prin·cess cut | ˈprin(t)-səs kət
noun
A highly faceted square cut stone, similar to a brilliant cut, which has been adapted to a square shape to increase brilliance
A princess cut diamond is one that is highly faceted square cut stone, meaning it looks fairly similar to a brilliant cut, but has been adapted to a square shape to increase the brilliance of the stone. It is commonly used in engagement rings and was first developed in some form in the 1960s and its current form in 1980. The shape looks like an inverted pyramid from the side and a square from the top. Today, the princess cut diamond is the second most popular cut of diamond behind the brilliant cut diamond with roughly 30% of all engagement rings using a princess cut compared to 50% for brilliant round cuts.
