Princess Cut Engagement Rings

The princess cut is the second most popular diamond shape in the world after the round brilliant, and the most popular square cut by a considerable margin. Its sharp, unclipped corners and deeply faceted pavilion give it an optical intensity that distinguishes it from every other square shape — the stone appears vivid and bright even at modest carat weights. This collection of 410 rings pairs that cut with settings ranging from the clean architecture of a plain four-claw solitaire to the shoulder detail of a halo or three-stone arrangement, all made to order at our Hatton Garden workshop and available in gold or platinum.

The range is broader than diamonds alone. Several pieces pair the princess-cut centre with coloured stone accents — the Willow Ring With Sapphire Accents at £1,221 and the Willow Ring With Lab Emerald Accents at the same price offer side-by-side comparisons of how blue sapphire and lab emerald read against the same white-metal setting. Where a single stone isn't enough, the Luxe Rhiannon Three Stone Sapphire Engagement Ring flanks the centre diamond with two princess-cut sapphires to form a continuous horizontal line. Centre stones throughout the collection are available as certified diamonds, coloured diamonds or gemstones.

Every ring in this collection is independently certified — diamonds by GIA, IGI or HRD — and hallmarked at the London Assay Office before delivery. Orders include complimentary insured UK delivery, free resizing for life, and a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Lead time from order confirmation is 7–14 working days. If you are selecting a loose certified diamond to be set separately, that stone is delivered within 5–7 working days and the ring follows the standard 7–14 working day schedule.

What is a princess cut diamond?

The princess cut was developed in the early 1960s and refined through the 1980s into the form recognised today: a square stone with four sharp, unclipped corners, a flat table on the upper face, and a pavilion divided by a grid of chevron-shaped facets below. Those chevrons — typically two, three or four rows running from the girdle down to the culet — create a distinctive optical pattern of contrast and light return that most cutters describe as a cross or windmill effect when viewed face-up. The result is a high-fire stone: more visual intensity than an asscher cut, more directional sparkle than a cushion.

The cut is proprietary in shape rather than standardised — no two manufacturers cut the pavilion grid in exactly the same way — so the specific grading report matters more than the name. GIA, IGI and HRD each assess princess cuts on cut quality as well as the standard four Cs. When comparing stones, the length-to-width ratio is also worth reviewing: a ratio of 1.00–1.05 reads as a true square; anything above 1.10 begins to read as a slightly rectangular stone to most eyes.

How a princess cut diamond looks on the hand

The princess cut reads larger face-up than most other cuts at the same carat weight. A well-proportioned 1.00ct princess cut measures approximately 5.5mm across the diagonal and 5.5mm along the girdle — not dramatically different from a round brilliant of the same weight, but the square footprint creates a different visual impression. The corners extend to the full width of the stone with no soft curves to interrupt the outline, so the ring tends to appear bolder on the hand than a comparably sized oval or pear.

Against short or wide fingers, a princess cut with a slim band — 1.8–2.0mm — and moderately low setting profile creates visual elongation. Against longer fingers, a wider band or shoulder setting makes the ring appear more balanced. One practical note: the four corners of a princess cut are the sharpest points on the stone and, in an open four-claw setting, the most exposed. Clients who work with their hands or wear gloves frequently tend to prefer a setting where the claw covers each corner rather than grips the flat face of the girdle.

Best settings for a princess cut diamond

The four-claw solitaire is the canonical setting for a princess cut — a claw at each corner holds the stone securely, leaves the face and sides open to light, and keeps the profile low enough for comfortable daily wear. Among the most direct examples in this collection is the Willow Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,155, which follows this logic in a clean, shoulder-free design. The Waverly Halo Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,548 extends the same centre into a halo of round brilliant accents, which adds apparent diameter to the face of the stone and raises the total carat weight without increasing the centre stone size.

A hidden halo setting — where the accent stones are recessed beneath the table of the centre stone — produces a similar enlargement effect with less visual complexity. The Waverly Hidden Halo Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,417 illustrates the difference. For a more assertive combination, the Waverly Halo Diamond Ring with Black Diamond Accents at £1,483 replaces white accent stones with black diamonds, creating a contrast frame around the centre that reads as more graphic and contemporary. Bezel settings and channel settings are also available; both protect the corners more fully than an open claw arrangement.

Is the princess cut outdated?

The question appears regularly in UK searches, partly because the princess cut reached its highest market share during the late 1990s and early 2000s — a period associated in many buyers' minds with a particular aesthetic. It has since been overtaken in engagement ring popularity by the oval and cushion cuts, both of which saw significant growth through the mid-2010s. Whether that constitutes "outdated" depends on what the wearer values.

The princess cut remains the most popular square cut in the UK and second overall. It is bought by clients who want the structural precision of a square outline, who prefer the optical intensity of chevron facets over the softer light return of a cushion, or who associate the cut with a direct, unfussy aesthetic rather than a trend. Trends in stone shape tend to run in long cycles — the round brilliant fell in and out of fashion repeatedly across the twentieth century and is now dominant again. Cuts are chosen by wearer, not by calendar year.

How much does a princess cut engagement ring cost in the UK?

The UK average engagement ring spend is £2,247 (Bridebook 2026), and princess cut rings sit comfortably within and above that range depending on specification. In this collection, rings with coloured stone accents and a princess cut diamond centre begin at £1,155 — the Nadia Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring and the Willow Diamond Engagement Ring are both at that entry point. Mid-range pieces with more elaborate settings or higher total carat weights sit in the £1,400–£1,800 band; the Luxe Secret Garden Lab Emerald and Diamond Engagement Ring at £2,728 is representative of where a detailed multi-stone arrangement with a larger centre sits.

The principal price variables are centre stone weight and grade, metal choice, and setting complexity. Moving from 9ct to 18ct gold adds to the metal cost; moving from 18ct gold to 950 platinum adds further still. In terms of stone trade-offs, colour grade has more visible impact on a princess cut than clarity — the cut's contrast-heavy facet pattern can mask VS2 to SI1 inclusions that would be more visible in an emerald cut, but colour warmth is apparent face-up in a white metal setting from around J grade downward.

Sizing and proportion: carat-to-mm guide

Princess cuts are slightly more efficient than round brilliants at converting carat weight into face-up size — more of the rough diamond is retained during cutting, and the square footprint reads across a wider spread. As a general guide: a 0.50ct princess cut measures approximately 4.4mm across the top; a 0.75ct measures approximately 5.0mm; a 1.00ct approximately 5.5mm; and a 1.50ct approximately 6.5mm. These figures vary by a few tenths of a millimetre depending on table percentage and crown height, which is why the grading report's measurements — not the carat weight alone — should guide the final choice.

Depth percentage also affects how the ring wears. A princess cut with a depth of 68–75% sits within the range where light return is balanced and the ring doesn't sit too high above the finger. Below 65%, the stone may look large face-up but lose optical intensity; above 78%, the stone appears smaller than its carat weight suggests and gains unwanted height. If you are bringing a loose stone to be set, the CAD stage of our process confirms whether the proposed setting dimensions match the stone's actual measurements before any metalwork begins.

Made to order at President Jewellers

Every ring in this collection is made to order in our Hatton Garden workshop. Lead time is 7–14 working days from order confirmation — solitaires and simpler shoulder settings at the faster end, multi-stone arrangements and bespoke commissions closer to fourteen days. The process begins with a CAD design, which you review and approve before any metal is cast. A silver or wax sample is then prepared for try-on at the workshop, where the scale, proportion and band width can be assessed in person before the final piece is made. Casting, stone setting, finishing and polishing are completed in house; hallmarking is at the London Assay Office.

If you want to bring your own stone or select a loose certified diamond separately, the stone is delivered within 5–7 working days and the ring is then made to the standard 7–14 working day schedule. For bespoke commissions — a non-standard setting profile, a mixed-stone arrangement, or a specific width not shown — contact us before ordering and we'll confirm feasibility at the consultation stage. All rings include complimentary insured UK delivery, free resizing for life, and a 30-day returns window; bespoke and engraved orders are not returnable.

Frequently asked questions

What does a princess cut engagement ring mean?

The name "princess cut" is a trade term with no single agreed origin, though it was popularised in the 1960s and 1970s alongside the cut's commercial growth. It carries no formal symbolic meaning beyond the general symbolism of an engagement ring. In practice, buyers who choose the princess cut tend to describe their reasons in practical and aesthetic terms: they want a square stone, they prefer its optical intensity to a cushion or asscher, and they like that it reads as a confident, direct shape rather than a softer or more decorative one. The meaning, in short, is what the wearer brings to it.

Is princess cut diamond outdated?

Not in any definitive sense. The princess cut's market share peaked in the early 2000s and has since been shared with the oval and cushion, but it remains the most popular square diamond cut sold in the UK. It continues to be chosen by clients who want the structural clarity of a square outline and the high-contrast light return that the chevron facet pattern produces. Whether it suits a particular wearer is a question of personal preference and hand proportion, not of current fashion. Cuts tend to cycle over decades; the princess cut has proven durable across three of them.

What cut is Meghan Markle's ring?

Meghan Markle's engagement ring features a round brilliant centre stone flanked by two round brilliant side stones, all set in yellow gold — it is not a princess cut. The ring attracted significant attention in 2017 and contributed to renewed interest in three-stone settings and yellow gold. For clients drawn to that arrangement, the Luxe Rhiannon Three Stone Lab Emerald Engagement Ring and the Luxe Rhiannon Three Stone Sapphire Engagement Ring both interpret the three-stone format with a princess cut centre and coloured stone shoulders.

What metals are available for princess cut engagement rings?

All rings in this collection are available in 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold — in white, yellow or rose — and in 950 platinum. For a princess cut in a white metal setting, 18ct white gold and 950 platinum are the closest in appearance; 18ct white gold is rhodium-plated from new and may need re-plating every two to three years with daily wear, while platinum develops a natural patina over time and does not require replating. Yellow and rose gold suit warmer-grade diamonds and are particularly effective when paired with coloured stone accents such as sapphire or emerald.

How long does a princess cut engagement ring take to make?

Lead time is 7–14 working days from order confirmation. Solitaires and simpler settings are typically ready closer to seven working days; multi-stone arrangements, pavé shoulder settings and bespoke commissions take closer to fourteen. The process includes a CAD design review and an optional silver or wax sample try-on at the Hatton Garden workshop, so the timeline accounts for those approval stages. If you need the ring by a specific date, contact us before ordering and we'll confirm whether the schedule is achievable.

Can I choose a coloured stone centre for a princess cut ring?

Yes. Every ring in this collection can be set with a certified diamond, a coloured diamond, or a gemstone centre. Princess cut sapphires, emeralds and rubies are all available in natural and lab-grown forms; lab emeralds and lab sapphires in particular offer strong colour saturation at a lower price point than their natural equivalents. Several pieces in this collection — including the Luxe Willow Lab Emerald and Diamond Engagement Ring and the Arden Diamond Ring with Lab Emerald Accents — are already designed around coloured stone combinations and can be adapted further at the consultation stage.