Princess cut
Encyclopedia
The Princess cut is the second most popular cut
shape for diamond
s, next to a round brilliant. The face-up shape of the princess cut is square
or rectangular and the profile or side-on shape is similar to that of an inverted pyramid
with four beveled sides. The princess cut is a relatively new diamond cut, having been created in the 1960s. It has gained in popularity in recent years as a more distinctive alternative to the more popular round brilliant cut
, in which the top of diamond, called the crown, is cut with a round face-up shape and the bottom, called the pavilion, is shaped similar to a cone
. A princess cut with the same width as the diameter of a round brilliant will weigh more as it has four corners which would otherwise have been cut off and rounded to form a round brilliant. The princess cut is sometimes referred to as a square modified brilliant. However, while displaying the same high degree of brilliance, its faceting style is quite unique and completely different from that of a round brilliant. The Princess cut had its origins in the early "French" cut, having a step-modified "Double-French" or "Cross" cut crown and a series of unique, chevron-shaped facets in the pavilion which combine to give a distinct cross-shaped reflection when the stone is viewed directly through the table. Effectively, the Princess cut combines the high degree of light return of a round brilliant cut with a distinctive square or rectangular shape.
The square princess cut diamond is usually slightly cheaper than round brilliant cut diamonds of the same carat weight because it retains about 80% of the rough diamond, as opposed to the round brilliant which retains only about 50% of the rough. The ability to retain more crystal weight makes this shape popular amongst diamond cutters.
Accredited Gem Appraisers (AGA) and American Gem Society
Laboratory (AGSL) and European Gem Laboratories-USA (EGL-USA) are currently the only labs that grade the Princess cut for cut. There is no universal definition of what measurements make an ideal princess cut diamond and many diamond manufacturers market ideal diamonds with differing facet patterns and angles as "ideal cut". In contrast to the AGSL, AGA, and EGL-USA the Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) has stated that there is not enough industry consensus or empirical data to specify cut grading standards for Princess cut diamonds and to do so is at the risk of consumers who may be deceived by diamonds accompanied by unqualified Ideal or Excellent cut grades.
The name "Princess Cut" was originally used in connection with another diamond cut, otherwise known as the "Profile" cut, designed by Arpad Nagy a London cutter in 1961. The same name was later used and made popular by Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar, and Israel Itzkowitz in Israel in 1979. A similar cut with only 49 facets, as opposed to the original 58 facets of the princess cut, was later branded the "Quadrillion" and initially distributed by Ambar Diamonds in Los Angeles. Three years of optical research yielded a square stone with faceting similar to that of a round brilliant cut diamond.
Diamond cut
A diamond cut is a style or design guide used when shaping a diamond for polishing such as the brilliant cut. Cut does not refer to shape , but the symmetry, proportioning and polish of a diamond...
shape for diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s, next to a round brilliant. The face-up shape of the princess cut is square
Square (geometry)
In geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral. This means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles...
or rectangular and the profile or side-on shape is similar to that of an inverted pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
with four beveled sides. The princess cut is a relatively new diamond cut, having been created in the 1960s. It has gained in popularity in recent years as a more distinctive alternative to the more popular round brilliant cut
Brilliant (diamond cut)
A brilliant is a diamond or other gemstone, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have exceptional brilliance. The shape resembles that of a cone and provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond....
, in which the top of diamond, called the crown, is cut with a round face-up shape and the bottom, called the pavilion, is shaped similar to a cone
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
. A princess cut with the same width as the diameter of a round brilliant will weigh more as it has four corners which would otherwise have been cut off and rounded to form a round brilliant. The princess cut is sometimes referred to as a square modified brilliant. However, while displaying the same high degree of brilliance, its faceting style is quite unique and completely different from that of a round brilliant. The Princess cut had its origins in the early "French" cut, having a step-modified "Double-French" or "Cross" cut crown and a series of unique, chevron-shaped facets in the pavilion which combine to give a distinct cross-shaped reflection when the stone is viewed directly through the table. Effectively, the Princess cut combines the high degree of light return of a round brilliant cut with a distinctive square or rectangular shape.
The square princess cut diamond is usually slightly cheaper than round brilliant cut diamonds of the same carat weight because it retains about 80% of the rough diamond, as opposed to the round brilliant which retains only about 50% of the rough. The ability to retain more crystal weight makes this shape popular amongst diamond cutters.
Accredited Gem Appraisers (AGA) and American Gem Society
American Gem Society
The American Gem Society is a trade association of retail jewelers, independent appraisers, suppliers, and selective industry members, which was founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley, who also founded the...
Laboratory (AGSL) and European Gem Laboratories-USA (EGL-USA) are currently the only labs that grade the Princess cut for cut. There is no universal definition of what measurements make an ideal princess cut diamond and many diamond manufacturers market ideal diamonds with differing facet patterns and angles as "ideal cut". In contrast to the AGSL, AGA, and EGL-USA the Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Institute of America
The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, is a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect all buyers and sellers of gemstones by setting and maintaining the standards used to evaluate...
(GIA) has stated that there is not enough industry consensus or empirical data to specify cut grading standards for Princess cut diamonds and to do so is at the risk of consumers who may be deceived by diamonds accompanied by unqualified Ideal or Excellent cut grades.
The name "Princess Cut" was originally used in connection with another diamond cut, otherwise known as the "Profile" cut, designed by Arpad Nagy a London cutter in 1961. The same name was later used and made popular by Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar, and Israel Itzkowitz in Israel in 1979. A similar cut with only 49 facets, as opposed to the original 58 facets of the princess cut, was later branded the "Quadrillion" and initially distributed by Ambar Diamonds in Los Angeles. Three years of optical research yielded a square stone with faceting similar to that of a round brilliant cut diamond.