Rounds vs Princess

[DIShayley]

Yep - me again!

Do rounds measure up/look bigger than princess cuts? The rounds I am looking at measure up bigger mm wise than the princess cuts for the same amount of cts.

I still need to go with DBF to try on different cuts and settings since I don''t really know what suits me.

 

[neatfreak]

Yes rounds usually face up bigger than princesses, but often cost more too. So make sure you are comparing not just the carats but the cost.

 

[justjulia]

Ditto what Neat Freak said.
They tend to be deeper, hiding all that goodness below.

Go try them on and see what looks good on your hand. You might like what I call the "pyramid" pattern you see in a princess and the crisp corners (and bars rather than facets of rainbow). It''s a personal decision.

 

[DIShayley]

Thanks

I just love princess cuts!

But, I found a RB on Blue Nile (DBF wants to get a ring from UK) which looks great on paper - .5cts, ideal cut, 5.10x5.15mm, and scored 0.7 on the HCA (within the TIC range) AND it''s well within my price range. It''s J colour which is fine by me, and is SI2 - if it''s eye-clean then on paper it''s the ''perfect'' diamond.

If only it was princess *sigh*

This is really why I need to try on different cuts!

I have my heart set on a princess cut with smaller princess cut diamonds in the band - would a RB look silly on a princess band?

 

[motownmama]

NO - a rb will look smashing on a princess band!

 

[kcoursolle]

Rounds usually face up bigger and often have more "presence" because of the better light return. I think it''s fine to mix and match stone types in the setting if you have a round center and princess sides. It''s also easier to get away with lower color/clarity in rounds than princesses because well-cut rounds face up really well.

 

[justjulia]

Ditto again.

Firstly, go try a princess on in person before going any further.

 

[Love2Travel]

I have a question as well. Will a .75 Round look larger then a .75 princess in same setting etc etc? Also, are rounds more "firey/sparkle" then princess?

Reason I ask is b/c I am looking at the ES rounds from WF and ACA Princess from there as well.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 6/29/2008 6:40:57 PM
Author: Love2Travel
I have a question as well. Will a .75 Round look larger then a .75 princess in same setting etc etc? Also, are rounds more ''firey/sparkle'' then princess?


Reason I ask is b/c I am looking at the ES rounds from WF and ACA Princess from there as well.

Okay, I am responding as someone who has owned several of both, but I am not a certified gemologist like many here... I believe the round will still look larger than the same weight princess in the same setting, because princess cuts tend to be bottom heavy and probably because of how they refract the light. My experience is that the rounds look larger.

Some people have a sentiment connected to one or the other that outweighs the size difference. Some people want to look distinctively different than their relatives, or perhaps more traditional or modern, or it just looks better in the setting they have in mind. If money is an issue (and for most, of course it is), then you will most likely get more bang (size) for your dollar with a round.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 6/29/2008 6:40:57 PM
Author: Love2Travel
I have a question as well. Will a .75 Round look larger then a .75 princess in same setting etc etc? Also, are rounds more ''firey/sparkle'' then princess?


Reason I ask is b/c I am looking at the ES rounds from WF and ACA Princess from there as well.

Fire: I have owned a princess with more fire than a round I''ve owned. It all depends on the particular rock and how it has been cut. After looking at a few hundred (joking, but really) you will learn to know what to pass by (kinda like house hunting).

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/29/2008 6:22:23 PM
Author: justjulia
Ditto again.

Firstly, go try a princess on in person before going any further.

I agree with this. A stone looks different on then just looking at it. I actually had my heart set on a princess until I saw it on my hand; my fingers are not long so it worked against me. Ditto what Kcoursolle says too!

 

[krisvrn]

yes rounds are bigger than princess cut diamonds. rounds have more of a spread

 

[DIShayley]

My hands and fingers are tiny (length-wise), so what you said stands out Skippy.

Hopefully me and DBF can go look at rings tomorrow and see what looks best on.

I am starting to get more and more used to the round stone in the princess setting - the more I look at it, the more I like it.

 

[honey22]

Date: 6/30/2008 5:23:40 AM
Author: DIShayley
My hands and fingers are tiny (length-wise), so what you said stands out Skippy.

Hopefully me and DBF can go look at rings tomorrow and see what looks best on.

I am starting to get more and more used to the round stone in the princess setting - the more I look at it, the more I like it.

You are lucky with small fingers - that way you can get away with a smaller rock and it will still look huge on your little pinkies!

Ditto trying lots of rings on, it''s really the best way you can find out what really suits your hands. Good luck!!

 

[DIShayley]

I hope so! My fingers below the knuckle are quite chunky however! I have little cones for fingers

I''ll post up the diamond I''ve seen

 

[DIShayley]

OK - This is a diamond from Blue Nile UK. DBF has said he would rather get the diamond from the UK as it means we don''t have to worry about it on vacation and we wouldn''t have to pay import taxes and get surprised by the postman. It does mean a smaller diamond though!

I''m not bothered about the ''J'' colour - I''m not sure I could tell the difference to be honest anyway. I would also need to know if the diamond was eye-clean as the clarity is SI2.

Diamond Information:
Carat weight: 0.50
Cut:Ideal
Colour: J
Clarity: SI2

Depth %: 61.5%
Table %: 55%
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Girdle: Thin to medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.10 x 5.15 x 3.15 mm

HCA Scores:

Light Return - Excellent
Fire - Excellent
Scintillation - Excellent
Spread - Very Good

Total Visual Performance 0.7 - Excellent
(within TIC range)

 

[DIShayley]

OK, that is totally not the ring and I''m not sure how to get rid of it

THIS is the ring:

 

[KtIceRN]

My original e-ring was a round with princess sides. I liked it alot and received many compliments on it. I now have a larger round in a solitaire setting but I just bought a small princess to be set in my old setting so I can have an all-princess set.
Here are a few pics that might help.

 

[KtIceRN]

other pic

 

[zerj]

Date: 6/29/2008 6:40:57 PM
Author: Love2Travel
I have a question as well. Will a .75 Round look larger then a .75 princess in same setting etc etc? Also, are rounds more ''firey/sparkle'' then princess?

Reason I ask is b/c I am looking at the ES rounds from WF and ACA Princess from there as well.

While it is certainly true that a 0.75 Round will look larger than a 0.75 princess, I think that is a very misleading statement. Wouldn''t a better question be will a $3000 dollar round look bigger than a $3000 dollar princess? The answer to that one appears to be no in my opinion. Princess cuts are cheaper per caret than round cuts so you can get a heavier stone for the same price. The face up area of a princess LengthxWidth is really pretty darn close to the face up area of a round (Width/2)*(Length/2)*3.14.

 

[DIShayley]

OK, I wrote this in the other thread, but I''ll update this one too.

I went trying rings on at lunchtime! Finally! I don''t wear any rings at the moment, so wearing one will take some getting used to!

I found out my UK ring size (which is always good to know I guess!!) and as you guys know I wanted to try on rounds vs princesses and also to see actually how big different cts are in person.

I was really worried the .5cts wouldn''t be big enough, but I am happy to say it looked plenty big on my finger! I would say anything .5-1cts here in the UK is considered ''big''.

Whilst the round looked nice on, I absolutely fell in love with the princess. I asked to try on one with channel set diamonds, but they didn''t have solitaires, just 4 small PCs in a ''cluster'' (big no, no - I want a rock) and the channels were rounds not PC. ANYWAY, once I put it on my finger I couldn''t stop smiling - I think if it would have had a solitaire I would have bought it there and then!!

So, if you don''t want to read all of the above, to cut a long story short - I am going with the princess cut with channel diamonds!!

 

[tberube]

My opinion about round vs. princess (or round vs. any shape, for that matter) is that beyond light return, spread or any of that, your diamond should reflect your personality. So should your setting. I believe if you''re head over heels in love with the princess cut, you''ll be happiest with that cut no matter how it compares to rounds, asschers or cushions. When picking my shape of diamond I didn''t let the fact that it doesn''t face up to a round change my choice. Rounds are gorgeous, they face up large, and they have excellent light return, but they didn''t stack up to the unbelievable beauty of a step cut in my mind.

Call me a sap but I really think that''s the way you should always choose your diamond shape: fall in love with it like you fell in love with your partner.