Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
Emerald cuts cost less per carat than round and look clean and architectural rather than sparkly.
Read guide
Engagement rings / Princess Cut
Is a princess cut engagement ring right for you?
A princess cut is a square with sharp corners and lots of sparkle. It was the second most popular shape in the 2000s. Today it’s less fashionable than oval, which means it can feel more personal. Here’s what to know.
PK
Parth KananiOctober 2026 · 6 min read
In short: A princess cut sparkles almost like a round and costs less per carat. It looks slightly smaller face-up than a round of the same weight, and its four corners need protecting with V-claws. A 1ct princess cut solitaire in 18ct white gold costs about £3,400–£4,850 natural, or £1,450–£2,500 lab-grown.
Size
How big does a princess cut diamond look?
Carat is weight, not size. Here's a 1ct princess cut drawn to scale against a 1ct round, and what each weight measures from above.
| Carat | Typical size |
|---|---|
| 0.5ct | 4.4mm |
| 0.7ct | 4.9mm |
| 1.0ct | 5.5mm |
| 1.5ct | 6.3mm |
| 2.0ct | 6.9mm |
Length-to-width ratio: 1.00–1.05. Most people want a true square. Above 1.05 it starts to look slightly rectangular.
Prices
What a princess cut engagement ring costs in Hatton Garden
A solitaire in 18ct white gold with a certified G colour, VS2 clarity, well-cut princess cut diamond. Prices include the setting.
| Carat | Natural diamond | Lab-grown diamond |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5ct | £1,400–£2,150 | £750–£1,300 |
| 0.7ct | £2,100–£3,150 | £1,000–£1,750 |
| 1.0ct | £3,400–£4,850 | £1,450–£2,500 |
| 1.5ct | £6,350–£9,100 | £2,500–£4,450 |
| 2.0ct | £10,600–£15,900 | £3,950–£7,500 |
Why G and VS2? Princess cuts hide inclusions well thanks to their sparkle, so VS2 is plenty. G colour looks white in any metal.
Platinum adds roughly £200–£300 to the setting. Lab-grown diamonds look identical but resell for much less. Our lab-grown vs natural guide covers the trade-off.
On the hand
What you'll actually see
A 1ct princess cut is about 5.5mm square. Because more of its weight sits deeper in the stone, it looks a little smaller from above than a 1ct round (about 6.4mm).
It sparkles strongly, close to a round, with a crisp, modern outline.
The square shape sits neatly next to a straight wedding band with no gap.
A princess cut suits you if…
- You want lots of sparkle in a modern, geometric shape
- You like clean lines and minimal jewellery
- You want a ring that sits flush against a wedding band
Think twice if…
- Looking as big as possible matters most. Oval or pear give more size per carat
- You knock your hands a lot. The four sharp corners are the stone’s weak points
Before you buy
What to check on a princess cut diamond
- 1Make sure all four corners are covered by V-shaped claws or a bezel.
- 2Check it’s actually square: divide length by width on the certificate. Under 1.05 is a true square.
- 3Look for even sparkle across the stone. A dark cross or dark corners can mean poor proportions.
Every diamond should come with a GIA or IGI report. Here's how to read one in 30 seconds.
Settings
The settings that suit a princess cut best
Solitaire
Four V-claws, one on each corner. Simple and secure.
Channel-set band
Small princess or round diamonds set into the band. A clean, modern pairing.
Halo
A square halo makes it look bigger and protects all four corners.
Where to look
Seeing princess cut diamonds in Hatton Garden
Shape is the one thing you can't judge from a certificate, so you need to see real stones. A traditional shop window might hold a handful of princess cuts. Online-first jewellers give you thousands of certified princess cut diamonds to filter by size, ratio and price before you book a viewing, so your visit is for choosing, not searching.
MOH London's certified diamond search is a good place to start: filter for princess cut, compare certified stones side by side, then see your shortlist at their Hatton Garden consultation suite. Or compare every option in our independent jeweller reviews.
Common Questions
How much does a 1 carat princess cut engagement ring cost?+
In Hatton Garden, a 1ct princess cut solitaire in 18ct white gold typically costs £3,400–£4,850 with a natural diamond, or £1,450–£2,500 with a lab-grown diamond. That’s for G colour, VS2 clarity and a well-cut, certified stone.
How big is a 1 carat princess cut diamond?+
About 5.5mm from above, for a stone of typical proportions. A 1 carat round is about 6.4mm across.
Is a princess cut out of fashion?+
It’s less popular than in the 2000s, when it was second only to round. That means it’s less common now, which many people see as a plus. Clean geometric shapes don’t really date.
Does a princess cut look smaller than round?+
Slightly. A 1ct princess is about 5.5mm square, while a 1ct round is about 6.4mm across. The princess carries more of its weight deeper in the stone.