Princess Cut Engagement Rings

The storied history of the princess cut diamond ring and the generations of women who have worn them only add to the charm of this classic engagement ring style. When it comes to the most popular cuts, the princess is actually the second most popular shape of all time, behind only the quintessential cut: the round brilliant. In fact, the princess cut is sometimes referred to as the square modified brilliant.

Despite its popularity, the cut is relatively new in the world of diamonds, having only been created in the 1960s. It's a modification of the historical French cut but instead has a "double French" crown as well as the distinguished features that truly set it apart: a series of unique chevron facets in the diamond's body, or pavilion, which give the whole piece its characteristic cross-shaped reflection in the middle.

The amount of chevrons cut into the diamond can give it a variety of distinct looks. For example, the more chevrons made, the more the diamond has a "crushed ice" effect.

The princess cut is commonly used in the center diamond but is also used on the other diamonds in a ring as well.

Another benefit of the princess cut is that diamonds cut in this fashion tend to be more affordable than a round brilliant of the same carat weight. This is due to a difference in the amount of "rough" diamond retention in the cut, as a princess retains around 80 percent of the rough diamond, while the round brilliant retains only 50 percent.

But don't let these numbers mislead you: The princess cut is definitely not for paupers and has been the choice of many high-profile brides. For example, The View's Sherri Shepherd rocked a 3 carat, princess cut engagement ring for her marriage to Lamar Sally in 2011. Jaime Pressly was adorned with an incredible three-stone halo ring with a massive princess cut center stone for her marriage to Simran Singh in 2009. For her marriage to Al Reynolds in 2004, Star Jones flashed a 7 carat princess cut diamond surrounded by round French set and baguette diamonds in a rich, platinum band.

If the princess cut engagement ring style is your choice, you are definitely in good company! And even within the princess cut diamond category, we have dozens of settings in both modern and classic styles. Shop with Barkev’s and find the perfect engagement ring style for the princess in your life!