Princess Cut vs Radiant Cut: Telling Two Square Diamonds Apart

Princess cuts and radiant cuts are often confused with one another — both are squarish diamonds with plenty of brilliance, and at a glance they can look quite similar. But they are cut very differently, behave differently in a setting, and suit different aesthetics. Here is how to tell them apart and decide which is right for you.

The Princess Cut

The princess cut is a square (or slightly rectangular) diamond with pointed, unfinished corners and a brilliant facet pattern — essentially, a round brilliant's facet structure adapted to a square outline. It was developed in the 1980s and remains one of the most popular fancy shapes for engagement rings, prized for combining a contemporary square silhouette with the maximum sparkle of brilliant faceting.

The defining visual feature of a princess cut is its sharp, pointed corners, and its facet pattern creates a distinctive X-shaped or pinwheel pattern of light and dark areas visible from the top of the stone. Because of its faceting, a princess cut tends to retain colour less than other fancy shapes, meaning a slightly lower colour grade (such as I or J) can still appear bright and white.

The sharp corners are also the princess cut's main practical consideration: they are vulnerable to chipping if knocked. A setting that protects the corners — typically a four-prong setting with a prong over each corner — is essential.

The Radiant Cut

The radiant cut is also a square or rectangular shape, but with cropped (cut) corners rather than pointed ones, and a step-and-brilliant hybrid facet pattern that combines the geometric lines of an emerald cut with the sparkle of a brilliant cut. It was specifically developed to bridge the gap between the emerald cut's elegance and the round brilliant's fire.

The cropped corners make the radiant cut significantly more durable day-to-day than a princess cut — there are no vulnerable points to chip. Visually, a radiant cut has more facets than a princess cut, which gives it a livelier, more scintillating appearance, while still showing some of the linear structure associated with step cuts.

Side by Side: Key Differences

Corners: Princess cuts have sharp, pointed corners. Radiant cuts have cropped corners. This is the easiest way to tell them apart visually.

Durability: Radiant cuts are more resistant to chipping due to their cropped corners. Princess cuts require corner-protecting settings.

Sparkle character: Both are brilliant in style, but radiant cuts often display a slightly more complex, layered sparkle due to their hybrid facet structure, while princess cuts show a more uniform, geometric pattern.

Length-to-width ratio: Princess cuts are most commonly square (ratio close to 1.00). Radiant cuts are available in both square and rectangular ratios, offering more flexibility for an elongated look.

Setting requirements: Princess cuts need corner protection. Radiant cuts are more forgiving and can be set in a wider range of styles, including bezel settings, without corner-protection concerns.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose a princess cut if you love a sharp, geometric, contemporary square silhouette and you are comfortable with (or specifically want) a setting style that incorporates corner protection — which can itself be a beautiful design feature.

Choose a radiant cut if you want the brilliance of a princess cut with greater everyday durability, more flexibility in setting style, and the option of an elongated rectangular silhouette.

Both shapes offer excellent value relative to round brilliants of the same carat weight, as their cutting process retains more of the rough diamond — meaning more carat weight for your budget.

Princess and radiant cuts vary significantly based on individual cutting quality. Come and compare both in person — the differences are subtle in photos but obvious in hand.