Distinctive Features Of Princess Cut Engagement Rings
2017-12-06

Choosing an engagement ring can be a daunting task for any man or woman. However, it gets a little bit easier when you know the specific type of cut that you are looking for. There are different types of cuts ranging from the emerald cut, round, pear, cushion, and princess cut among others. All these cuts come with their distinctive features that make each one of them different from the other types. In this article, we will feature the princess cut engagement ring.

A princess cut engagement ring is a square or a rectangle shaped ring that offers excellent fire and brilliance that matches that of a round cut ring. It is the second most popular ring in the market after round cut rings due to its attention-grabbing sparkle and the pocket-friendly cost. A princess engagement ring is quite modern since it dates back to the 1970’s unlike some cuts like a cushion, which are more than a century old. However, it has managed to grow into one of the more popular cuts in the market despite being in the market for less than four decades. Some of the distinctive features of princess cut engagement rings include:

Shape and Size

The princess cut diamonds feature a square or rectangular top that tapers down to a bottom, resembling the shape of an inverted pyramid with sloping sides. The length to width ratio of the square princess cut stands at 1.05:1 while that of a rectangular cut in most rings does not exceed a ratio of 1.25:1. The facets in a princess cut diamond range from 53 to 144 depending on how the pavilion (underside) is cut and the shape of the princess cut. However, you will find most princess cuts in 58 or 76 facets. Most princess cut rings are symmetrical in shape with the faceting and the shape of each side mirroring the other opposite side.

A Brilliant Sparkle

A princess cut engagement ring is renowned for its attention-grabbing sparkle and fire that doesn’t match most cuts. The brilliance that this diamond cut offers will always make you overlook other flaws in this cut such as colour grading and clarity.

Colour

A princess cut diamond has an exceptional brilliance, which compliments most colours that you choose. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the colour ratings since even the poor colours will look amazing in a princess cut. You can never go wrong with H, and I Colour Diamond because they provide a great balance between colour and value.  Colours D and E are very expensive, but they don’t offer any different visual appeal from the other colours that are slightly lower in the grading system.

Cut

There are no universally agreed on parameters of a perfect princess cut engagement ring. However, you can quickly identify high cut quality on a princess cut diamond by following some of these settings:

• Diamond has a balanced contrasts of the light and dark patterns on the table and facet.
• The cut is neither too thin or thick
• Has a table (total flat area at the top of the stone) ratio of at least 56% and above while the total depth should either fall at 58% or above that. 
• Has an excellent polish grade

Clarity

This includes the various inclusions and flaws you will find in a diamond. You cannot see most flaws with the naked eye, but there will always be a few on each diamond cut that you settle for. However, a princess cut engagement ring has few flaws which are not hard to identify. A VS2 or SI1 is the best choice for a princess cut.

Carats

There is always your preferred carat size when you are buying a princess cut diamond. These diamond cuts appear larger on the hand than rounded ones with similar carat size. However, a princess cut engagement ring is usually smaller than a round one with a similar carat weight. Therefore, you can always choose a bigger size or a smaller one depending on your preference and budget.

Different Styles

There are so many styles to choose from while buying princess cut engagement rings. Some of the settings that you can get include solitaire, the romantic halo, split shank, pave, three-stone princess cut rings, and the bezel engagement ring among others.  There are other types of settings in the diamond stores, but these are the most popular ones among most Singaporeans.

Princess cut engagement rings are a favourite for most people due to their excellent sparkle and fair prices. Sometimes, the prices of a princess cut diamond are 25-50% lower than the round cut rings, hence a good choice if you are working on a tight budget. The rings are susceptible to breakage on the corners but going for a bezel setting or placing v-shaped prongs at the edges can help protect your diamond against damage. Therefore, if you intend to propose to your future bride this holiday season, a princess cut engagement ring makes a perfect choice for you.