The Marquise: A Diamond With a Story

Elongated, pointed at both ends, and designed in 18th-century France. What a marquise cut does for the hand, and what to check before choosing one.

Among the fancy shapes, the marquise is the one with a biography. It emerged in 18th-century France, an elongated stone with curved sides drawn to a point at either end, and it has never entirely gone out of fashion since.

We are fond of it for reasons that have nothing to do with history.

It uses its weight well

A marquise is long and comparatively shallow through the middle, which means more of its weight sits where you can see it, spread across the finger rather than buried below the setting. Carat for carat, it presents larger than a round stone.

For a client working to a number, that is not a small thing.

It flatters the hand

Set lengthwise along the finger, a marquise draws the eye down the hand. Fingers read as longer and more slender. Very few shapes do this as decisively.

What to watch

The points. They are the thinnest part of the stone and the most vulnerable. A marquise should be set with prongs that cover both tips, not for looks, but because an unprotected point can chip against a door handle.

Symmetry. Because the shape is defined by two curves meeting at two points, any asymmetry is immediately visible. Look down at the stone from directly above and check that both halves mirror each other.

The bow tie. Most elongated shapes show a darker band across the centre where light does not return evenly. A faint one is normal. A heavy one will bother you forever.

Our own

The marquise solitaire we build sits on a slim band that splits and sweeps up into the setting, so the stone appears to float rather than sit. Six slender prongs, two of them guarding the points.

It is not a shape for someone who wants to be discreet.

Book a complimentary design consultation at our Kuala Lumpur atelier: 010-766 7448 · hq@cgarden.com.my

C'Garden is an independent bespoke jeweller in Kuala Lumpur. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or certified by any organisation, laboratory or brand named in this article. Third-party names are used only to refer factually to those organisations and their published standards. All text and imagery in this article is original work created by C'Garden.

Reference

Gemological Institute of America. (n.d.). Marquise diamond buying guide: How to choose the best. GIA 4Cs. https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/choose-marquise-diamond/