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Realizing that an engagement ring is an investment of a lifetime, you will want to find the perfect ring for your beloved. You want to find the ring that will compliment her hand and the diamond that will offer maximum sparkle and brilliance for your money. The princess cut engagement ring may be just what you want.

Nearly square, this cut complements long, slender fingers and provides nearly the same brilliance and sparkle of the round brilliant cut diamond.

Introduced as an economic cut for flat diamond crystals in 1960 by a London diamond cutter, the princess cut diamond engagement ring was designed to get the maximum amount of sparkle out of a square shape diamond.

What a princess cut? What do you look for when comparing diamonds? First, become familiar with these terms.

• Facets: the polished, flat surfaces on a diamond.
• Fire: also called Refraction, refers to the white light reflected like a prism from the diamond.
• Sparkle: the combination of fire or dispersion and brilliance; the amount of light that is reflected as the diamond is moved.
• Table: the large, flat facet on the top a cut diamond.
• Table Percent: determined by dividing the width of the table by the total diameter of the diamond.
• Girdle: the narrow band around the outer, top circumference of a diamond.
• Depth: the height of a diamond measured from the very bottom to the diamond's table.

The princess cut will determine many elements important to your engagement ring's beauty and quality. For example, a diamond that is cut to the correct proportions will always increase the reflection of light from the facets and maximizes the stone's brilliance.

Good table and depth percentages are of major importance. A depth percent that is too low or too high will cause light to leak out of the stone, causing the diamond to lose sparkle. The recommended depth percentage and girdle thickness required for good quality vary according to shape. For those new to the diamond field, review online jewelry guides for the princess cut and its ideal proportions.

If you are looking for maximum brilliance and sparkle, many jewelers recommend following what the industry calls the 65/65 rule. This rule means neither the table nor the depth percent should exceed 65 percent. The ranges of possibilities for princess cut diamonds with brilliance are much broader than those for the round brilliant cut.

When shopping for a princess cut engagement ring consider the following.

• Shape: the girdle should appear even and not too thin to the unaided eye.
• Color: excluding fancy colors, the quality of a diamond begins with colorless and descends to light yellow.
• Clarity: describes the level of impurities or inclusions and lowers the quality of the diamond.
• Polish: the quality of finish should be excellent, without scratches or blemishes.
• Symmetry: determined by the alignment of the diamond's facets and the alignment between crown and pavilion (the lower half of the diamond below the girdle).

For more information, please read the articles listed under Wedding Ring Basics in the Wedding Guide.

Once you have found the princess cut engagement ring that best expresses your love and devotion, you can happily and with confidence slip it onto your princess' finger.