What Is a Princess Cut Diamond?

This cut is one of the youngest diamond shapes, designed in the 1980s, while others are centuries old. That newness shows: lab grown princess cut diamonds look modern in a way an emerald or cushion never quite does.

Square from above, inverted-pyramid from the side, with brilliant faceting inside a hard-edged outline. Sparkle close to a round's, delivered in straight lines.

Four sharp corners come with that geometry, the shape's signature and its one vulnerability.

Is a Princess Cut Diamond Cheaper Than a Round?

Yes, princess cut diamonds are typically more affordable than round diamonds of comparable carat weight and quality, often costing around 10–20% less.

Diamond rough forms roughly octahedral, two pyramids base to base. A princess follows that geometry almost exactly, so about 80% of the crystal survives cutting. A round keeps closer to 40%.

You pay for waste either way. There's just less of it here, so expect meaningfully less per carat than a round of matching grade.

How to Protect the Corners

Corners are where lab grown princess cut diamonds chip. The metal has to cover them. Two approaches work:

• Prong the corners directly. A V-shaped prong wraps each corner rather than gripping the flat edge between them. This is the standard solution and the one to ask for.
• Bezel the stone. A full rim covers every corner at once. Less sparkle, most protection.

What doesn't work is a four-prong setting gripping the mid-edges and leaving the corners bare. It looks clean and it's asking for trouble.

What Clarity to Choose

VS to SI is the range that makes sense here. Lab grown princess cut diamonds are brilliant cuts, so the faceting scatters light and breaks up the view of anything inside. Small inclusions that would be obvious in a step cut simply disappear.

One place to look closely: inclusions at or near a corner. A feather there isn't just cosmetic, it's a weak point in the spot already most at risk. Check the certificate plot. For color, G–H holds up in white metal, and yellow gold lets you go lower.

Best Settings for a Princess Cut Diamond

• Solitaire with corner prongs, clean lines, geometry on show
• Bezel, maximum corner protection
• Halo, a square halo doubles down on the geometry
• Three stone, trapezoid sides echo the straight edges
• Channel-set side stones, squared accents suit the shape

Lab grown princess cut diamonds suit modern, architectural designs. They fight vintage settings, where soft outlines dominate.

Princess Cut Lab Grown Diamonds at Precious Carbon

Twenty years of wholesale supply came before we sold anything direct. Prices here still carry that.

At Precious Carbon, we offer IGI or GIA certified princess cut lab grown diamonds, graded on the 4Cs. Plus, we offer free shipping both ways, and 30 days to decide. Weighing up shapes? Our diamond shape guide compares them side by side, and natural princess cuts are here too.