Princess cut diamonds. The very words seem to bring to mind images of exclusivity with just a dash of romance. This popular cut is one of the most versatile shapes in the diamond sector. Why? Because they lend themselves so beautifully to different styles of jewellery, of course! Be it solitaire wedding rings or three-stone engagement ones, princess cut diamonds are, more often than not, the choice of many.
Conventionally, princess cut diamonds have a neat square cut, with all the four sides being equal in length. In some cases though, princess cut diamonds can be rectangular in shape, although it’s pretty tough to tell! It’s all down to your preference. But rectangular princess cut diamonds tend to be priced lower than the square-shaped ones.
A Brief History
Plenty of people trace the origins of the princess cut back to the year 1971. They believe that at this time, a new diamond shape was patented by a person the name of Basil Watermeyer. Apparently, achieving this precise cut was a difficult task, since each line had to be symmetrical in every way.
However, a great number of people believe that the origins of this cut go back even further in time. In London, 1961, a diamond cutter named Arpad Nagy came up with a certain ‘profile cut’. However, he often called it the princess cut. It was only many years later that other prominent personalities made this ‘princess cut’ so popular.
Evaluating the princess cut diamond
COLOUR
When it comes to evaluating colour in a princess cut diamond, it’s pretty subjective. Historically, diamond buyers have swung between opting for G-H diamonds and D-F diamonds, the first with its warm hues and the second, with its sheer colourlessness. But the true differences in the colour of the diamond are not easy to tell.
CUT
Unlike the case with round cut diamonds, the GIA does not completely grade a princess cut diamond. It only grades them on the basis of Polish and Symmetry. That’s exactly why it’s not so easy to figure out the quality of the cut of your princess cut diamond. There is no common ground when it comes to the exact proportions of a princess cut. This is because princess cut diamonds are cut in keeping with the shape of the (diamond) rough, instead of the other way round.
CLARITY
Just like it is with evaluating the colour of the diamond, evaluating its clarity is also a subjective process. Your own opinions and preferences do come into the picture when it comes to setting personal standards to evaluate the clarity of the diamond. While some buyers are alright with inclusions that aren’t easily visible, there are others who prefer their princess cut diamonds to be flawless.
A princess cut diamond is exceptionally brilliant. And so, inclusions are not easily visible, especially to the naked eye. However, you could always keep an eye out for inclusions in the corners of such princess cut diamonds. If there are inclusions in these areas, the edges of the diamond are said to be weaker and prone to breakage.
From their absolute brilliance to their ability to woo women the world over, princess cut diamonds are undoubtedly one of the most stunning shapes in the market. So, if you’re considering investing in princess cut diamonds or toying with the idea of having one in your engagement ring, you now know what to do!
Uniglo Diamonds offers up a selection of beautiful diamonds in different shapes.