Marquise Diamond Engagement Rings

Have you heard of the marquise diamond engagement?  Marquise! What in the world is that? Think France. Marquise refers to a French noblewoman.

Specifically, the ring goes back to the 1700’s in France. As the story goes, it was King Louis XIV who had this new shape done to match his mistress’ smile. That's the short story behind the marquise diamond engagement ring. Well, leaving out any more sordid details . . .

What does it look like?

This ring is all about nobility and sophistication. It goes beyond the traditional round-stone shapes to an oval, narrow look with pointed ends. Someone has compared it to a football. Just envision a football upright on a kicking tee. Maybe that’ll get “his” attention! If you are both football fans then all the better. These diamond’s shapes are also sometimes referred to as boat shapes.

Most jewelers believe that the best proportion for the diamond is a width half the length. And while they do come in different sizes or proportions, when it is particularly thin it creates what is called a bow tie effect. That is, a shadow is created and the center of the diamond looks darker, a bit like a formal bow tie. Some consider this a “flaw” while others see it as part of the uniqueness of the diamond. But you’d want to make sure the cut was done well so that the effect wasn’t too great.

The prong or tiffany setting is most often used for this ring. On the prong setting, two of the prongs, one on each end, keep the stone from chipping. The other two prongs on the long sides hold it in place. What’s called the Bezel setting is also sometimes used. The diamond is secured with a metal rim. It’s made in such a way that it does not affect the appearance of the diamond in a negative way. It looks good and keeps the diamond safe. Though some vintage and antique rings place the diamond parallel to the ring, most are point the direction of the finger.

Is this ring for you?

If you want a nice ring but not spend a fortune this might be your ring. The shaping of the stone and frequent additions of accenting stones (pear, oval, round) makes the diamond look bigger than it actually is. The additional stones are plus for many couples.
Because of its longer shape, if you have long thin fingers this ring would look good on you.

And maybe you are one of those who just doesn’t want to be like everybody else. The round diamond is so common some people just want to be different.

Summary:

To review the basics, if you are interested in the marquise diamond engagement ring here are a few points to keep in mind:

Look for a good cut (of course) but especially with this ring make sure the bow-tie effect is not too pronounced.

Make sure the setting is such that it will protect the diamond, especially the pointed ends.

See if it has enough sparkle for you. It won’t be as great as a round cut but it needs to be enough for you.

Check out the prices. It should be less than the round cuts, but the size of the stone and other factors do affect the final price.

To get a better idea about how the marquise ring looks, there are a few photos placed above. You can also go to a number of websites that offer pictures, prices, reviews, and more.