If you want a classic stone shape for your diamond then try the princess cut. The princess cut diamond ring is quite popular at the moment because large cocktail rings with big square stones are in style and so are very flashy rings. The princess cut is a very flashy way of cutting a stone as it leaves it with a lot of depth that catches the light.

The princess cut, which is technically a brilliant cut, first became popular during the Art Deco period of design which featured perfectly square or rectangular gems with crisply trimmed corners. This sharp minimalist is as contemporary today as when it first appeared at the turn of the century before this one.

The square shaped cut allows one to see the fine quality of the surface of the stone so it best suits diamonds that are of a higher quality. Sometimes diamonds are squares or rectangles are called “princess diamonds” by jewelers. The cut is favored for valuable stones because it maximizes as much of the bulk of the stone as possible. The bigger that the stone is kept during cutting the more valuable it is. The stone is also cut in certain ways when it is put into its setting so that it’s brilliance is maximized even though the surface of it is flat and not cut into a prism as would be the case with a round cut stone.

This is a great cut for a diamond because it retains its value and makes it appear as expensive as possible. However one of its drawbacks is that it is set quite high up from the band of the ring to show it off. This makes the stone more vulnerable to damage. Yet another drawback is the fact that the corner of the stone is so sharp and flat that it makes the stone easier to break. More than one bride has had to get her princess cut diamond recur into a cushion shape (a diamond shape with rounded corners) because the stone has lost a pointed edge due to ordinary wear and tear. The way to avoid damage to a princess cut stone is to try and have it embedded as securely as possible into the ring with as many prongs as possible and to also take it off if you are going to do any type of work that might risk damaging the stone. This includes things like doing the dishes, playing certain types of board games and working out.

This type of cut of diamond ring is very popular. It is also very retro and was a cut that was popular in the twenties, the forties, the fifties and also the eighties. Now in the first decade of the new millennium the princess cut diamond has made yet another comeback and the bigger the diamond the better. As this cut has never really gone out of fashion you can also find many fabulous vintage diamond princess cut rings on online auctions and also at antique fairs and estate sales.