Uh oh!! Round v. Princess

[dc amateur]

Just when I thought I was all finished, i start getting hints that possibly my gf is into princess cut stones. The thing is she doesn''t know much about any of this. From what I''ve seen, I prefer the round H & A diamonds, so this is just something else to think about. I think one of my sister-in-laws is sending out emails talking about this stuff and while it is somewhat helpful (not necessarily needed), I would like my gf to make an informed decision on her own. Unfortunately, since i want to make this a total surprise, I have to play dumb-dumb anytime she talks about this stuff. It''s hard to be so knowledgeable (from this site) yet such an idiot for the sake of surprise. My QUESTION is: What can you tell me about quality differences b/n round and princess and comparative price differences. i understand that princess cut may be the most popular among women, but round look so much more brilliant and pretty in my opinion. What can you all tell me?

 

[aljdewey]

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On 11/11/2003 4:47:33 PM dc amateur wrote:










My QUESTION is: What can you tell me about quality differences b/n round and princess and comparative price differences. I understand that princess cut may be the most popular among women, but round look so much more brilliant and pretty in my opinion. What can you all tell me?
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Well, a few things (from a woman, by the way):

Regarding pricing, fancies (including princess) tend to be comparatively less expensive than rounds.

(EDITED TO ADD: Princess fancies look smaller than their round counterparts of the same weight.....a 1 ct well-cut round measures approx. 6.50 mm....a 1 ct. princess seems to run around 5.25 mm or so.....SERIOUS visual difference.)

Rounds look more brilliant because they ARE more brilliant....fancies tend to have more leakage and therefore less brilliance than rounds. Brilliance, fire, scintillation, etc.....all are a function of how a diamond's facets relate to one another (kind of like mirrors in a funhouse), so the way to optimize on that is through picking a symmetrical diamond......by definition, that's a round.

As far as popularity......trends tend to lose their appeal over time. The round is a classic look that really is timeless.

All of the above doesn't mean a damn thing is someone has their heart SET on a fancy stone....but only if they have it set on a fancy stone. I initially thought I wanted a radiant cut (because I wanted something different from the norm). But I want the most sparkle that can be had, and I learned that the round far outperforms its fancy counterparts. Post-education, I prefer round and decided that I can make my ring look individual by customizing the setting instead.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[niceice]

"aljdewey" summed this up really well, all we'd like to add is that it is extremely difficult to find a well cut princess... We have ONE in our entire inventory and it's not for lack of looking! Barry over at SuperbCert.com has some pretty nice princess cuts from what we've seen as does BlueNile.com in their "signature collection"... Happy Hunting!

 

[dc amateur]

Thanks for the info. I'm starting to look into princess more so I am informed. What you guys said makes a lot of sense. When my girlfriend mentioned that she tried on a princess cut 18K yellow gold ring, I don't think she was suggesting that is what she wanted. I think it was more of a hint that she liked that someone was talking about rings and to give me a hint. Little does she know that I am way far ahead of her. I think the point that the RB is more brilliant is the bottom line. That's what I'm looking for.

 

[canadiangrrl]

DC, if you do find out that she does have a preference for the princess, you might want to check out some other square cuts that appear to be much better performers. GoodOldGold has some Regents, Queen of Hearts, and Lucere's that would be worth a definite look *if* you get the feeling she likes the princess cut.

 

[hoorray]

Everyone has their own opinions, and I can't second guess hers. But...my 2cents is that this is a "forever" ring, and sometimes the classics are a better bet for the long run. I'd see if there was a way to probe further before changing directions. It sounds as if you've gotten a good way down the path.

 

[in_need_of_help]

I think if you buy her (or any woman for that matter) a nice round cut diamond she will like it now, and 10 years from now, and 20 years from now, or and 30 years from now... You get the point. Has a round cut ever gone out of style?

 

[jenibear]

As a lover of princesses and a woman who knows what she wants I would suggest you be certain your lady does not have her heart set on a princess or other shape before you purchase.
Had the ring selection been left up to my man alone he would have selected an RB because people would have told him that's what to do. Would I love it? Sure. Would I be bummed I didn't have a say and that I really wanted a fancy? Sure. Would I tell him - who the heck knows.
Better to be safe than sorry.
And I have to say that there are some very gorgeous princesses out there if you look hard. Diamond Brokers of Florida has great ones. And I have to say my 1 ct. looks just as big if not bigger than the 1 ct. RBs I see - and mine also has a lot more sparkle and fire! So I guess it depends on the quality of the RB and fancy your comparing!
Good luck.
I'm sure you'll pick a great ring and she'll be thrilled.

 

[Groovy Chick]

 

[Groovy Chick]

Oops! Your name is dc amateur. Told you i'm new at this.

 

[Groovy Chick]

This is frustrating. I typed a long message and sent it. Then i typed a small addition and sent it and the first message has gone blank. Can't seem to figure out why, or how this works. I'll keep trying.

 

[Groovy Chick]

Okay, in my opinion, Jennibear is right in that you should find some clever way to find out what shape stone your gf likes best. The fact that your gf specifically mentioned that she tried on a princess cut could indeed be a hint - that's the sort of thing us girlies do! Anyway, people can be very particular about their jewellery. I actually don't like round stones. I find them boring and run-of-the-mill. To me, ANY fancy cut is better. I'm only telling you this so that you can see that not everyone likes them. I recently got to choose an e-ring and although i'd always had my heart set on a pear, i did consider princess. The only thing that put my off princess was that it's so trendy at the moment with loads of girls getting them. I wanted something more unusual. However, princess is a fabulous cut, looks every bit as big as round stones, and sparkles plenty! If you want to be totally sure your lady adores her ring then i'd do some subtle investigation. You might also want to find out what metal she likes as this is important too. Good luck!

 

[Groovy Chick]

Oh my God! You have to check out Jenibear's e-ring pics under 'Show me the ring". It's the most breathtakingly magic Princess imaginable, set with rounds either side. It is sooooooo gorgeous. It should be illegal to wear a ring like that - people could go blind in the street! Talk about 'wow factor'. BLING BLING!! You definately should find out if your gf is a princess fan before buying.

 

[valeria101]

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On 11/11/2003 7:17:07 PM dc amateur wrote:

Thanks for the info. I'm starting to look into princess more so I am informed. What you guys said makes a lot of sense. When my girlfriend mentioned that she tried on a princess cut 18K yellow gold ring, I don't think she was suggesting that is what she wanted. I think it was more of a hint that she liked that someone was talking about rings and to give me a hint. Little does she know that I am way far ahead of her. I think the point that the RB is more brilliant is the bottom line. That's what I'm looking for.

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Right!
I have a hard time believing that someone who does not seem to put much effort into jewelry-searching (such as you describe your girl) would be disappointed with a nice RBC. I'd be FURIOUS, but this is just me after years of gem hunting on all fronts. All in all, you can always get the stone from a seller with good trade-up policy or something, just in case your diamond will have the (possible, I'd say) effect of stirring some full-fledged diamond hobby. Even if unpleasant, I guess having to do the shopping once more (at the least transaction cost) and share your knowledge with your wife, is a much lesser evil than seeing that ring grudgingly worn... I'd say.

 

[diamond dazed]

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Even if unpleasant, I guess having to do the shopping once more (at the least transaction cost) and share your knowledge with your wife, is a much lesser evil than seeing that ring grudgingly worn... I'd say.

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It's kinda funny, because when I started the search for my upgraded diamond, I was considering many shapes, not set on any particular one -- kinda liked the rb's, but also radiants, and the princess, too.... Then I found these forums, and I found out about hearts and arrows, and thought it was interesting and kinda cool, but still not set on a RB. However, then I shared a few posts from these forums with my husband, and then he started reading and next thing I knew he would groan whenever I mentioned any fancy cuts --- he became fanatical about RB's. In his right-brained way of thinking, he couldn't understand why ANYONE would EVER consider anything other than a RB -- in his mind, diamonds were MADE to be cut into RB's, and nothing else. End of story. In the end I ended up with a beautiful H&A RB. He loves it as much as I do, and I think that's kinda cute to tell you the truth. How many husbands *love* their wife's diamond?

It sounds like you've fallen head over heels in love with RB's, kinda like my DH did. It also sounds like there's a good chance your fiancee doesn't have a strong, strong preference for the princess, if that's the first you've heard about it -- and I think you're right, it might have just been more of a hint dropping thing about marriage, than about a particular shape.
There's a good chance that she will find it endearing that you put so much effort into learning about diamonds -- and when she sees how much you love the RB, it will probably endear her to it if she doesn't already love them. Besides, she may never have seen a well cut RB -- I can't imagine anyone opening a ringbox with a little fire-ball that a well-cut, H&A RB would be, and not being blown away..... I didn't love the RB before because I'd never seen what it could really be -- now I don't think I'd want anything else (well, if I can only have one that is...).

Ooops, getting a little windy here.

Good luck! And just to be sure, make sure you go somewhere (like GOG) that has a great trade-up policy.

Kris

 

[Abazias]

I just had a customer exchange a 1.73ct H VS1 Princess for a 1.75ct I SI1 round diamond because the princess did not have the brilliance of a round stone. We choose a 1.75ct I SI1(eye-clean) to stay within her budget and the diamond is definitely larger and has more fire and brilliance. The round stones are larger in diameter and that is always a bonus. I believe everyone on this forum explained the differences well. It is not the end of the world if she wants to exchange the diamond for another shape. Since this is going to be a lifetime purchase, all that matters is that she is delighted in the end.

Happy Shopping,
Felicia

 

[magna2]

Aside from the size issue, I think women's next priority in a diamond is how much it sparkles. So to get the most brilliance out of a diamond, round brilliants are a better alternative to princess cuts.

 

[aljdewey]

I have to respectfully disagree with Jenibear and Pear Princess on the the contention that a 1 ct princess looks as big as a 1 ct well-cut RB.




Jenibear, perhaps I'm missing something about your princess cut. What are the dimensions of the stone?




I really have a hard time believing that the 1 carat princess could look as big as a 1 ct well-cut RB stone......the measurements just don't support that contention. The difference between 5.25mm and 6.50 mm is HUGE. That's not meant to knock the princess cut AT ALL.....but I just find it hard to believe based on measurements. I'd also have a hard time believing that someone who is 5'9" tall would appear as tall as someone who is 6'1" tall......the measurements defy that.




Please understand that this post is JUST about the size issue, and it doesn't negate anything I've said previously. If DC's girl is absolutely set on a princess cut, and nothing else will thrill her as much, then I firmly agree that he should get a princess cut. There are those people who know they will have to sacrifice brilliance/fire, etc. to get their heart's desire...and if that's their choice, splendid....go for it.




But DC....I'd definitely find out what her preference is on this....it makes a world of difference.

 

[JC]

It all comes down to what she wants. I wanted to buy my fiancee a round brilliant diamond, but her heart was set on a princess cut. You might save a little more money going with a princess, and they are beautiful. Not to toot our own horn, but we have our own "Signature Series" princess cuts as well. There beautiful! So shop around, and also take a look on www.gemappraisers.com to find out more about the exact cut that you should consider in regard to a princess. I'm sure that you will find a beautiful diamond.

 

[Hest88]

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I think the point that the RB is more brilliant is the bottom line. That's what I'm looking for.
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Actually, I think the bottom line needs to be what shape she prefers. Women can be really picky about shapes. I know a lot of women who love the princess shape and couldn't care less that it's less brilliant. I, personally, am one of those women who would probably never want a RB. Ever. And if my Dh got me one, I'd probably think that he didn't know me as well as he thought he did!

You're not in a big hurry, so I'd really enlist the help of her sisters or girlfriends to figure out what she really wants. That way there's not chance of disappointment.

 

[Mikesgirl]

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I really have a hard time believing that the 1 carat princess could look as big as a 1 ct well-cut RB stone......the measurements just don't support that contention. The difference between 5.25mm and 6.50 mm is HUGE.
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Remember, 5.25 across is 7.5 on the diagonal on a princess. the 6.5 is any direction on the round. So visually, there may be a sense that they are about the same size because of the diagonal stretch.

If you think the comment about the princess is a hint that she wants to look, take the hint. Asking questions will let her know that you are not resistant to looking, without giving away that you are closer than she thinks to popping the question. It can't hurt.

 

[dc amateur]

Thanks for all the good info. i especially agree with Diamond Dazed, as they state correctly that I know my girlfriend would be absolutely floored if i got her a nice RB. I WILL do more detective work, but after all this I'm pretty sure she would want an H&A RB. I will look around though for other things.

 

[hoorray]

One last thought....even tho it's super important to get her a ring she loves, what you like should count some too. I love emerald cuts, but my husband LOVES the RB cut. We just upgraded my stone to an H&A RB, because it made both of us happy. I wouldn't feel right wearing an e-ring that I knew wasn't something he really liked. The ring is about US, not just me.

 

[jenibear]

Al -
I get what you are saying about princesses and don't disagree - maybe mikesgirl's logic makes sense.
I don't have my stones measurements with me, no do I have them memorized.
What I said was MY 1 ct. LOOKS to be the same size as the 1 ct. RBs I'VE SEEN.
Who knows what the specs of those stones are - I didn't ask. So they could be bad cuts and that's why mine looks just as big - or it could just be a perception thing.