Marquise Engagement Rings

Marquise engagement rings are perfect if you're looking for diamond cut that's all about style and personality.

A marquise cut diamond ring can look quirky, traditional, contemporary or even regal depending on the setting, and is probably one of the most versatile diamond shapes in that way.

Vintage and antique style rings (which are all the rage these days) are particularly well suited to a marquise cut diamond.

The marquise shape, also known as the Navette Shape, is considered to be one of the fancy cuts of diamonds.

Legend has it that the marquise cut, is named after King Louis XV's mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour.

Apparently the King commissioned the design for his mistress and wanted something that matched the shape of her mouth.

What do you think?

Marquise Engagement Rings: Quality & Proportions

The marquise is a brilliant cut and ideally has between 56 and 58 facets however, it's less forgiving than many of the other brilliant cut shapes and requires better than average color and clarity grades. (See the tips at the bottom of the page for specifics.)

The shape can also cause shadows (a bow tie effect) within the stone if it isn't cut properly, so the quality of the diamond cut with a marquise is also very important.

That's 3 (Cut, Clarity, and Color) out of the 4Cs that you need to pay attention to with a marquise diamond ring, leaving only Carat. The good news is that the marquise shape looks bigger per carat weight than most of the other shapes so if size is important to you, this is the one to go for.

In terms of proportion of length to width, standard ratios for this cut run between 1.5 and 2.5 to 1 with 2.0 to 1 being the sweet spot. Think of it this way, since the overall shape is like a football, the higher the ratio, the skinnier the football will appear and the lower the ratio, the rounder the diamond. The ones in the diagram above are 2.0 to 1, again meaning that the length is exactly twice the width when looked at from above.

Marquise Engagement Rings: A Perfect Setting

As we mentioned at the top of this page, marquise cut diamond rings make a statement simply because of the diamond's shape.

The marquise shape works well as a solitaire and in multi-stone settings (mixed with colored gemstones or other diamonds).

Although marquise diamonds are almost always set perpendicular to the band, we're finding more and more designers creating at least one setting with the stone running parallel like in the collection above from Gemvara.

This next set of marquise engagement rings come from James Allen. They have a modern feel and show some of the elegant lines that are associated with the distinctive shape.

Below is another design by JamesAllen that is as unique as it is beautiful. We just had to include it!

It has a vintage quality which is somehow playful and traditional at the same time. It's not something we would normally like but for some reason it really works for us. We love this ring!

The most important thing to remember when it comes to the setting of a marquise diamond is that those pointed tips need to be well protected so make sure that whatever design you choose does just that.

Marquise Engagement Rings: Expert Tips

Because of its shape and the way it's cut from the rough stone much of the carat weight is visible to the eye. This means that a marquise diamond of the same weight as another shape will look bigger to the eye.

At the same time, because so much of the diamond is apparent to the eye and it has a relatively shallow pavilion, color and clarity are very important. Experts recommend no lower that SI1 for clarity and I for color with marquise engagement rings.

The marquise shape is susceptible to the bow-tie effect which will hurt the value of the stone and your investment. So invest in a quality cut! A good cut will make sure that the angles of the table and facets are optimized to the pavilion so that light will pass through the stone without causing a shadow. The deeper the shadow, the less Bling! So be careful.

Like all diamond shapes that are long and thin, when a marquise diamond is set perpendicular to the band and parallel to the finger it will make your fingers look longer and slimmer. Can't think of a girl who doesn't want that!

If you want to make the stone appear bigger than it really is, use a pave or halo setting (like some of the ones above from JamesAllen). By framing the center diamond with accent stones you marquise will end up looking bigger.

Finally, before you ask..... which celebs have been spotted wearing a marquise engagement rings? Style mavens like Portia de Rossi, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Victoria Beckham to name just a few.

Oh, one last thing... It can be really hard to find a wedding band to go with a marquise shaped diamond if they don't come in a matching set so you'll either have to have one made or not wear your engagement ring and wedding band together.