• Sparkly User Guide
• The Four Cs
• Shapes
1. Round
2. Princess
3. Emerald
4. Cushion
5. Marquise
6. Radiant
7. Oval
8. Pear
9. Heart
10. Asscher
• Certification
• Settings
• Wedding Band Styles
• Metal Colors
Marquise
The marquise is flattering on everyone. Thanks to its elongated shape, the marquise makes the finger appear longer and slender, which makes the cut a serious contender, once it’s been tried on. The marquise has been around for longer than most, as it was originally designed by King Louis XIV to mimic the shape of his mistress’ mouth. Whether you think the inspo behind the shape is romantic or gross, we love it because it feels timeless and not so cookie cutter.
(See Round Rings on JamesAllen.com)
Since there’s less demand for this shape, you can often get a bigger carat for less money. Also, this special cut has sparkly flashes of white light can help hide inclusions, allowing you to drop as low as SI1 clarity (as long as it is eye clean). Last but not least, these white flashes also hide a good amount of color warmth, so you can drop as low as G pretty safely. Combine all of these benefits and you can get a great stone at a great value.
One of the biggest things to look out for with marquise (and with other pear cuts) is the length to width ratio. They can range from a 1.85:1 to 2:1 ratio but try and stay closer to 2:1. It’s also worth looking closely to make sure that the two ends align nearly perfectly to prevent the diamond from looking crooked. Finally, pay extra close attention to the girdle, as this needs to be cut pretty precisely to give your stone that sparkly look. Make sure it’s not too thin, not too thick. And as always, having detailed photos and a GIA report for this cut is super important.
