PRINCESS CUT vs. ROUND CUT

[lstomel]

Am currently shopping for diamonds (to help my bf!) and am desperately seeking help!!!! I was set on a 2 carat princess cut until I realized that a 2 carat princess cut looks smaller than a 2 carat round - (both H, SI1). Side by side the round cuts look noticeably larger than the princess cuts. I really would like a "large" ring, therefore size does matter! However, I am now torn between a round cut vs. a princess cut. I know round has more "fire" than a princess, however, I am so torn! I know I want a band with pave - I just can''t figure out which looks better!

Can anyone please offer advice - 2 carat round vs. 2 carat princess (all things comparable)?!?!?!? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[monarch64]

Well, obviously I''m a RB fan (see avatar), but if you really love the princess cut and square shape maybe you''d consider going down in color a bit to make your budget work out?

 

[jstarfireb]

It all depends on personal preference. I chose a princess despite knowing that rounds appear larger for the same carat weight. I knew I wanted a square stone...rounds just weren''t "me."

Going down in color from H may be a bit of a gamble, as princesses show color a little more easily than rounds. My princess is an I, though, and I''m very satisfied with the color. In my experience, the drop in price from H to I is substantial and probably worth it to get a bigger stone. I probably wouldn''t go below I.

What about a radiant? Good ones are harder to find than rounds and princesses, but the rectangular shape may make them appear larger. They tend to show color very easily, so you''d probably have to go up in color. That may squeeze them out of your price range.

Here''s a chart showing the actual millimeter sizes for diamonds of different cuts and carat weights:
http://images.amazon.com/media/i3d/01/actual-diamond-size.pdf

 

[NovemberBride]

One other thing to consider is that a well cut 2 carat round will cost several thousand dollars more than a 2 carat princess with the same color and clarity, so depending on your budget you may be able to go above 2 carats in the princess if you like that shape but want a larger look. You can use the price comparision tool above to see the priice difference between the two.

 

[jstarfireb]

Another thing to think about is a cut-cornered stone like the WF X-factor. There''s a very nice looking 2.367 H VS2 right now, but it may push your budget (not sure exactly what that is though). Take a peek at it...the spread is nice at about 7.4mm square:
http://www.whiteflash.com/xfactor/X-Factor-cut-diamond-24.htm

X-factors are gorgeous stones (check out gladyskristen''s in the Show Me the Ring forum). They''re more durable than princesses because there are no worries about corner breakage. They still look square, and they have a tiny bit more spread because there''s no wasted carat weight in the corners.

Good Old Gold''s cut-corner square brilliant stone is also beautiful, but I didn''t find anything in the 2-2.5 H-I SI1-SI2 range. I did find 2 nice G SI2s that look like they may be eye-clean:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2650/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2436/

They also have a nice 2.015 H SI1 princess:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond.php?d=2177&shape=10&ctMin=2&ctMax=2.5&clarity=224&color=48&resultsColumns=268435471&singleResult=1

 

[Gypsy]

Round is going to be bigger no question. So are ovals, marquise and pears. Emerald cuts can sometimes get good spread too.

With princesses, you can get a cut cornered princess which will boost size a little. You can get an square hearts and arrows. A cushion, will face up smaller, like a princess.

But you can explore other cuts as well, square radiants are lovely for example. Lots of fire... and sometimes you can get some nice spread there.

Is there a reason you are limiting yourself to rounds and princesses? Have you explored other shapes?

 

[lstomel]

I am the most indecisive person in the world so the more I limit myself, the better! I really love both princess and rounds!!!

 

[captkirk]

novemberbride is right. A brilliant round will cost @ 20% more than a princess cut. It will also have a lot more fire. But if size is really what you want, a round will definitely look bigger.

 

[gladyskristen]

Have you tried on both yet? Most of us here will prefer one over the other (even if it''s just slightly) after trying both on.

 

[DiamondSeeker7]

I have a round diamond in a setting that has four prongs. I think because of the location and size of the prongs, people are always asking me if my diamond is round or princess. THis is something that you may want to look into. Here is a link to pics of my ring- sorry I am a bad phographer!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-ering-thanks-to-everyone.60612/

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 6/16/2007 12:51:30 PM
Author: DiamondSeeker7
I have a round diamond in a setting that has four prongs. I think because of the location and size of the prongs, people are always asking me if my diamond is round or princess. THis is something that you may want to look into. Here is a link to pics of my ring- sorry I am a bad phographer!


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-ering-thanks-to-everyone.60612/

That's true, 4-prong settings do make a round diamond look more square. Another thing I've seen is an antique setting with a round stone set with corners like the ones on the Tiffany-style princess setting. That's a crappy description, but they look like this:
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1693
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1658
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1651
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1569
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1175