Picking engagement rings doesn’t have to be a daunting task when you have the right information. When it comes to picking a diamond engagement ring, two stone shapes dominate the market – the round brilliant cut diamond and the princess cut diamond. While both styles are undeniably beautiful, there are a few reasons – think budget, lifestyle and personal preference – that you might choose one over the other.
In this helpful guide, we’ll go over round and princess cut basics including cost, optics and engagement ring settings to help you decide which style is a cut above the rest.
What Is a Diamond Cut?
What Is a Round Cut Diamond?
If you Googled “classic engagement rings,” a lot of the results would show rings with a round cut diamond. Accounting for roughly 60% of engagement ring and fine jewelry sales, round cut diamonds are incredibly popular. This style of cut is beloved for its ability to amplify a diamond’s sparkle. And that breathtaking shine is no accident, it’s thanks to the round brilliant’s unique faceting. The round cut diamond was first engineered in the 17th century with just 17 facets on the top of the gemstone. Then, in 1919, the cut was tweaked to include 58 facets resulting in the world-renowned stunner that we know today.
When it comes to durability, round brilliant diamonds have no edges or sharp corners making them less vulnerable to snags, chips and breaks than other diamond styles.
What Is a Princess Cut Diamond?
Princess cut diamonds make up roughly 15% of diamond sales today making them the second most popular choice for diamond engagement rings. Another heavy hitter in the sparkle department, ring designs featuring a square shape princess cut engagement rings are modern, chic and in high demand.
To prevent this, consider a protective bezel setting which consists of a ring of metal that holds the center stone in place while effectively keeping it safe from wear and tear.
Are Round Diamonds More Expensive Than Princess?
Carat for carat, you can expect to spend more on a round cut diamond than a princess cut diamond. In fact, you can get a larger princess cut stone for the same amount of money you would spend on a round-cut diamond engagement ring of comparable size and quality. This is because princess cuts create less waste during the cutting process, which shakes out to a greater yield, aka more carats for less.
This is opposed to the round brilliant in which a diamond cutter wastes over half of a rough diamond during the cutting process. The increase in raw material needed to make an average-sized stone drives round cut diamond prices up.
Do Round Diamonds Look Bigger Than Princess Cut?
When it comes to optics, you can expect a few surprises when comparing round cut and princess cut stones. For example, a princess cut diamond will appear larger than a round cut diamond of the exact same carat size. This is because the princess shape has larger tables (the top of a diamond) than round cut stones making them larger in appearance to the naked eye.
Most Popular Engagement Ring Settings
While different in shape, princess and round cut stones both captivate in these striking engagement ring styles.
Halo Setting
Known for their ability to make a center stone look larger than life, halo settings consist of several accent stones that encircle your gemstone of choice. The eye-catching sparkle of a princess cut or round cut diamond looks out of this world in this glamorous style.
Solitaire Setting
A round or princess cut diamond ring will really pop in an impressive solitaire style. Perfect for those with a minimalistic sense of style, a solitaire engagement ring consists of a sleek metal band that pairs fabulously with your stone of choice.
Accented Setting
Opposite the solitaire is the accented engagement ring setting. In this style, a center stone is complemented by an accented band often featuring several small round cut stones to amp up the ring’s overall sparkle.
Prong Setting
The prong setting is simplistic in design and pairs well with almost all popular diamond shapes. In this style, a diamond is secured to the engagement ring or wedding band using either six or four prongs. Prong settings are a great option for stones with fragile corners or edges as the prong will give the stone some extra reinforcement and help prevent snagging or chipping.
Bezel Setting
The absolute best setting for fragile stones, the bezel setting is applauded for its ability to protect fancy shapes and regular stone shapes alike. In this style, the entire perimeter of the diamond is wrapped in metal to keep it in place. In addition to protection, there are visual reasons to choose a bezel setting too as it can give your ring a slightly vintage feel.
However, because the center stone is surrounded by metal, a bezel setting can impact your lab diamond’s light performance. But don’t worry too much about sparkle as diamonds receive most of their light from the top of the stone meaning that bezel set stones can still shine brightly.
Pavé Setting
Which Is Better Princess Cut or Round Diamond?
At the end of the day, only you can decide which stone is the right one for you. Princess cut lab created diamond rings or circle cut engagement rings, your personal taste will determine the best center stone for your engagement ring. Just be sure to keep important factors like lifestyle and budget in mind when deciding. If you’re still deciding between a mined diamond or a lab grown diamond and want a more sustainable engagement ring, we believe a lab grown diamond is the best choice.
