THE ROYAL CHOICE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS

Modern, geometric, and brilliantly fierce: The Princess Cut.

If the Round Brilliant is the queen of radiance, the Princess Cut is her modern, geometric successor. First perfected in the late 1970s, this square modified brilliant cut was designed for the woman who finds traditional rounds too safe, too soft, or too predictable. It is a shape of fierce angles and uncompromised fire.

In 2026, the Princess Cut is experiencing a renaissance. As buyers seek distinctive, architectural lines that maximize sparkles, this cut offers a compelling proposition: it retains nearly all the fire of a round diamond but at a significantly more accessible price point. However, buying a Princess Cut is a minefield of optical pitfalls. Unlike rounds, which have a strict GIA "Cut" grade, Princess cuts do not. This means the market is flooded with poorly cut stones—too deep, off-square, or lacking life.

This guide is your blueprint map. We will strip away the marketing fluff and dive deep into the optics, the physics of chevron facets, and the critical structural vulnerabilities you must protect against. Welcome to the royal standard.

ORIGINS: FROM BARION TO PERFECTION

The Princess cut didn't just appear out of nowhere. It is the culmination of decades of optical engineering. While square cuts have existed for centuries (like the French Cut), they lacked fire.

In 1971, Basil Watermeyer of South Africa invented the "Barion" cut, which was an octagon but looked square. It was beautiful but incredibly difficult to cut. Later, in 1979, Israel Itzkowitz, Betzalel Ambar, and Ygal Perlman perfected the modern Princess Cut (or Square Modified Brilliant). Their goal was ambitious: create a square stone that had the same facet arrangement as a round brilliant.

They succeeded. By placing vertical facets on the pavilion (bottom), they allowed light to bounce around inside the stone just like in a round diamond, creating that signature "crushed ice" brilliance that defines the shape today.

THE ANATOMY OF SPARKLE: CHEVRONS & FACETS

A Princess Cut is technically known as a "Square Modified Brilliant." The "brilliant" part is key—it utilizes vertical facets on the crown and pavilion to bounce light. But the true magic of a Princess Cut lies in its Chevrons.

Turn a Princess Cut diamond over, and look at the bottom (the pavilion). You will see V-shaped facets running from the culet (center point) to the girdle (edge). These are chevrons, and they dictate the personality of your diamond.

The number of chevrons dramatically alters the light performance.

2, 3, or 4 Chevrons?

• 2 Chevrons: Creates broad, chunky flashes of light. This gives the diamond a bolder, more substantial look but with less "scintillation" (the tiny ticking sparkles). It is rare to find 2 chevrons in stones over 1 carat.
• 3 Chevrons: The perfect balance. It blends bold flashes with smaller sparkles, creating a lively, dynamic surface. This is the gold standard for stones between 0.70ct and 1.50ct.
• 4 or More Chevrons: Creates a "crushed ice" effect with thousands of tiny needle-point sparkles. This is often preferred for very large stones (2 carats+) where you want to break up the light to avoid "windowing" (seeing through the stone).

THE IDEAL PROPORTIONS (THE SECRET ZIZOV STANDARD)

Here is the hard truth: GIA does not give a Cut Grade for Princess Cuts.

If you look at a GIA report for a Round diamond, it will say "Excellent" or "Very Good" Cut. For a Princess Cut, that field is blank. Why? Because the fancy shape parameters are too complex and varied for a single rigid standard. This creates a massive problem for consumers, as "Very Good" Polish and Symmetry does not mean the diamond is cut beautifully.

A Princess cut can be cut too deep (hiding weight in the bottom where you can't see it) or too shallow (leaking light, looking dull). Since GIA won't tell you if it's reputable, you need to know the numbers yourself. Use the Zizov Standard below to filter out the duds.

A ratio of 1.05 (right) starts to look visibly rectangular. Stick to 1.00-1.03 for a perfect square.

DEEP DIVE: THE PHYSICS OF LIGHT IN SQUARE CUTS

Why do Princess cuts sparkle differently than Rounds? It comes down to the physics of light travel within the crystal.

In a Round Brilliant, the cone shape guides almost all light entering the top to bounce twice and exit back out the top. In a Princess cut, the corners present a challenge. Light that enters near the corners often gets "trapped" or leaked out the bottom if the angles aren't perfect.

COLOR & CLARITY: WHERE TO SAVE MONEY

Princess cuts handling color and inclusions differently than rounds. Understanding this allows you to allocate your budget where it matters: size and cut.

Color: The Corner Trap

Because the Princess cut concentrates depth and material in its sharp corners, body color tends to reveal itself there first. A "J" color Round might look white face-up, but a "J" color Princess will likely show yellow warmth in the corners.

Recommendation: Stick to G or H color for white gold or platinum settings. If you are setting the stone in yellow gold, you can safely drop to an I color, as the metal will mask the warmth.

Clarity: The Hiding Game

The intricate faceting of a Princess cut (especially 3 or 4 chevrons) is excellent at masking small inclusions. A "VS2" or even a clean "SI1" can look absolutely flawless to the naked eye. However, the location of the inclusion is critical.

CRITICAL WARNING: Avoid large inclusions in the corners. The corners are under immense structural stress. An inclusion here acts as a weak point, making the diamond prone to chipping during setting or daily wear. Always check the plot diagram.

ANTWERP INSIDER: THE PRICING "SWEET SPOT" STRATEGY

One of the biggest advantages of buying from Antwerp is understanding the "Rapaport Price List" logic that governs the global diamond market. Prices do not go up in a straight line; they jump in steps at critical "Magic Weights."

The "Magic Weight" Price Jump

Diamond prices jump significantly at 0.50ct, 0.70ct, 1.00ct, 1.50ct, 2.00ct, etc. A 1.00ct diamond costs significantly more per carat than a 0.99ct diamond, simply because it hits that full carat mark.

The Strategy: smart buyers hunt for "Under-Sizes" or "Off-Sizes."
Look for a Princess cut that is 0.90ct – 0.98ct or 1.40ct – 1.48ct.
Visually, they look identical to their heavier counterparts (a 0.05mm difference is invisible to the eye), but the price can be 20% to 30% lower.

This is extremely common in Princess cuts because cutters often sacrifice beauty to "save weight" and hit the 1.00ct mark (resulting in a deep, dark stone). A 0.95ct stone is often cut better because the cutter wasn't desperate to save every milligram of weight, resulting in a brighter, whiter, more beautiful diamond that costs less.

THE ACHILLES HEEL: PROTECTING THE CORNERS

If the Princess Cut has a weakness, it is durability. Those sharp, geometric 90-degree corners are thin and fragile. If you hit a hard surface (like a granite countertop) at the precise angle of the corner, it can chip.

This sounds scary, but it is entirely preventable with one simple rule: The V-Prong.

A V-Prong (or Chevron Prong) wraps around the corner, shielding it from impact.

Antwerp Insider Tip: The V-Prong Negotiation

When ordering a custom ring, some jewelers will default to standard round prongs because they are easier to set. They might say, "Oh, round prongs are fine." Do not accept this.

Insist on V-Prongs (also called Chevron Prongs). They cradle the corner in a metal "V," protecting the tip from impacts while accentuating the sharp geometry of the stone. It is both a safety feature and a style statement. At Zizov, V-Prongs are our non-negotiable standard for all Princess cut rings.

CASE STUDY: THE SIZE HUNTER VS. THE SPARKLE HUNTER

To illustrate the importance of cut, let's look at two hypothetical stones available for the same budget (€6,000).

Diamond A is heavier, but Diamond B is actually wider and infinitely more beautiful. Weight implies value, but Cut defines beauty.

The Lesson: Diamond A is heavier because it hides weight in the bottom (depth). But because it is so deep, it has a smaller surface area (width). Diamond B is lighter significantly, but looks bigger and sparkles more. Always buy the spread and the sparke, not just the weight.

PRINCESS VS. THE WORLD

Princess vs. Round Brilliant

The Round is the only shape that offers more raw sparkle. However, the Princess is much more efficient to cut from the rough crystal. Cutting a round diamond wastes about 60% of the rough stone; cutting a princess wastes only about 20%. This yield efficiency means a Princess cut translates to a 25% – 35% lower price per carat than a comparable Round.

Choose Princess if: You want a bigger look for your budget and prefer modern, sharp lines over traditional curves.

Princess vs. Cushion Cut

Cushion cuts are "pillow" shaped—squares with rounded corners. They have a softer, vintage, romantic feel, whereas Princess cuts are sharp, architectural, and bold.

Choose Princess if: You want maximum intensity and geometric precision. Choose Cushion if you prefer a softer, antique aesthetic.

Princess vs. Radiant Cut

These two are often confused. Both are brilliant cuts. The key difference is the corners. Radiant cuts have "cut corners" (beveled), looking like octagons. Princess cuts have 90-degree pointed corners. Radiants are slightly more durable due to the beveled edges, but the Princess has a distinct "X" pattern light return that is unique to its design.

THE BEST SETTINGS FOR A PRINCESS CUT

Choosing the right setting is just as important as choosing the diamond. The setting dictates the style, the safety, and the perceived size of the ring.

1. The Classic Solitaire (Compass Point)

A Princess cut looks stunning in a simple solitaire, but orientation matters. The "Compass Point" setting (where prongs are at North, South, East, West) is the most popular because it highlights the square shape.
Why we love it: It allows maximum light entry from the sides.

2. The Three-Stone Ring (Trilogy)

Princess cuts pair beautifully with other geometric shapes.
Classic Pairing: Princess Center + Tapered Baguette Side Stones. This draws the eye inward and creates a sleek, Art Deco look.
Modern Pairing: Princess Center + Trillion Side Stones. The triangular trillions flank the square center perfectly.

3. The Halo (Max Volume)

If you want a huge look, a halo is the answer. A paved rim of small diamonds adds about 2-3mm to the visual width of the ring.
Warning: A "square halo" can look very boxy. We recommend a "soft" square halo or a "cut-corner" halo to keep it elegant and not like a dense block of ice.

4. The Channel Set Band

Because Princess cuts have straight edges, they can be set side-by-side with zero gaps. This makes them the absolute best choice for channel-set wedding bands or shanks. Round diamonds leave small triangular gaps; Princess cuts create a seamless river of brilliance.

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