When it comes to diamonds for engagement rings, there are two clear favorites in the jewelry industry. First is the round brilliant diamond, and second is the very elegant princess cut. Many customers would probably be surprised to know that while one of the most popular, the princess cut is also one of the newest.
This cut isn’t exclusively for engagement rings, either. The princess cut is a great diamond for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets as well. We’re going to dive into the history of this cut and what makes it so desirable for jewelry of all types.
The History of the Princess Cut Diamond
Most jewelry experts agree – the princess cut diamond found its roots back in the early 1960’s. A cutter in England named Arpad Nagy created the “profile” cut in 1961. This cut was commonly referred to as the princess cut at the time, and the name became the standard years later.
The Barion cut was originally created and patented by Basil Watermeyer, which was similar to the princess/profile. While the diamond shape was ideal, it was also extremely difficult to create. The symmetrical lines used for the Barion were challenging for diamond cutters to make consistently.
A similar cut named the Quintrillion was produced as an alternative to the Barion. It gained some popularity due to its use of 49 facets compared to the 80 facets of the Barion.
Less Rough Waste
One of the remarkable characteristics for the princess cut (other than its sparkle and fire) is the amount of rough stone that it utilizes. A typical princess cut diamond uses up to 80% of the rough stone, which helps keep the cut priced lower than other lower percentage cuts. In general, a princess cut diamond will cost less than a comparable round brilliant.
The Shape
Most would probably describe the princess cut as a square diamond with clean corners. However, the shape of the cut is actually closer to an inverted pyramid. The cut utilizes 58 facets, which gives the princess diamond a good deal of shine.
A princess cut diamond won’t have quite the fire and brilliance as a similar round brilliant stone, but it still has plenty! If you are considering an alternative to the round brilliant that has the same type of quality look, the princess cut stone would be a great decision.
As mentioned above, this cut works well in both solitaire or multi-stone engagement rings, stud earrings, tennis bracelets, necklaces, and more.
Are you considering an engagement ring with a princess cut diamond? At Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers, we have the ability to take any diamond from our inventory and create a completely custom ring around it. If you’d like to learn more about our custom process, you can find more information here. You can also use this link to browse through our custom ring gallery.
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