Princess Cut vs Round Cut Diamond: Which One Should Choose?

Now that you've found the perfect partner to spend your life with, it's time to choose the perfect engagement ring. But with so many styles to choose from, how do you decide which one is the best? This guide will analyze the pros and cons of two of the most popular diamond shapes: Princess Cut vs Round Cut Diamond.

Princess Cut Diamonds

The popularity of princess cut diamonds is second only to that of round diamonds. This modern style resembles an inverted pyramid, with a square or rectangular base and beveled edges. It is one of the newer diamond shapes, invented by London diamond cutter Arpad Nagy in 1961. He initially called it the "profile cut," and after several modifications, it evolved into its current form around 1980.

Princess cut diamonds have 58 facets, making them more brilliant than most other cuts. Additionally, only 20% of the rough diamond is wasted during cutting, making them more economical than other shapes. Sometimes you might hear the princess cut referred to as the "square modified brilliant cut" because it combines the brilliance of square and round cuts.

Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds

Round brilliant cut diamonds are by far the most popular diamond shape for engagement rings. This classic shape has existed since the 17th century, although advances in technology over the centuries have resulted in a more precise and symmetrical round brilliant cut.

Like princess cut diamonds, round brilliant cut diamonds also have 58 facets, with 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. These facets allow light to enter and refract from all angles, giving the diamond exceptional sparkle and brilliance. While round brilliant cut diamonds are more brilliant than princess cut diamonds, their beauty comes at a cost. Up to 60% of the rough diamond is wasted during the cutting process, making them the most expensive diamond cut.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Color

When people talk about the color of a diamond, they are actually referring to the diamond's lack of color. This is because the higher the quality of the diamond, the clearer it is. The purer the diamond, the more it reflects color, enhancing its brightness and brilliance. Buy the clearest diamond you can afford.

However, it is worth noting that clear diamonds are hard to come by, as reflected in their higher prices. Lower quality diamonds have yellow or brown tints—the more noticeable the color, the less light they reflect and the lower their quality. Of course, if you are deliberately buying colored diamonds, it's a different matter. In such cases, colored diamonds, especially red and blue, can be much more expensive than the most perfect colorless diamonds.

Since round cut diamonds reflect more light than princess cut diamonds, they are better at hiding color. If you can't find a diamond as clear as you'd like, round cut gems are a better choice.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Brilliance and Sparkle

Both princess cut and round cut diamonds are extremely brilliant, reflecting more light than other cuts. Each has 58 facets, which are the surfaces on the diamond that receive, refract, and reflect light. The more facets a diamond has, the greater its brilliance and sparkle.

Although they are very similar, the subtle differences between round and princess cuts do make a difference. Round brilliant cut diamonds can reflect over 90% of light, while princess cut diamonds reflect only 70%. Princess cut diamonds perform admirably, but round cut gems win this comparison.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Price and Value

You may not be surprised to find that the most popular diamond cut, the round cut, is also the most expensive. There are several reasons for this.

Round Cut Diamonds Require More Raw Material

As mentioned earlier, more than half of the rough diamond is wasted when cutting a round brilliant cut diamond. This drives up the price because more raw material is needed to produce an average-sized diamond, and these costs are factored into the overall value of the diamond.

Round Cut Diamonds Have Higher Demand

Since round cut diamonds are the most popular for engagement rings and other jewelry, they are in high demand. You probably already know that high demand is always reflected in higher market values, thus leading to higher prices. The stunning brilliance of round cut diamonds makes them worth the extra investment for many people.

How About the Price of Princess Cut Diamonds?

Princess cut diamonds are always cheaper than equivalent round diamonds, making them a better choice for those on a budget. If you are looking for a more affordable option, choose rectangular or irregular shapes, as they cost less than perfect squares. This is for the same reason as round cut diamonds—reshaping the diamond into a perfect square wastes more material than keeping it irregular.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Clarity

The color of a diamond refers to whether it is clear or colored, while "clarity" refers to whether the diamond has any flaws.

• Inclusions: Internal flaws
• Blemishes: External defects

Like color, brilliant round cut diamonds are better at hiding or disguising inclusions and blemishes due to light reflection and refraction. Nonetheless, princess cut diamonds also perform very well in this regard. Of course, flawless diamonds are much more expensive than those with flaws. The clarity of a diamond is graded according to the following factors, using the GIA clarity grading scale, which includes 11 grades. Note that these grades are determined by skilled graders using 10x magnification.

• Flawless (FL): No visible inclusions or blemishes
• Internally Flawless (IF): No inclusions, only visible blemishes
• Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2): Inclusions are barely visible
• Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2): Minor inclusions, harder or easier to see
• Slightly Blemished (SI1 and SI2): Noticeable inclusions
• Included (I1, I2, and I3): Obvious inclusions that may affect transparency and brilliance

When comparing clarity, the general rule of thumb is the smaller the gem, the more noticeable the flaws. Therefore, if your gem is one carat or less, it is best to choose a flawless or nearly flawless gem.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Which Looks Bigger and Better?

Mathematically speaking, if you measure the surface area of a round cut diamond, it will be larger than a princess cut diamond. However, visual illusion is a tricky thing, and our eyes often deceive us. The table (top surface) of a princess cut diamond is larger than that of a round cut diamond, making it appear larger to the naked eye. Another thing to note is that because princess cut diamonds are less expensive, you can use the price difference to buy a larger princess cut diamond. If you want to impress with size, a princess cut diamond is undoubtedly the best choice.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Durability and Your Lifestyle

It's normal to worry about style and cost when choosing a diamond engagement ring, but another important factor to consider is the wearer's lifestyle. Because princess cut diamonds have sharp corners, they are more likely to snag on objects and can be uncomfortable for people who use their hands a lot. Therefore, if a person's profession or lifestyle is very active, you might consider choosing a round diamond. At the very least, consider setting the diamond in a protective bezel setting that surrounds the gem, rather than using prongs.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Most Popular Settings

You might already have a clear idea of whether a round or princess cut is right for you. Once you've decided on the shape, it's time to consider the setting. There are many setting options to choose from, and you can even opt for custom settings. For now, let's focus on the most popular settings for princess and round cut diamond engagement rings.

Prong Setting

The prong setting is the most popular for both round and princess cut diamonds. It uses four or six prongs to hold the diamond in place. This setting maximizes the diamond's brilliance by allowing light to pass through almost unobstructed. However, prongs can easily snag on hair and clothing, so they are not ideal for an active lifestyle.

Bezel Setting

The bezel setting is the second most common for engagement rings, providing full protection for the diamond. This setting offers the most protection and eliminates the risk of snagging but also significantly reduces the amount of light passing through the diamond.

Princess Cut vs Round Cut Diamonds: Which Is Better?

Only you can decide which ring is right for you. While there are many standards and grades to determine quality, a diamond ring must reflect the owner's taste and lifestyle to be truly valuable. When purchasing, consider the cut of the diamond, but also remember that other factors such as size, clarity, and color play a role. Whether you choose the traditional round cut diamond for a classic look or the modern princess cut diamond for a more contemporary style, an elegant engagement ring will never go out of fashion.

Summary and How to Choose the Right One

There's nothing more personal than choosing the right diamond engagement ring. If brilliance and sparkle are important to you, or if you want a timeless ring that will withstand the test of time, choose a brilliant round cut diamond. On the other hand, if you value size over brightness or want a larger gem for the same price, the princess cut diamond is what you need.

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