According to lore, the marquise diamond cut was created in 1745 at the behest of French king Louis XV. It was the year his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, became a Marquise, and he wanted a luxurious commemoration. Marquise cut diamonds are an elongated oval with two pointed ends, said to resemble the shape of the Marquise de Pompadour’s mouth.
Marquise diamonds, with their long shape, give the illusion of being larger than their carat size. Depending on how the stone is mounted on a ring, the jewel slims as well as elongates the finger. When choosing a marquise cut diamond, a rule of thumb is to make sure the length to width ratio is roughly 2:1, neither too long nor too stout. Its sides should be symmetrical, and the stone should be fairly bright, without a small bow tie shaped dark spot. The diamond should also be in a mount that protects the tips.
With these guidelines in mind, finding the right marquise cut diamond is much simpler.
