Lab Grown Diamonds Β· Stud earrings
Princess Cut Stud Earrings: Protecting the Corners, and Square or Turned
The sharpest-looking stud you can buy. Those four points are the reason β and the thing to protect.
Written by the Mapple Gems workshop, Surat Β· Updated 9 October 2026
Short answer
Princess cut studs are square with brilliant faceting and sharp 90Β° corners β crisp, bright and modern. The corners are the weak point, so every corner needs a prong over it. Wear the stone squared (edges level) for a classic look, or turned 45Β° into a diamond shape, which reads larger because the diagonal is about 41% longer than a side. A 1 ct princess is about 5.5 mm square.
The princess cut is the default square stud for good reason: it is the brightest square shape, it looks sharp in every metal, and it suits both a minimalist ear and a stacked one. It also has one genuine weakness, and on an earring that weakness is exposed more than people expect.
Hardness is not toughness β a princess corner can chip even in a diamond. Diamond is the hardest material on the Mohs scale, which means nothing scratches it. But it can still cleave: a sharp knock in the wrong direction splits a thin edge off. A princess cut ends in four thin points, which is exactly where that happens. Earrings take more knocks than people assume β a hairbrush dragged past the lobe, a jumper pulled over the head, a phone pressed to the ear, a pillow at night. The fix is mechanical, not optical: the prongs must sit over the corners, not along the sides, so each point is wrapped in metal. On a four-prong princess stud that is where the prongs belong; on a larger stone, ask for V-prongs, which fold metal around each tip. A princess stud with prongs on the flat sides leaves all four points bare.
Squared or turned?
| Orientation | Look | Apparent size | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squared (edges level) | Classic, architectural | Its side length | Work, everyday, stacking |
| Turned 45Β° (kite / diamond) | Dynamic, more modern | Its diagonal β about 41% longer | A single statement piercing |
Turning a princess 45Β° doesnβt change the stone, but it changes what you see first: the long diagonal, running up and down the lobe. A 5.5 mm princess turned on its point is about 7.8 mm tip to tip. The trade is that the bottom point now hangs lowest on the lobe, where it meets the most contact β so corner prongs matter even more.
How a princess sizes against a round
A 1 ct princess is about 5.5 mm on each side; a 1 ct round is about 6.5 mm across. Measured edge to edge the princess looks smaller, but its square face covers a similar area to the roundβs circle, and its corners reach further. In practice the two read as similar sizes, with the princess looking crisper. The size chart has every step.
One pricing note: in mined diamonds the princess was traditionally cheaper per carat than the round because cutting it wastes less of the rough crystal. In lab grown diamond, where rough is cheaper to begin with, that gap is much smaller β choose the princess for its look, not to save money.
What we make
In moissanite: princess solitaire studs, four prong princess studs and classic princess studs. In IGI-certified lab grown diamond (E colour, VVS2): classic, everyday and timeless four-prong studs. Made to order in Surat in 925 silver or solid 10K, 14K or 18K gold. Moissanite (Mohs 9.25, more rainbow fire) starts in the low hundreds of dollars in silver and is not laboratory graded; lab grown diamond (Mohs 10, whiter sparkle, IGI report) starts a little under a thousand.
Before you order princess studs
- Check the prongs sit over the corners.
- Decide squared or turned β and tell the workshop.
- For 1.5 ct and up, ask for V-prongs.
- Confirm the carat is per earring.
- Take them out for sleep and sport β that is when corners meet pillows and helmets.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
Do princess cut earrings chip easily?
Their corners are the most vulnerable point of any common shape, even in diamond, which is hard but can still cleave. With a prong over each corner the risk becomes small.
Should princess studs be worn straight or as a diamond shape?
Either. Squared is classic and suits everyday stacking; turned 45Β° shows the diagonal, about 41% longer than a side, so the stud looks larger and more modern.
How big is a 1 carat princess cut stud?
About 5.5 mm on each side, or roughly 7.8 mm corner to corner. In wear it reads at a similar size to a 1 ct round.
Princess or radiant for earrings?
Princess for the sharpest square look; radiant if you want a square that sparkles just as well but has cropped corners, so it is much less likely to chip.
Are princess cut lab grown diamonds cheaper than round?
Only slightly. The saving comes from wasting less rough crystal, which mattered more for mined diamonds; with lab grown the difference is small, so choose by look.
Look at the corners first.
Four prongs over four points is what keeps a princess stud crisp for years.
Leave a comment