Buying a Princess Cut Engagement Ring is one of the most monumental purchases you will make in your lifetime. You want to make the right investment in a ring that will continue to dazzle throughout your lifelong union. When you break up the shopping process into a few easy steps, it becomes manageable and enjoyable to find that Princess Engagement Ring that is as special as your one true love.
1. Set a budget
Figuring out your price range is a solid first step. There are Princess Engagement Rings in an incredibly wide range of prices, so this will help focus your search in the range that fits your budget. As a reference, the average price for an engagement ring was $5,598 in 2013. Many people choose to finance their princess cut engagement ring, so be sure to check into financing options provided by reputable fine jewelry retailers.
2. Research your 4C's
You can learn a lot about diamonds before you even set foot in a jewelry store. The basics to know are the 4Cs - Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight. Each of these four factors influence the value of the diamond and adds to the overall appearance of the stone. You can decide what is most important to you and where you may want to spend more, or less, to fit your price range. Guys spend three months on average researching and selecting an engagement ring. 61% consult their fiancé for tips.
A quick breakdown of the 4Cs:
1 . Color: D, E, and F are the best
2. Carat: A Princess Cut gets the most value for your money when it comes to carat weight. Because of the way the stone is cut, the princess shape allows more of the stone to be used. Less waste means a higher yield, and that translates to a bigger diamond for less money. A win-win for the Princess Cut.
3. Clarity: You want to minimize inclusions to increase clarity. The intense sparkle of a Princess Cut masks inclusions, so they affect clarity less with this shape. Excellent choice.
4. Cut: The goal is to maximize sparkle, brilliance, and fire. The good news is that the Princess Cut does all three! You are already ahead of the game just by choosing this shape.
3. Pick a Setting
The setting is what holds the center Princess Cut stone in the engagement ring. Another advantage of the angular shape of the Princess Cut diamond is that it is well suited to most styles and settings. The most popular engagement ring settings are: solitaire, halo, three stones, and side stones. We will go through a quick breakdown of these four types.
A quick guide to settings
Solitaire: This setting features a single center stone and is the number one choice for engagement rings. While trends come and go, the solitaire is consistently the favored option.
Top designer collections of Solitaire settings:
TACORI's Sculpted Crescent, Starlit and Simply TACORI
Side Stones: This setting contains smaller diamonds or other gemstones that flank the larger center stone for additional sparkle or color. Popular sidestone settings include prong, channel (which protects stones by keeping them flush), and bar-channel (which allows more light to enter the sidestones).
Top designer collections of Side Stone settings
Sylvie's Side Stone
Three Stones: It this setting typically the side diamonds are the same shape as the center diamond, with the two sidestones being smaller than the center stone.
Top designer collections of Three Stone settings:
TACORI's Classic Crescent
Sylvie's Three Stone
Halo: This features a center stone surrounded by tiny gemstones in a pave setting, usually with diamonds, that add sparkle and create the appearance of a larger center stone.
Top designer collections of Halo settings:
Fana's Classic
TACORI's RoyalT
Sylvie's Halo
4. Pick a Metal
White gold, yellow gold, and rose gold are the most common metals for engagement rings. They all have a distinctive and stunning look, so the metal you choose should reflect the style of your bride to be. Pay attention to the kind of jewelry she already wears to discern her personal taste. Is she more classic or modern? Does she wear more white metals, yellow gold, or rose gold? Wondering which metal is favored? White gold takes the lead by a large margin, with 73% of engagement rings using this metal.
5. Shop and Enjoy!
Now that you have the budget, 4C's, settings, and metal decided, it's time to have fun and shop some Princess Cut Engagement Rings! You can stealthily borrow another ring from your fiancé to measure the diameter and determine her ring size. You have already made a superb choice choosing a princess cut diamond and will enjoy several benefits: a comparably low price for a larger carat size, highly fashionable shape, and intense sparkle, fire, and brilliance. Want to talk to a trusted, friendly fine jewelry expert about your Princess Cut Engagement ring? Call us today at 203-230-1199, or stop by in-person to our Hamden, Connecticut showroom. Happy shopping!