Ah, as we all know, styles come in and out of popularity. No, we aren’t talking about bellbottoms, Jelly sandals or the emo eyeliner trends of the mid 2000’s (even though really… are any of those really that out of style?) we’re talking about diamond style. The one thing that lasts forever, and is shoved into every unsuspecting friends face that hasn’t seen it yet. Diamond shape trends come and go just as fashion, hair styles and last seasons designer handbags do. And right now, retro is coming back baby!
History of the Marquise Shape
You can probably recognize a marquise diamond as the stone that every woman married between 1960-1980 had in their ring. We all know someone (or someone's mom… yep, my hand is raised) who had one. However, the story behind this cut will definitely make the otherwise outdated seeming style all the more feisty and a little NSFW.
King Louis XV is to thank for this pointy oval diamond cut. The story goes: he wasn’t the most keep-to-himself kind of guy. And one night at a ball, he set his eyes on the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her name was Madame de Pompadour, and she had amazing lips. She soon became his headmistress and he was enthralled by her beauty. So much so, he commissioned a diamond cutter to recreate the shape of those said luscious lips to be memorialized in blingy diamond history forever. And that’s how we got the Marquise shaped diamond. Not so boring now, huh?
So now we know the origin story of this risqué shape, what’s the low down on it?
Style
The marquise is kind of like that perfect shade of lipstick that just seems to match anything and everything you pair it with. They are fabulous taking center stage as the main diamond, or adding a bit of flair as accent diamonds. Going solo or being a team-player, the marquise adds a bit of class, elegance and uniqueness to all different kinds of settings.
Shape
One of the great things about our friend the marquise, is that it has the ability to be a finger-game-changer. That’s right, it can act like a little shimmery contouring accessory. Since the marquise is long and skinny (classically) if you have shorter fingers, this shape will magically elongate the look of your fingers. There are so many variations of the cut, that depending on ratios (we’ll get into those in a sec) you can match just about any finger width/length proportionately. Other shapes like round just don’t put in the same work.
Cost
Usually the price of the diamond will correlate with the ability to maximize the use of the rough. This means the amount of the raw diamond that can be kept while creating the facet placement and shape. Some shapes really don’t maximize the rough, due to it being an octahedron naturally. This is like two pyramids stacked bottom together. Since the marquise is long and skinny, there can be smaller bits used, or less rough used all together. You’ll notice once you start your search, they are usually 10-25% than their round friends!
Setting Esthetics
The versatility of our pointy-ended friends are endless. They especially look incredible in an east-west setting. This is where the diamond is placed non-traditionally, with the points facing to the left or right, as opposed to up and down. Set in a solitaire by itself, or with accent stones, there’s tons you can do with this shape. Set with a few baguettes on the side, and you have a super retro set. Add a halo and you have a sparkling classic option. Place some spaced out accent band stones, and you have a modern, minimalistic dream.
L/W Ratios
So back to the good stuff! Lots of play room here, but also some things to watch out for. The most classic option for marquise cuts is a 1.75-2.25 L/W ratio. On the lower end, you come out with a proportionate, long and skinny option. The higher you go you’ll find the middles are less narrow, and while still attractive, give more of a wider, pointy oval effect (also called a moval, pretty cool, check it out!). While taking your own fingers into consideration, the balance will be key- but it’s hard to go wrong with this shape. Other shapes may be very strict in the ratios, this one is almost always a winner, no matter what number it ends up being.
The one issue with longer, stretched out diamond cuts (like the oval and pear) are the dreaded bow-ties that may plague the otherwise perfect stone. This is due to less facets being placed at the middle of the diamond, so less light is reflecting back to you- creating dark spaces. While it sounds like a dapper option for your diamond, we don’t want them! Bow-tie free zones all around. The dark contrast to a bright sparkling diamond will suck the life out of it. Smiles turn to frowns. We aren’t happy. The way to get around this is visually checking the stone in multiple angles and light sources. This ensures that you don’t leave the store (or your cart online) only to find out that your diamond now is gloomy in the sunlight, (or when you tilt your head just a little to the left).
While grading reports don’t express that the diamond has a bow-tie or not, getting the advice of a gemologist is always a helpful source to get feedback on whether your sparkler is sporting a bow-tie or not.
Another key factor to pay attention to here is symmetry, both sides should mirror each other closely. Since the shape has such obvious points, you want to make sure those ends match up nicely. If one is off, it will be a little off looking, and not to mention a pain to set and have still be esthetically pleasing in something like a halo. You want to make sure the cut grade is very good and above (ideally excellent). This will ensure everything is proportionate, even and won’t bug you later on when you’ve looked at it a million times.
Best Color/Clarity Option
Some shapes show clarity and color very easily, but marquise is an easy pick for hiding the things you don’t want to come out. With lots of facets to reflect back at you, it is a great shape to help hide internal inclusions. This means you can fudge a little on the clarity and still get a great looking rock. Same with color, since it doesn’t have a super wide table like an emerald cut, it does help to appear less saturated in color if it’s a lower grade. Try to stay within the D-I color range, and VS2 for clarity (you can sometimes find some winners in the SI1 area that aren’t too obvious, but they’ll take some searching).
Most Protective Settings
Since this shape has very narrow points, you want to make sure they are protected! The top and bottom areas are the most vulnerable parts of the stone, and can be prone to chipping if not taken care of and protected. Most settings will have a prong covering each point, and then at minimum two more in the middle. Many also have four prongs to really hold onto the middle of the stone (the safest option) and two additional to take care of watching out for the pointy ends. This also offers a very pleasing design, and makes the uniqueness shine even more!
No matter what your style preference is, this versatile shape will be a winner for those who want something a little unique, and a sense of elegance. Not sure if you’re in the marquise fan club yet? Check out these other shape guides to help lead the way to finding the perfect one!
