Princess Cut Diamonds

Diamonds are perhaps the most popular of all precious gemstones. Diamond embedded jewellery such as diamond necklaces and pendants, diamond bracelets, diamonds rings and diamond earrings are considered to be extravagant and luxurious, sentimental and intimate.

Nowadays, diamond manufacturers are looking for new and innovative ways in which to design diamond jewellery which will be timelessly elegant, as well as current and hip, jewellery which will be in keeping with the modern diamond markets. As such, more and more diamond producers are experimenting with unusual and unique diamond cuts such as the round cut diamonds, princess cut diamonds, radiant cut diamonds pear or tear-drop shape, heart-shape cut, radiant shape and Escher shape cut.

Now what is diamond cut? Diamond cut refers to the aesthetic, symmetry and proportion of the precious gemstone. The diamond's unique anatomy (its pavilion, crown, girdle, table and cutlet) and the way in which it is cut and faceted directly affects the manner in which light travels within the diamond's structure and how it will be reflected back to the eye of the beholder. If done properly, a diamond's cut maximizes the precious gemstone's natural beauty and brilliance by emphasizing the diamond's best qualities and attributes. Diamond cut is one of the most important factors considered when determining the value of a diamond. The GIA grades diamonds as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Excellent diamond cuts are exceedingly rare and valuable. As such, jewellery set with diamonds of this particular grade is highly sought after and is considered to be extremely luxurious.

When it comes to cut, princess cut diamonds can be quite problematic.  This is because the GIA, the most widely trusted gemological laboratory, only grades round brilliants and does not grade any other fancy cut diamond including princess cuts. The GIA only grades the polish and symmetry of a princess cut, meaning that table and depth percentages for ideal princess cuts that you find on the web are really only recommendations or guidelines. There are no internationally accepted cut standards for princess cut diamonds in the diamond industry. 

Princess cut diamonds are the most popular diamond shape, second only to the Round Brilliant in today’s market. Today the cut is frequently referred to as a “square modified brilliant” on most diamond lab reports. The Princess cut is a relatively young shape, introduced to the market in the 1970s and patented as the “Quadrillion” diamond. The demand for the princess cut diamond grew quickly, being a clean and modern cut that offers nearly the same brilliance as the popular round brilliant.