The princess cut ring has had a long standing career as the second most popular cut for diamond engagement rings. The cut itself used for princess cut rings was perfected nearly thirty years ago and combines the brilliance of a round brilliant cut stone with the unique symmetry of an emerald cut. Since then, the stunning square stones of princess cut rings have revolutionized the jewellery market. Aside from just their appearance, princess cut rings also offer several benefits on a technical level as well.
One of the most important benefits of selecting a princess cut ring is the fact that the stone itself was created using up to eighty percent of the original rough diamond. For round and oval cut rings, an average of fifty percent of the rough diamond is cut away to create the finished stone. For example, a ten carat rough diamond cut for a princess cut ring would yield an eight carat finished stone. A round cut ring created from the same size rough diamond would yield a five carat stone. This not only allows for a lower per carat price, as well as a larger potential finished stone.
Interestingly enough, the American Gem Society released a set of standards for princess cut rings in 2005, making the princess cut the very first fancy cut diamond to receive rating credentials. The new rating scale, however, called for a much higher waste percentage from the rough stone, decreasing the average size of a princess cut ring made from a ten carat rough stone from eight carats to as low as six carats. Because of this fact, even today, most diamond cutters and jewellers continue to finish the diamonds the same way they did in the past, opting for larger stones with less waste than a princess cut ring with accompanying cut rating.
Visually, princess cut rings present an air of royalty. The princess cut ring is the ideal type for use with three stone ring and eternity ring designs. Princess cut rings, particularly engagement rings, are also most common bearing 76 facets and utilizing a prong type setting. This is typically found in solitaire engagement rings utilizing the basic design of a princess cut ring.