At the throne of diamond-shape royalty sit two cuts that are crowned as the most brilliant: the classic king – the round cut, and the edgy princess cut.
While the round cut is the ultimate go-to for engagement rings, the princess cut caters to those who want to own an extraordinary shape yet still exhibit optimal sparkle at its best!
Princess cuts flooded the market since its shape is the most compatible with the typical structure of a diamond rough. Meaning, the rough is maximized so there’s greater carat weight that’s widely more appealing. And celebrities like Hilary Duff only surged its popularity!
Unfortunately, because of this demand, cutters aim for bigger carat than ideal cuts. Whiteflash sets the bar higher by collecting only super ideal diamonds with their A Cut Above Princess line.
How is Whiteflash Able to Offer Super Ideal Princess Cut Diamonds?
The goal is to hunt for the most beautiful super ideal cuts and make them available to the masses. They do so by maintaining a supply agreement with one of the leading cutters of princess cuts.
With this direct connection, Whiteflash can deliver AGS 0 certified princess cut diamonds that are cut for superb light performance and are within the budget!
The A Cut Above Princess Cut line is highly coveted not just for its quality but also because diamond shoppers are becoming more educated on the importance of the diamond cut. Consequently, they are able to make tradeoffs in color and clarity as long as the cut is paramount in their chosen carat weight!
But What Makes A Cut Above Princess Beyond Ordinary?
Although both the round and princess cuts feature a brilliant style pavilion, a slightly different set of guidelines are created for evaluating the super ideal princess.
Cutters would prefer a bigger princess cut than one with better fire and brilliance. That’s why most princess cuts on the market have poor light performance. Even some AGS Ideal princess possess minor light leakage making them unfit for the A Cut Above line. But these diamonds don’t go down the drain, they are still outstanding and are included in the Expert Selection category.
Now, onto the process!
To achieve the distinction of A CUT ABOVE® Princess, a diamond must first be certified by the American Gem Society Laboratory as Triple Zero with a Platinum Certificate. It must then pass extensive review and testing by a panel of Whiteflash gemologists who screen for additional criteria and light performance characteristics.
IdealScope and ASET images are carefully analyzed to ensure the light handling properties of the diamond are at the absolute limits technically possible. Finally, a thorough visual evaluation guarantees that each and every A CUT ABOVE® Princess is absolutely superb. – Whiteflash Team
Their ACA princess is inspected under the criteria below:
- The diamond is a square princess with a length/width ratio within 1.03.
- AGS0 in overall cut grade.
- No inclusions that affect the durability of the corners.
- No light leakage in the center of the diamond
A Cut Above Princess Cut Patterning
Apart from the cut dynamics, patterning is also considered. And you know that a round cut is at its peak symmetry if it bears the hearts and arrow pattern. So, what’s equivalent to the A Cut Above Princess?
Well, there’s actually none! Though what this means is that facet variations like 2, 3, and, 4 chevrons can all be considered in the ACA line. BUT ONLY IF the patterns are well balanced with just the right amount of positive contrast so the princess cut can exhibit excellent scintillation.
The same can be said for the crown and pavilion’s facet arrangements as Whiteflash’s experts believe that there’s no absolute combination but a lot of different kinds that can all display ideal sparkle!
A Cut Above Princess Cut Clarity
One of the biggest factors that can distract from the light performance is clarity issues. Your princess cut may have an ideal cut, but if it bears visible inclusions, then it can’t be labeled as A Cut Above. To make sure there are no clarity flaws, the Whiteflash gemological review team carefully performs a physical inspection and high-tech imaging for every diamond.
This is particularly important in the Slightly Included range (SI1 and SI2). And especially in the corners of a princess cut that can cause durability concerns if compromised by an inclusion. The bottom line is even the slightest clarity flaw that poses a durability risk won’t be qualified for the A Cut Above Princess brand.
A Cut Above Princess Cut Diamond Review
Now, it’s time to put the acclaimed princess to the test! On the left is an A Cut Above Princess Super Ideal Diamond I randomly selected.
What we’re trying to see here is if this diamond truly has ideal light performance by making sure its cut proportions, ASET, Ideal Scope, and overall sparkle are indeed above the rest.
Since it isn’t an A Cut Above Princess if it’s not AGS 0, we’re pretty sure we got cut proportions at the peak of cut standards. As for the ASET and Idealscope images, as you can see, there are minimal white and dark spots that are indicating light leakage:
The diamond is almost all red which makes it superbly reflect light! And if you’ll click the image and watch the 360-degree video, you’ll see how the brilliance is just mesmerizing!
The Takeaway
You can learn about the Diamond 4Cs in one reading. You will discover that cut is king and there are exact proportions to consider. Diamond Color has a sweet spot, and Clarity has a win zone, while carat weight is always subjective.
With all these, you can scour reputable shops on your own. But if everything’s filtered for you, including eye-cleanliness, plus it’s proven to have the finest princess cuts in the world, wouldn’t you give Whiteflash’s A Cut Above Princess a chance? I know I would. 🙂
Read Next: Expert Selection and Premium Select Diamonds Review
Should you have any question, please feel free to write to me. Or comment down below!
My advice is free. 🙂