diamond buying guide

Princess Cut Diamond

The princess cut diamond is a sparkling cut, not unlike the round brilliant, but square. The fire and sparkle of the Princess Cut diamond makes it a popular selection for engagement rings.

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Princess Cut Diamond Shape

Jump to Hand-Picked Princess Cut Diamonds

princess cut diamond If you love the fire of the traditional Round Brilliant Cut (the standard diamond engagement ring cut), but want something a little different, you might just fall in love with the icy fire of the square Princess Cut Diamond.

Most square or rectangular cuts just don't live up to the round brilliant for sparkle, but the Princess Cut was designed for getting maximum brilliance from a square cut.

Always ensure that the setting for your princess cut diamond protects the four pointed corners — these are the points most likely to chip (and why most rectangular or square diamond cuts have cropped corners).

Choosing a Princess Cut Diamond

The princess cut diamond is more forgiving of diamond flaws and weaknesses than the less sparkling Emerald Cut Diamond or the Asscher Cut Diamond, so we provided two sets of "minimums" -- one giving more weight to quality and one giving more weight to budget.

Our minimum recommendations for buying princess cut diamonds are as follows (please remember these recommendations are opinion only, and your tastes may vary):

  • Cut: Good
  • Color: H
  • Clarity: SI1
  • Depth Percentage: 58-77%
  • Table: 58-77%
Now if you're on a tight budget, you can still find a nice stone going with these minimums:
  • Cut: Good
  • Color: I
  • Clarity: SI2
  • Depth Percentage: 56-84%
  • Table: 53-85%
Could you purchase cheaper princess cut diamonds by going below these minimums? Absolutely. But we don't recommend it — at some point, one must consider the beauty of the stone, not simply the cost.

Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Ring

While not the traditional selection, princess cut diamonds are a very popular selection for a stunning engagement rings (either as a solitaire or with accent stones).

princess cut diamond engagement rings Princess cut diamonds do require four-pronged settings (as pictured). Make sure to keep that in mind when making your selection.

Hand-Selected Princess Cut Diamonds

princess cut diamond rings To give you some ideas of what's available for a princess cut diamond ring, we've preselected a range of certified princess cut diamonds for you to examine (all from James Allen and Blue Nile, two premiere diamond stores). Except for the "Bargain Basement" selections, these diamonds are within our minimum requirements as listed above and are suitable for solitaire settings or settings with accent stones.


*PLEASE NOTE: All "Bargain Basement" diamonds fall below our minimum specification standards in one or more categories.

Where to buy Princess Cut Diamonds

Any reputable dealer who sells loose diamonds will have a good selection of cuts, including the princess cut. For online purchase, we recommend




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