• Sparkly User Guide
• The Four Cs
• Shapes
1. Round
2. Princess
3. Emerald
4. Cushion
5. Marquise
6. Radiant
7. Oval
8. Pear
9. Heart
10. Asscher
• Certification
• Settings
• Wedding Band Styles
• Metal Colors
Princess
Princess cuts are THE choice cut for princesses such as Diana…. wait no…Kate… um…Meghan Markle…um no. Ok, well it’s true there aren’t a lot of princesses with a princess cut, but this relatively new cut (which became popular around the ’60s) is now a classic cut that is certainly fit for a princess.
(See Princess Diamonds on JamesAllen.com)
A diamond cutter turning a rough diamond into a princess cut can be cost-effective for the diamond cutter AND the diamond buyer since the square shape of a princess cut doesn’t waste as much of the rough diamond as cutting it into a round. As a result, they can cut the same stone into a larger princess stone, getting them a comparable price to a smaller round stone.
You can use this to your advantage because 1. You get a bit more carat for your buck because less of the rough diamond is wasted. 2. It’s also cheaper from not being as in-demand as round stones.
If you’re thinking princess, one of the first things you should start to establish is what type of princess cut is right for you. Do you want a perfect 1:1 ratio? Something slightly rectangular? And how many chevrons do you want in the stone? Don’t know what chevrons are? We shall explain: Think of chevrons as steps on the side of the diamond, which causes light to bounce around for maximum sparkle. Princess cuts are unique in that you can choose the number of steps aka chevrons, which affects the way the stone looks.
Less chevrons equals chunkier reflections of light. As you add more chevrons, the light becomes more scattered (similar to radiant/modified brilliant cushions) and can exhibit more of the crushed ice look. Just like the difference in cushion cuts, you should just decide which look speaks most to you.
In terms of specs, a princess cut with a ratio of 1:1 is ideal. The perfect square shape allows light to reflect in way that turns up the sparkle. Since this is a brilliant stone, the reflected light will help hide inclusions, so feel free to go as low as SI1 for Princess cuts. The cut will also make a tinted stone appear more colorless, so you can safely go down to H (or even lower if the diamond isn’t especially large).
Unfortunately, most diamond graders (such as GIA) do not give princess stones a cut score, so you really need to rely on a jeweler to select a good stone, or have pictures you are happy with when buying online.