive than round brilliant stones because of a more efficient use of the original rough diamond. This is especially true for Lab-grown Princess cut diamonds.
Chemically and structurally the same as mined diamonds, they are grown in labs over the course of weeks following the same process that in nature takes millions of years. It is a more efficient use of the incubator’s available space to produce mostly square rough diamonds, so most rough lab-grown diamonds are grown somewhat square. Come time for cutting and polishing, much less is lost in the process of making a square princess cut than a round brilliant diamond.
They also have a lot more sparkle than cushion or radiant cuts, and their sharper square features give them added versatility. A solitaire set princess cut diamond engagement ring will present more of the diamond to the viewer from an angle than a round brilliant cut stone because the prongs can exhibit the long square sides of the diamond. The square edges of princess cut diamond earrings will help people with rounder facial features appear with more angular structure and definition.
How to buy a Princess Cut Diamond
Because the number of facets and the faceting arrangements can vary widely between stones, so too the scintillation, fire and brilliance of each stone is unique and quite varied. Moreover, the faceting design can make determining the quality of the cut based on proportions alone a vain task. Ultimately - maybe especially with Princess cuts - you need to see the diamond itself to decide if it's the quality of cut that you desire.
They are “pavilion heavy,” meaning that they carry most of the weight in the bottom, largely unseen portion of the stone, similar to Round Brilliants, and Asschers. As a result they can appear smaller than another stone of equal carat size but different shape.
What to look for in your lab-grown, princess cut diamond report.
At Michael Gabriels we carry the highest quality lab-grown Princess cut diamonds we can find. All of our stones are certified by IGI or GIA, and with each stone we include the report from the agency it was evaluated by.
As we have mentioned, choosing a diamond based on the report alone can be a foolish endeavor. However, the report can help you narrow down the stones you want to see, and help you understand why you love a particular stone so much.
For Excellent to Very Good stones (which, incidentally are all we carry at Michael Gabriels), consider the following as guidelines:
Ratio:1.00-1.02:1
Table %: 62-70
Depth %: 65-75
Gridle: thin to slightly thick
Culet: none
Where Can You Find Princess Cut Diamonds?
Are you ready to pick a princess cut diamond? Do you have any more questions?
Our experts at Michael Gabriels will be more than happy to help you. With more than 100 years of experience through three generations, this family business knows diamonds better than most.
And we love sharing our expertise. While we are happy to show you our selection of lab-grown diamonds and help you select one, we have also made ourselves available to do all the work for you. Simply give us a few basic details, and we pick the very best stone we can find to fit your needs and desires. We’ll show you what we’ve found, and keep searching until you are satisfied.
Then we work with you to create a customized or fully bespoke piece of wearable art utilizing your selected princess cut diamond or diamonds. Then we work with some of the most accomplished and expert craftspeople and artisans here in New York City to make your one of a kind piece of jewelry. When it's ready for you, we wrap it in our special presentation gift box, and can have it ready for you to pick up, or ship it to a location of your choosing in the US or Canada.
Feel free to inquire on our website or visit us on instagram @michaelgabrielsny.