The round vs square "size" debate...what do you see?

[septsparkle]

Okay, so now that I've had both the princess cut and the round stones in my possession for a few days I've compared them side by side quite a bit and I honesty do not see a difference in the size.

The measurements for the princess stone are 1.366ct and 6.40 x 6.10 and the RB 1.39ct and is 7.18 x7.22. That's almost an entire mm larger then one side of the princess cut stone and I just don't see it! I really think it is a matter of the area because somehow my eyes are able to balance out the corners of the princess with the roundness of the RB and they truly do look the same to me.

Here are a few photos I took trying to compare the size....what do you guys think? Do you really think the RB faces up larger then the princess?

 

[septsparkle]

 

[septsparkle]

And this is unrelated...but this shot was taken without the flash in a pretty dark room -- when I used the flash it really washed out the picture -- so I didn't use it in this one, but you can clearly see the difference in color between these two G stones.... In brighter light or in the sun it's very hard to tell but in dim lighting you can really tell when they are, upside down and side by side on a white background that there is a difference between the two.

 

[clgwli]

Honestly I cannot see much of a difference in size. In one I think the round looks a smidge bigger but in another the princess does. My quick math shows (unless I did it wrong and I am bad with math so it is possible) that the surface area of both is very close.

ETA: I intentionally looked at the pictures before I read the stats once I saw what you were going for. So the reaction is based on me not knowing. Obviously the math was done after LOL

 

[septsparkle]

Honestly I cannot see much of a difference in size. In one I think the round looks a smidge bigger but in another the princess does. My quick math shows (unless I did it wrong and I am bad with math so it is possible) that the surface area of both is very close.

ETA: I intentionally looked at the pictures before I read the stats once I saw what you were going for. So the reaction is based on me not knowing. Obviously the math was done after LOL

Thanks! I should have put the stats after! lol
I agree, in one I thought the round looked a wee bigger and in the other the princess. I have about 15 other shots that are similar and found the same thing with the others. Overall, they look the same size to me.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I think it should be looked like this: will a 6mm princess look larger then a 6mm round - yes. BUT - a 6mm princess will be over a carat while a 6mm round would be 3/4 carat. Therefore, if you compared it by weight not mm then a round will always be larger.

As far as your diamonds, they look about the same.

 

[Amys Bling]

The only picture I can see the size difference in is the first picture. In the first one, the RB looks taller than the princess when standing up side by side, the other pics it is hard to see...maybe because the Princess is closer to the camera compensating for the size (i.e. whe it on your hand????

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I think the round looks bigger in the first picture, but I'm wondering if it's harder to tell because the princess is set and the prongs are adding to the overall size that we see?

 

[marcy]

They look the same size to me.

 

[septsparkle]

I think the round looks bigger in the first picture, but I'm wondering if it's harder to tell because the princess is set and the prongs are adding to the overall size that we see?

That's a good point. Something I had not thought of! It's possible.

It looks pretty close though, don't you think so guys? Certainly not the difference, or lack thereof that I was expecting to see!

 

[E B]

Not much of a size difference at all.

 

[septsparkle]

Thanks guys! Atleast now I know I'm not crazy. Between having them side by side at home and my trip to Tiffany's to compare many sizes of the princess and rounds I could not see a noticeable difference in the stones that were close in carat weight.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Okay, so now that I've had both the princess cut and the round stones in my possession for a few days I've compared them side by side quite a bit and I honesty do not see a difference in the size.

The measurements for the princess stone are 1.366ct and 6.40 x 6.10 and the RB 1.39ct and is 7.18 x7.22. That's almost an entire mm larger then one side of the princess cut stone and I just don't see it! I really think it is a matter of the area because somehow my eyes are able to balance out the corners of the princess with the roundness of the RB and they truly do look the same to me.

Area of Square = Length*Width
Area of Circle =Pie*Radius*Radius

Faceup surface area of 1.366 round = 40.7 mm squared
SA of 1.39 princess= 39.0 mm squared

Round girdle plain is 4% bigger in surface area than the princess.

Crown height, cut, viewing angle, lighting, also make a difference in what is seen in the photographs but very simply princess cuts faceup smaller than rounds (5 - 15% less is a common range) but they are also significantly cheaper as well, overall you get more faceup size per $ (all other things considered equal) with a princess over a round.

 

[septsparkle]

Okay, so now that I've had both the princess cut and the round stones in my possession for a few days I've compared them side by side quite a bit and I honesty do not see a difference in the size.

The measurements for the princess stone are 1.366ct and 6.40 x 6.10 and the RB 1.39ct and is 7.18 x7.22. That's almost an entire mm larger then one side of the princess cut stone and I just don't see it! I really think it is a matter of the area because somehow my eyes are able to balance out the corners of the princess with the roundness of the RB and they truly do look the same to me.

Area of Square = Length*Width
Area of Circle =Pie*Radius*Radius

Faceup surface area of 1.366 round = 40.7 mm squared
SA of 1.39 princess= 39.0 mm squared

Round girdle plain is 4% bigger in surface area than the princess.

Crown height, cut, viewing angle, lighting, also make a difference in what is seen in the photographs but very simply princess cuts faceup smaller than rounds (5 - 15% less is a common range) but they are also significantly cheaper as well, overall you get more faceup size per $ (all other things considered equal) with a princess over a round.

Thank you. I think I must have mistyped earlier, because it's the princess that is 1.366 and the round is 1.39 but I don't think it will make much difference.

 

[RedRobbin]

Princess looks larger to me! Maybe that's because it's set. Beautiful diamond.

 

[libramom]

Septsparkle-

I agree with you its quite hard to see a size difference between the two diamonds. CCL's math formula seems to prove that the round is a tad larger, but to me its very slight.






LM

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

They look pretty similar, though I think the RB looks better I will say, though, when I was comparing two diamonds like that I thought a 1.20 and a 1.7 looked about the same size too Wearing them changes things. Not sure how you would feel if you wore the RB, not just about face up size but about hand presence.

How do the prices compare? And how do you feel about the looks of the two?

 

[stci]

For me it's like compare tomatoe and orange!

The setting make all the difference! The round is certainly biggest than the princess.

 

[septsparkle]

They look pretty similar, though I think the RB looks better

How do the prices compare? And how do you feel about the looks of the two?

Questions of the hour!!

Actually, since the princess cut is an ACA and carries a premium and the GIA was picked by me through virtual inventory the prices are almost the same. However, I got lucky...or did fairly well with my attempt to pick a good stone...It's a GIA EX, EX/EX but it's proportions also fall right smack in the middle of the AGS Ideal charts and it scored a 0 on the sarin I think had WF found it first and had it in their expert selection, it would have been priced higher!

As for how I feel about both...I'll start with the princess...

When I started this journey there was never a question in my mind that I would go for a princess cut stone! But, for whatever reason I am not in love with the princess cut stone I picked. I still believe it's because of the tint...every time I try to take a peek at it and give it a chance I catch that tint and it drives me nuts. I can't help but wonder if this was the reason I didn't want to wear it when I first got it and just used the need to insure it as an excuse. I mean it's a lovely stone, at first glance I was so excited, I finally had my larger stone, it looked so gorgeous in the photo shoot I took outside in the sun..but then when I got inside it was like "waaaa, waaaaahhhhhhh" and I just didn't have that feeling for it. A perfect specimen for a princess cut but I just didn't get excited at the thought to wear it. Which is a darn shame because I love, love, love this legato micro pave and man I want to wear this ring!!!!!!! So with that said...I don't know why I just can't love that pretty little princess the way I should, but I just don't.

As for the round...I can not believe how much this baby sparkles...and the FIRE!!!! it's unreal. Way better then those babies in Tiffany's! I thought there was no comparison between my original princess cut and the ACA princess cut...but there is no comparison with the performance of this round stone and the ACA princess! The rainbows I am catching with this little firecracker is amazing...and it's not even mounted. It is MUCH whiter then the princess cut, I don't see even a hint of tint in this stone. I *can* see the inclusion BUT it literally looks like a little white pin-prick and could easily be mistaken for a piece of tiny, tiny dust. Unless I'm in the sun and it's shining just at the right angle I can't see it at all - even when trying. When I first opened the FedEx box in the parking lot the sun found the inclusion right away and I was kind of like "ugggh" but then it took me a minute to find it again and over the last few days I have only seen it about 2 or 3 times and that's with holding it as close as my eyes can focus and spinning and tilting in all directions until the light catches it just right. In the house, I can't see it at all and it doesn't bother me one bit!

I've learned a lot about my tolerances over the last few weeks! I am color sensitive (though I DO see a definite difference between these two G stones, so now I know that if the princess is truly a G, it's definitely on the low end!) and I'm definitely okay with eye clean over mind clean! I'm leaning strongly towards the round stone. I was hoping to have stronger feelings toward the princess when the round stone arrived and the opposite has occurred which makes me more certain it's not the right one for me! I'll make my final decision on Monday, but I am almost certain I'll be sending both stones back to WF on Monday to have the round reset in my micro pave and I should get it back just in time for my wedding, too!

 

[Mahn]

Very interesting! Immediate impression was that the round looks a wee bit bigger. But as you look closer you can see that they are of the same size.

 

[LGK]

I think the round is gorgeous. In some shots it looks bigger to me, others they look the same. I think the fact that the princess is set makes it look bigger to me than it would unset.

That's cool the round is "speaking" to you. It looks amazing! Awesome fire is just I bet you're heaving a HUGE sigh of relief just about now, too, huh. I'll bet it'll look killer in the Legato setting. That setting is one that I would love to own someday. The profile is just yummy and I like the head on the round Legato more than the princess, too. Congrats on finally finding your stone!

 

[Rhino]

Interesting.

2 thoughts.

1. I wonder if the size differential is because of the fact that the princess cut is set and the prongs are making it appear larger? I do however get the gist of the corners not being taken into account too though. IMPO their measurements should be taken into account.

2. I"m also wondering if the color discrepancies are due to ...
a. loosely graded color
b. the fact that it is mounted and you have metal reflecting in that diamond that you do not have in the round
c. perhaps both?

Color absorption in princess cut can be more or less based on cut too. Garry recently posted a graphic showing this phenomena in certain cushion cuts. I"m wondering if the same might not apply here?

Regards,

 

[lovemybling]

My first impression was the round "looked" bigger. Now after reading your feelings on the stones, I feel you KNOW which one is yours and size isn't really the issue. Can not wait to see your new stone set.

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

Well, honestly, when it comes to optics, in my opinion rounds blow princess cuts out of the water and that is what you saw. Get the round, why ever doubt it at this point? Before you commit, though, ask WF to send you a bigger I/J color rock and compare it to the G in person and then see your true toleraces I too am "color sensitive" but in an RB you may feel different about warmth than in a princess.

 

[redyns]

do you/anyone think that it has to do with the cut of the rb? By that I mean the RB has seemingly more contrast (between the black/sparkling white) in the first picture so your eye is naturally drawn to notice more of the corners of the rb vs the princess where it is so clear that you don't tend to notice the edges as much? Just a thought but it seems to me like every time I look at a well cut RB next to a princess of the same carat the rb looks bigger no due to surface area but due to the fact that the edges are seemingly more noticeable with the RB (and I think a well cut rb brings the light outward toward the edges betteR) than with the princess cut. That's just my 2 cents but it seems to make good sense in my mind and maybe others too!

 

[septsparkle]

Interesting.

2 thoughts.

1. I wonder if the size differential is because of the fact that the princess cut is set and the prongs are making it appear larger? I do however get the gist of the corners not being taken into account too though. IMPO their measurements should be taken into account.

2. I"m also wondering if the color discrepancies are due to ...
a. loosely graded color
b. the fact that it is mounted and you have metal reflecting in that diamond that you do not have in the round
c. perhaps both?

Color absorption in princess cut can be more or less based on cut too. Garry recently posted a graphic showing this phenomena in certain cushion cuts. I"m wondering if the same might not apply here?

Regards,

Hey Rhino, Thanks for weighing in! As for the size, I do think now that it's been brought up, the prongs could have something to do with what we are seeing in terms of size.

As for the color, I have another G color princess cut and I don't see any tint in it at all. Granted it's about 1/2 carat smaller, so perhaps that has something to do with it, but then I took it to the the appraiser and without me saying anything at all she felt it was closer to the H range. I actually did take into account that the because it is mounted perhaps that is having an effect. So, I put the round diamond in that little holder doo-hickey (my apologies for the lack of technical terms) because I figured it would at least have light blocked from above and have the little claws almost acting as prongs overhead and the round diamond actually looked whiter to me with the metal around it. Strange. I'll see if I have any of those pics to show, too.

Perhaps you are on to something with the cut having something to do with the color absorption...I only say this because this particular diamond certainly picks up all the color around it really easily. Who knows All I know is I'm sad that I couldn't love her...but she's just not for me. Someone else will scoop her up I'm sure!

 

[Andelain]

IMHO the round looks a little bigger, but not enough to make or break the deal. What would make it for me is the way that round looks.


Let me put it like this; If you reject that round I want to know which one it is, so I can poach it! It's a beautiful stone.

 

[septsparkle]

My first impression was the round "looked" bigger. Now after reading your feelings on the stones, I feel you KNOW which one is yours and size isn't really the issue. Can not wait to see your new stone set.

You're right it's not an issue at all. I just thought it would be fun to see what you guys thought because we usually always say how the round is going to look so much better then a princess cut of the same weigth/size, etc. and it just doesn't seem to be the case. Though...the prongs could be having an effect and perhaps cut, too.

Well, honestly, when it comes to optics, in my opinion rounds blow princess cuts out of the water and that is what you saw. Get the round, why ever doubt it at this point? Before you commit, though, ask WF to send you a bigger I/J color rock and compare it to the G in person and then see your true toleraces I too am "color sensitive" but in an RB you may feel different about warmth than in a princess.

If we had more time, I'd play around with the I/J thing and compare it to the G, but since I think I'll be pretty happy with this G stone for now and our wedding is less than a month away I just want to focus on other things! I wasn't set on having to have the ring for the wedding, but if we *can* and I know I'll be happy with the stone...why not, right? However, since this stone is eligible for 100% upgrades I will definitely explore my color tolerances in a round for the next one.

do you/anyone think that it has to do with the cut of the rb? By that I mean the RB has seemingly more contrast (between the black/sparkling white) in the first picture so your eye is naturally drawn to notice more of the corners of the rb vs the princess where it is so clear that you don't tend to notice the edges as much? Just a thought but it seems to me like every time I look at a well cut RB next to a princess of the same carat the rb looks bigger no due to surface area but due to the fact that the edges are seemingly more noticeable with the RB (and I think a well cut rb brings the light outward toward the edges betteR) than with the princess cut. That's just my 2 cents but it seems to make good sense in my mind and maybe others too!

That's possible! Because i think the round does look bigger in the first picture where it's in focus and you can see the arrows, etc and the princess in one of the others where they both just look like white shapes because they are not both focused at the same time. I guess there could be many factors. Overall though, I at least have my answer that in my experience the round does not look bigger than the square!

 

[septsparkle]

IMHO the round looks a little bigger, but not enough to make or break the deal. What would make it for me is the way that round looks.


Let me put it like this; If you reject that round I want to know which one it is, so I can poach it! It's a beautiful stone.

I think at this point I am pretty set on keeping her....for now....but when I send it in for the next upgrade you'll be the first to know!

 

[septsparkle]

I think the round is gorgeous. In some shots it looks bigger to me, others they look the same. I think the fact that the princess is set makes it look bigger to me than it would unset.

That's cool the round is "speaking" to you. It looks amazing! Awesome fire is just I bet you're heaving a HUGE sigh of relief just about now, too, huh. I'll bet it'll look killer in the Legato setting. That setting is one that I would love to own someday. The profile is just yummy and I like the head on the round Legato more than the princess, too. Congrats on finally finding your stone!

Thanks! I do feel sort of relieved and I can not wait to wear this ring. I love this setting and it's been pretty sucky to have it sitting here in a box and not be able to wear it!!!! In pictures i like the round head better as well...so I'm sure I will love this one in person even more. Funny how things work out, but it certainly opens more doors to me when shopping now!!!