A jeweler told me princess cut diamonds are 'low quality.' Is this just him trying to upsell me to round?

I went into a local independent jeweller to look at princess cut solitaires. I've wanted a princess cut since I was a teenager. The jeweler spent 20 minutes trying to talk me out of it. Things he said:

"Princess cuts are for people who can't afford a good round diamond"
"The corners will chip within 5 years guaranteed"
"Princess cut sparkle is 'flat' compared to round"
"Resale value is basically nothing"

Then he immediately tried to show me a round brilliant in the same price range.

I left without buying anything. Now I genuinely don't know if he was giving me honest advice or just steering me toward a higher-margin sale. Does anyone have an unbiased take on whether princess cuts are actually problematic?

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u/farzanahasan2h ago

He mixed some truth with a lot of salesmanship. Corners do chip — that's real. You should always set a princess cut in a 4-prong or bezel that covers the corners, and avoid tapping it against hard surfaces. But "chipping within 5 years guaranteed" is fearmongering. Plenty of people wear princess cuts their whole lives without issues.

"Low quality" and "flat sparkle" are opinions dressed up as facts. Princess cut produces a different sparkle pattern — blocky, mirror-like flashes rather than round's scattered brilliance. Some people love it. The jeweler personally doesn't, and that's fine, but he shouldn't pretend it's an objective quality judgment.

u/Marcus_Webb2h ago

He was 100% upselling you. Round brilliant diamonds command a ~15-20% premium over princess at the same carat weight and grade. His margin is better on round. "Princess is for people who can't afford round" is one of the grossest things I've heard a jeweler say — it's designed to shame you into the more expensive purchase.

u/EmmaWatts_UK2h ago

Go to a different jeweler. Ideally one who specializes in custom or has a wide inventory and isn't steering you based on what they have in stock. Your instinct was right to leave. Any jeweler who opens with "people who buy X can't afford Y" is not your jeweler.

u/Ryan_Mitchell_LA2h ago

The resale point is actually true — princess cuts do resell for less than round, typically 30-35 cents on the dollar vs round's 50-55 cents. But that's relevant if you plan to sell, which most people don't. If you love the shape, buy the shape.