Marquise diamond is named after the high ranked officials that wore it in the 18th century. It came into existence when King Louis XV of France asked that a diamond be cut after the shape of his mistress’ lips. This diamond cut has a lot of other names because of its unique shape. It is also known as the boat-shaped cut, eye-shaped cut, football-shaped cut or the “navette” (meaning little ship in French).
The diamond symmetry is very important when dealing with marquise diamonds. Both sides of the diamond must correspond to and be equal to each other. The center line of the diamond must divide the diamond into two equal halves and they must be mirror images of each other. This is extremely important for the marquise as a slight misalignment will affect the outlook of the diamond after it is placed in a setting irrespective of whether the setting is right for it or not. If you cannot get a marquise cut diamond with an excellent symmetry, at the very least, you should settle for a diamond with a very good symmetry.
Any setting you are placing the diamond in must have two prongs at either ends to cover and protect the edges of the diamond. This is important for the diamond because the edges of the diamond is the part of the diamond that is most prone to having flaws, inclusions and extra facets etc. because it is the closest part of the diamond to the outer part of the unfurnished stone. This is why it is important to cover these ends to mask these flaws and also to protect the diamond from chipping.
The crown surface area of the marquise diamond is high compared to other diamonds. This allows the diamond create an illusion of being bigger than it actually is and also making the finger of the wearer appear longer and thinner. If a buyer is looking to maximize the perceived shape of their diamond, marquise diamond is ideal for them.
The length to width ratio of marquise diamond may differ due to individual preferences but the ideal length to width ratio is between 1.75 and 2.15.
The marquise diamond is one of the diamond cuts that are prone to the bowtie effect. The severity and visibility of this bowtie may differ in the diamonds but you have to watch out for them.
