Why is the princess cut more costly than the round diamond cut?

“I’m looking to buy a princess cut diamond for ‘my princess’ but was thrown off course this past weekend when a friend mentioned that princess cut diamonds are more expensive than rounds. When I asked him why, he said that he couldn’t recall, it was just something he remembered from when he was ring shopping last year. Are princess cut diamonds really more costly than round diamond cuts? And if so, why are princess cut diamonds more expensive than rounds? It seems to me that diamond rough is diamond rough and the cost of cutting diamonds is relatively the same. However maybe there is something special about princess cut diamonds that cause them to be more expensive?”

Round vs Princess Cut Diamond Prices:

This 1.045 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Princess cut diamond has a cash discount wire price of $6,339.00 which is $3,360.00 less than the price for this 1.045 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Black by Brian Gavin round diamond.

If we divide the price of the princess cut diamond by the carat weight to determine the price per carat (PPC) we determine that the cost of is $6,066.00 per carat. While the PPC of the round diamond is $9,281.00 yet they are the same carat weight, color, clarity, and overall cut grade.

From this perspective, it would seem that princess cut diamonds are less expensive than rounds. Or you could say that round diamonds are more expensive than princess cut diamonds.

By the way, to be clear, to determine the price per carat (PPC) of a diamond, simply divide the cash / wire price of the diamond by the carat weight. The price of the round diamond used in this example is $9,699.00 / 1.045 carats = 9,281 per carat.

Visible diameter of princess vs round diamonds:

While the carat weight, color, clarity, and cut grade of these two diamonds are the same: 1.045 carats, G-color, VS-1 clarity, AGS Ideal-0; the measurements of the diamonds are dramatically different:

• Round = 6.52 X 6.54 X 4.04
• Princess = 5.46 X 5.41 X 4.15

At first glance, it is obvious that the round diamond has a larger visible outside diameter than the princess cut diamond. If we add up the first two measurements and divide that by 2 to get the average diameter, we see that the round has an average diameter of 6.53 mm while the princess cut diamond has an average diameter of 5.435 mm, which is a difference of 1.095 millimeters.

Thus while the two 1.045 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity diamonds might have the same carat weight, color, and clarity, they face-up different sizes entirely. In fact, you might be surprised to discover that the average diameter of this 0.607 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond is larger than that of the 1.045 carat, princess cut diamond. Nevertheless, this round diamond measures 5.45 X 5.48 X 3.34 mm which gives it an average diameter of 5.465 mm. Which is 0.03 mm larger than the princess cut diamond. The price of this round diamond is $2,768.00 or $4,560.00 per carat.

If you recall from above, the price per carat of the 1.045 princess cut diamond is $6,066.00 per carat and it has an average outside diameter of 5.435 millimeters. The price per carat of the 0.607 carat round diamond is $4,560.00 and it faces up slightly larger at 5.465 millimeters. Thus you end up paying $1,506.00 more per carat to buy the princess cut diamond which appears to have virtually the same visible outside diameter.

But it’s all a matter of perspective…

Clearly when viewed from this perspective, it seems like princess cut diamonds are more expensive than rounds. When you buy a princess cut diamond, it costs you more to buy the same visible diameter that you’ll get from a round diamond of the same carat weight.

However, you have to keep in mind how these diamonds are being measured. In both cases, the first two measurements provided on a diamond grading report represent the distance across the diamond from north to south, and east to west. But what about the weight held in the corners of a princess cut?

In the article Unveiling the Science Behind the Sparkle of Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamonds, we reveal a more accurate method of measuring fancy cut diamonds such as cushion and princess cuts. You really owe it to yourself to take the time to read it, or at least glance over the graphics provided therein which I believe you will find quite illuminating.

After you have a chance to read that article, let me know who wins the debate on whether princess cut diamonds are more expensive than rounds… you or your friend? And by all means, let me know if you’d like to know the measurements of a princess cut diamond by the other method which we’ve proposed in that article.