The princess cut is one of the most popular cuts among all fancy diamond cuts and was created by Israel Itzkowitz and Betzalel Ambar in 1980. This cut is especially popular in engagement rings and is a great choice owing to its flexibility in matching with any style and setting of engagement or wedding rings.
A plus point of princess cut diamonds is that they have a lower price per carat when compared to the round cut diamonds. The reason being the four sided pyramid shape of these diamonds is similar to a half of the octahedron stone from which the diamond is cut. This allows two equally sized princess cut diamonds to be cut from a single rough stone with very little wastage. Almost sixty percent of the weight of the rough stone can be retained after cutting the diamond from the stone. The greater yield or efficiency allows diamond manufacturers to offer princess cut diamonds at a relatively lower price.
The crown surface area of a princess cut diamond is about ten percent less when compared to a round diamond of same weight. However, the corner-to-corner measurement of a princess cut diamond will be about 15% more than the diameter of a round diamond of the same weight, in turn offering the stone the illusion of an increased size.
Traditionally, the princess cut is a square cut, meaning that the four sides of the diamond will be of equal length. However, you can also find many princess cut diamonds that are rectangular in shape. Note that the more rectangular a princess cut diamond is, the lower will be its price. This is the reason why many buyers prefer rectangular princess cut diamonds.
According to experts, the length-to-width ratio of 1.05 or less will seem square to the naked eye. Yet if the princess cut diamond is set with some side diamonds, the length-to-width ratio of 1.05 to 1.08 will also look square, as the side diamonds will offer the illusion of increased width to the center stone.
Prongs should always be used to set princess cut diamonds to protect the four corners of the stone, as they could get chipped without proper protection. As these corners were once located near to the outer edge of the rough stone from which the diamond was cut, flaws like extra facets, intended naturals, and many other inclusions might be present here. When prongs are used to set the diamond, the corners will be covered and the flaws will be hidden.
