Princess Cut
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The Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Rings style of diamond has since grown in popularity to become the second most sought after diamond shape for diamond engagement rings.
The ‘Princess Cut’ or ‘Square Modified Brilliant Cut’ diamond shape was developed in the 1960’s as an alternative to the hugely popular 'Round Brilliant’ cut. Its unusual square shape presents an interesting alternative to the more traditional round shape. Viewed from above, the princess cut is square in appearance but retains most of the shine of a round brilliant through the careful cutting of its many facets. The princess cut has around 50 facets enabling it to produce such a brilliant shine.
Princess cut diamond engagement rings are a slightly less expensive cut than a round brilliant of the same width. Much less time is needed to cut and polish the stone as more of the rough diamond is retained in the finishing process. In addition, the brilliant shine produced by the cut enables a less perfect stone to be used.
When looking at princess cut engagement rings, it is important to note that the setting protects the corners of the diamond as they are naturally more prone to chipping. Consequently many princess diamonds are set into a ring with prongs at the corners. A channel setting is also commonly used in wedding bands or to accent a central stone.