Princess vs Round Cut Diamonds – What Are the Differences?

Which is better? The princess cut or round cut diamond?

When it comes to diamond engagement rings, the round cut and princess cut are the 2 most popular shapes because of their superior sparkle and brilliance. But what are the differences between a princess cut and round cut diamond?

Which one is the right shape for you? How do you choose between a round diamond ring and a princess cut diamond ring?

If you are undecided between the 2 shapes, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of each shape and focus on the most important factors to help you make a choice between them.

Ready? Let’s get right into it!

Overview of the Round Brilliant Cut Diamond

Feel free to click on the images to view details of the rings…

Designed in 1919, the modern day round brilliant cut has 57 facets and is renowned for its fire and scintillation. Today, it accounts for more than 60% of the diamonds sold worldwide and offers a timeless appearance for engagement rings.

With their better sparkle and brilliance, round diamonds tend to be more forgiving of clarity flaws and color tints. The rounded outline also makes them very versatile for many different types of ring styles and designs.

Overview of the Princess Cut Diamond

Feel free to click on the images to view details of the rings…

The princess cut, also known as the square modified brilliant cut, is ideal for people who love symmetrical and geometrical outlines. It is the 2nd most popular diamond shape after the round brilliant cut and accounts for more than 15% of the diamonds sold.

Among the fancy shape diamonds, the princess cut diamond stands in terms of having the best performance and sparkle. With a modern and trendy appearance, princess cut diamonds have gained popularity in contemporary ring designs.

Round Cut vs Princess Cut: Brilliance and Sparkle

Both the round and princess cut diamonds are designed to maximize brilliance and sparkle when they are cut well. In fact, the princess cut is the most brilliant of all the fancy shapes.

However, when it comes to the crunch, the round diamond outperforms the princess in terms of brilliance and sparkle. This is due to light physics and is inherent of the cutting styles.

As a benchmark, I’ve made a comparison of a round cut vs princess cut diamond ring in the video below. Make sure you watch the full-length video to see how they look like in real life and when they are worn on a finger.

A truly well cut round diamond has the ability to reflect more than 90% of the light entering it and this gives a well cut diamond its bright, scintillating appearance. In contrast, the best cut princess diamond would only be able to return 70% of the light entering it.

So, if you are looking for a diamond with the best sparkle, you might want to choose a round shape instead of a princess cut diamond.

Both beautifully crafted rings you see in the video above are made by James Allen. If you want a high-quality engagement ring at great prices, make sure you check them out for yourself!

Princess Cut vs Round Cut: Which is More Expensive?

When it comes to prices, princess cut diamonds typically cost less per carat compared to round diamonds. This is because a princess cut diamond utilizes a rough diamond more efficiently during the polishing process.

You see, the princess cut diamond has a squarish outline that closely mimics the shape of a rough diamond. This allows the polished stone to retain more of its original weight. On the other hand, round cut diamonds typically require the removal of a lot more weight from the rough stone.

Round vs princess cut diamond price comparison chart.

As you can see from the price comparison chart above, a princess cut diamond could be 20% to 35% cheaper than a round cut diamond. The price differences would widen even more at larger carat sizes and higher tier color/clarity grades.

While princess cut diamonds are cheaper, they have smaller face up sizes compared to a round diamond with similar carat weight. For example, a 1ct princess cut is 5mm x 5mm in dimensions while a 1 ct round cut is 6.5mm x 6.5mm in diameter.

Princess Cut Diamond vs. Round Cut Diamond: Which One is Better?

Both princess and round cut diamonds have different value propositions to offer.

Due to their linear appearances (square-like), princess cut diamonds are suitable for more complex ring designs like channel and 3 stone settings. On top of that, they are also more affordable compared to the round cuts.

On the other hand, round diamonds are classic and evergreen choices for engagement rings. They offer unparalleled light performance when cut well and can complement most types of hand shapes.

At the end of the day, the personal taste of the recipient should help you decide which shape to choose. With that, I hope you had gained useful insights in this write up.

Now, I want to hear from you. Which diamond shape do you prefer? The princess cut or the round cut? Leave a comment below to let me know what your thoughts are.

Whether you prefer a princess cut or a round cut diamond, the key to selecting a beautiful diamond is to buy one that is cut for light performance. James Allen and White Flash are 2 vendors I highly recommend for diamonds that are cut with the best brilliance and sparkle.

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