Princess Cut

Contemporary Brilliance with Deep Roots

The princess cut is one of the most popular fancy-shaped diamonds, widely described in the trade as the most popular shape after the round. Its clean, square silhouette with sharp corners creates a bold, contemporary look, while its brilliant-style faceting delivers fire and scintillation that approach the round brilliant.

The shape also makes efficient use of rough. Its pyramid-shaped pavilion follows the natural form of an octahedral diamond crystal, so a princess generally keeps more of the rough's weight than a round cut from the same crystal. That efficiency is one reason princess cuts usually cost less per carat than rounds of comparable grade.

The Lineage

The princess cut grew out of a series of experiments by cutters working on the same problem: how to get brilliant-cut sparkle from a square or rectangular outline.

1961 — Arpad Nagy's "Profile Cut" (London): An early square brilliant concept, generally credited as a forerunner of the princess, built around a flat, faceted pavilion rather than a traditional step cut.

1970s — Basil Watermeyer's "Barion Cut" (South Africa): The South African master cutter Basil Watermeyer developed the Barion Cut, named for himself and his wife Marion. It combined step-cut outline with brilliant-style pavilion faceting and showed that square and rectangular shapes could achieve genuine brilliance.

Around 1980 — Israel: Israeli cutters Betzalel Ambar, Ygal Perlman and Israel Itzkowitz developed the Quadrillion, a square brilliant with far fewer facets than the Barion and far easier to produce consistently. Their work is generally credited as the basis of the modern princess cut, with its chevron-patterned pavilion of roughly 50–58 facets.

From there the shape was taken up quickly by the trade and became one of the best-selling diamond shapes of the 1990s and 2000s. Watermeyer's Barion had shown the principle; the princess made it practical to cut in quantity.

The Brian Gavin Signature Princess

Brian Gavin's Signature Princess has 53 facets — 32 on the pavilion, 20 on the crown, and the table — in a 3-chevron configuration chosen for its balance of brilliance and scintillation. It produces more virtual facets than 2-chevron designs while avoiding the fine, diffused sparkle of 4-chevron patterns.

What sets it apart is the crown height: approximately 15%, against the 10–12% typical of many commercially cut princess cuts. A taller crown gives light more opportunity to disperse into spectral colours, so the stone shows stronger fire. The Signature Princess is cut to achieve AGS Ideal® light performance — AGS Ideal® 0 is the top of the AGS Light Performance Scale, which runs from 0 to 10. To see how light return is mapped facet by facet, read our guide to ASET ray tracing.

Chevron Configurations Explained

The chevron (V-shaped) facets on the pavilion determine the princess cut's sparkle character:

• 2-chevron patterns: Larger, bolder flashes of light. Fewer facets, simpler sparkle
• 3-chevron patterns (Brian Gavin's choice): More virtual facets, giving an optically balanced look with both brilliance and fine scintillation
• 4-chevron patterns: Very fine scintillation, but the sparkle can look diffused rather than crisp

The Corner Challenge

The princess cut's defining feature — sharp, unprotected corners — is also its main vulnerability. Unlike radiant cuts with cropped corners or cushion cuts with rounded corners, a princess has pointed corners that can chip if struck.

Protective settings matter: V-prongs or bezels on the corners are strongly recommended, and knife-edge corners on a very thin girdle should be avoided. Our diamond care guide covers everyday wear and inspection.

Key Proportions

Typical guideline ranges (not a laboratory standard):

• Table: 62-70%
• Depth: 64-75%
• Length-to-Width: 1.00-1.05 for square (most sought after); 1.05-1.10 slightly rectangular
• Polish/Symmetry: Excellent/Very Good minimum

GIA does not assign a cut grade to princess cuts, so a GIA report alone cannot tell you how well one is cut. AGS does grade princess cuts for light performance — see our guide to grading laboratories. Princess cuts are usually deeper than rounds, and one with too much depth looks smaller face-up for its carat weight.

Clarity Considerations

Princess cuts hide inclusions better than emerald cuts but not as well as rounds. The brilliant faceting helps mask minor inclusions, but inclusions near the corners are a concern — they can weaken the corner and increase the risk of chipping.

Recommendation: VS2 or better. Avoid inclusions at or near the corners.

Our Princess Cut Standards

• ✓ BGD Signature 3-chevron configuration — 53 facets for balanced brilliance and scintillation
• ✓ Approximately 15% crown height — more fire than the typical 10-12% crown
• ✓ AGS Ideal® light performance — the top grade on the AGS Light Performance Scale
• ✓ Corner integrity verified — girdle thickness at the corners assessed for chip resistance
• ✓ Inclusion mapping — no inclusions at or near vulnerable corners
• ✓ Square proportions — L:W within 1.00-1.05 for a true square appearance
• ✓ Setting guidance — protective V-prong recommendations with every purchase

Every stone is evaluated through the eye of a cutter — learn more about our diamond cutting services.

Each Shape Tells a Different Story

• Round Brilliant — Maximum brilliance; The Gavin Effect® patented cut
• Emerald Cut — Sophisticated step-cut elegance; patented design
• Cushion Cut — Romantic pillow shape; patented Hearts & Arrows design
• Oval Cut — Elongated brilliance; generally looks larger for its carat weight
• Pear Cut — Elegant teardrop; versatile and flattering
• Radiant Cut — Brilliant fire meets geometric outline
• Marquise Cut — Royal heritage; long outline for its carat weight
• Old Mine Cut — Historic hand-cut diamonds; antique brilliance

All consultations are complimentary and without obligation. We build long-term relationships based on education, trust, and exceptional service.