3 Stone Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Ring Questions

Hi Danny, I’m in the process of shopping for a diamond engagement ring and have a budget of around $10 – 11k to work with. My girlfriend really likes the look of the Crystal 3 Stone Princess cut engagement ring from Brian Gavin, but I’m not sure which diamond to select for a center stone… I know that I’d like it to be ideal cut, around one carat, eye clean, and to face-up without a hint of yellow. Also I’ve read that it is best to cut princess cut diamonds with two or three chevron facets, but I’m not quite sure what a chevron facet is, and which number Brian Gavin uses, can you elaborate on this and help me make a choice? Thanks! Simon L.

How to count Chevron facets on a Princess Cut Diamond:

With the understanding that I’m not all that proficient in Photoshop, I attempted to color in the facet sections of the plotting diagram of a princess cut diamond, to demonstrate how to count the number of chevron facets featured on a princess cut diamond. The facet section colored red, represents the primary pavilion main facet of the diamond, which is not counted as a chevron. Each section of the pavilion main facets which extend outward from that point, are counted as a chevron facet, so as you can see this diamond has three chevron facets, as represented by the colors yellow, blue, and green.

While the proportions of a princess cut diamond affect the volume of light return and the balance of brilliance and dispersion, the number of chevron facets located on the pavilion of the diamond is also a contributing factor to the visual performance, because it has an effect upon the size and volume of the sparkle.

This is because the number of chevron facets is a contributing factor to the production of virtual facets, which are kind of like the kaleidoscope effect created by the overlapping of the facets of a diamond, which creates virtual facets on the fly as the diamond is observed while in motion. While the majority of diamond cutters producing ideal princess cut diamonds, seem to focus on merely cutting the diamond to ideal proportions, and a level of polish and symmetry good enough to qualify for the zero ideal cut rating from the AGSL, Brian generally prefers the look created by a 3 chevron facet structure.

Which Brian Gavin Princess Cut Diamond Should I Pick?

I took a look at the options available and really like the look of this 1.088 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Princess cut diamond. It has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 and exhibits a pattern of light return which is bright and consistently dispersed throughout the ASET image provided on the diamond quality document. I think that it will look exceptional set in the Crystal three stone ring which you’ve selected and the G-color, combined with the overall cut quality of the diamond, ensures that it will face up bright and white! Just look at how the light moves through the diamond in the high resolution video on the details page!