- Ever since the modern brilliant cuts were introduced over 60 years ago, the Princess cut has been considered one of the most important. Evolving from a previous cut known as the Barion cut, the Princess is a style for cutting square and rectangular stones to gain the maximum fire and brilliance by adding extra and improved faceting. The popularity of this shape is on the rise as some of the original patents have expired and Princess cuts are becoming more available.
The cut combines two methods: a step cut crown, and a brilliant cut pavilion. This is known technically as a square modified brilliant cut, or mixed cut. They both are square cuts with very precise sharp points. Much care must be taken in mounting a Princess. The cut lends itself well to inlaid settings that protect the fragile points of the stones. An example is the eternity rings, with the stones set side by side, with no gaps between them. Solitaire mountings are also a favorite. A special V prong setting is required for stability, and to make sure the delicate points are not injured. A Princess cut is ideal for deep stones, for it allows maximum weight retention, and results in a lower cost per carat loss from the original diamond.
A very similar cut was developed in 1961 by A. Nagy, and was given the name profile cut. The profile cut had V shaped grooves cut into the back of a flat stone with the top highly polished. Some diamond “experts” still mistakenly label a diamond a Princess not realizing that it is actually a profile cut.
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