Princess Cut Engagement Rings

A princess cut is a square brilliant — sharp corners, a deep pavilion, and a great deal of sparkle for the money. GIA's reports describe it as a square modified brilliant, which distinguishes it from square step cuts like the Asscher. It went out of fashion, and it is quietly coming back.

Build a princess cut ring See stones in person

The princess cut in brief

Cut style: Square modified brilliant. Faceted for sparkle rather than for the flat planes of a step cut. GIA is explicit that the number of facets and the arrangement on both crown and pavilion vary widely between cutters, which produces a real range of scintillation between one princess cut and the next — and is why no honest facet count appears here.
Length to width: 1.00 to 1.05 for a square stone. GIA sets a square princess cut at a length-to-width ratio not exceeding 1.05. Above that the stone starts to read as rectangular, which some people want and most do not.
One carat measures: About 5.5 mm across. A useful sanity check — carat is weight, not size, and two stones of the same weight in different shapes cover quite different amounts of finger.

Choosing a princess cut diamond

General four Cs advice is written for round brilliants. Where it differs for this shape, it differs like this.

Clarity is genuinely forgiving

One of the most useful facts about this shape: GIA notes the sharp pointed corners are good at hiding inclusions, so you can take a somewhat lower clarity grade — particularly if the inclusions sit in the corners — and put the money elsewhere.

It faces up smaller

GIA describes a princess cut as being like an upside-down pyramid with much of its weight in the pavilion, so the face-up size can appear smaller than another shape of similar carat weight. It also notes it may look slightly smaller than an Asscher.

Better value per carat

GIA notes princess cuts are more affordable per carat than round brilliants because they preserve more of the original rough crystal.

Pavilion bulge

GIA names this one specifically: if the pavilion slope is too steep it creates a bulge, which makes the stone look dark and adds weight you are paying for without seeing. Worth asking about on any princess cut.

Setting a princess cut

Two separate risks, both solved the same way. The corners need protecting — GIA recommends V-claws, or a rubover for maximum protection. Less well known is the second: a princess cut usually has no culet facet, which leaves the pavilion point susceptible to chipping. A setting that covers both is not optional on this shape.

The wedding ring beside it

Straightforward. Square, straight-edged, and a plain band sits flush. Princess cuts also pair naturally with channel-set bands, where the square stones echo the centre.

All ten shapes compared, with profile, width and whether to solder the pair.

Where the shape comes from

Created in 1981 by Betzalel Ambar and Israel Itskowitz.

Princess cut diamonds, answered

Are princess cut diamonds out of style?

They fell out of favour, and they are coming back. The princess cut dominated the 2000s so thoroughly that it came to date a ring, and buyers moved to ovals and cushions. That is exactly the cycle that makes a shape interesting again — and the underlying value argument never changed: it is more affordable per carat than a round brilliant and it hides inclusions well. If you like it, the fact that fewer people are buying it is an argument in its favour rather than against.

Are princess cut diamonds cheaper than round diamonds?

Per carat, yes. GIA's explanation is that a princess cut preserves more of the original rough crystal than a round brilliant, which discards a great deal of it. Add the fact that you can take a slightly lower clarity grade — the sharp corners hide inclusions well — and the same budget goes noticeably further.

Do princess cut diamonds look smaller?

A little, yes. GIA describes the shape as an upside-down pyramid with much of its weight in the pavilion, so more of the carat weight is below the girdle where you cannot see it. Its face-up size can appear smaller than another shape of similar weight, and slightly smaller than an Asscher.

Do princess cut diamonds chip easily?

The corners are the risk, and there is a second one people rarely mention. Sharp corners can chip against a hard knock, which is why GIA recommends V-claws or a rubover. Less known: a princess cut usually has no culet facet, leaving the pavilion point vulnerable too. Both are entirely solved by setting it properly — which we would do regardless.

What is the difference between a princess cut and a brilliant cut?

A princess cut is a brilliant cut. 'Brilliant' describes the faceting style — many small kite and triangular facets cut for sparkle — not a shape. GIA's grading reports call the princess a square modified brilliant. What people usually mean by 'brilliant cut' is the round brilliant, which is the circular version of the same idea.

Other shapes

Undecided is a perfectly good place to start — come and see several side by side, which is the only way to settle it. Before that, the natural and laboratory-grown comparison and the ring size guide are the two things worth reading.

Sources

Gemmological claims on this page are from the Gemological Institute of America. Where GIA gives no figure — facet counts for most fancy shapes, several length-to-width ratios — we say so rather than repeat a trade convention as fact.