Marquise Diamond Rings: key options
The marquise is a long, narrow outline with a point at each end — sometimes called a navette. It has one distinction no other shape can claim: it gives the largest face-up area of any cut for its carat weight. If maximum apparent size for the money is your objective, this is the shape that delivers it.
It also has two points, and points are where diamonds chip. Protecting them is the central requirement of any marquise setting. This page covers buying the ring; for choosing the stone and its proportions, see marquise diamonds.
Styles, shapes and setting combinations
- Solitaire with V-prongs — the standard and the correct one. A V-shaped prong wraps each point, holding the stone and shielding its most vulnerable feature. Never accept a marquise where the points sit exposed.
- North-south orientation — set lengthwise along the finger, which is the classic arrangement and the one that most elongates the hand.
- East-west setting — turned across the finger. Contemporary and increasingly popular, and it removes the risk of the points extending past the finger’s width.
- Halo — a marquise-shaped halo follows the outline and adds a further protective ring of metal and stones around the points.
- Three-stone — a marquise centre with tapered or pear flankers, strongly directional and dramatic.
- Vintage-style — the marquise has a long history and suits milgrain and engraved galleries particularly well.
One practical note on wedding bands: a north-south marquise extends well along the finger, so a straight band often will not sit flush against it. Plan a shaped or contoured band from the outset. See engagement ring settings.
What to compare: symmetry, bow-tie visibility, tip protection and face-up proportions
- Symmetry, and specifically point alignment. The two points must line up with each other through the centre of the stone. If they are offset even slightly, the marquise looks bent — and once you see it, you cannot unsee it. Look down the length of the stone to check. This matters more in a marquise than in any other shape.
- Bow-tie visibility. Marquise cuts show a dark band across the centre more often and more strongly than any other shape, because of their length. Every marquise has some; a good one is faint. It appears on no report — you must view the stone face-up in normal light.
- Tip protection. Check that each point is covered by a V-prong and not merely adjacent to one. Also ask whether either point shows an existing chip or a natural — both are common in this shape and both should be disclosed.
- Face-up proportions. Length-to-width ratio is preference: lower reads fuller and rounder, higher reads slimmer and more dramatic. Decide deliberately, and ask for the measurements.
Diamond quality and grading considerations
Graded per GIA’s grading methodology, with several marquise-specific points.
- No overall cut grade for this shape. Read the proportion figures, the symmetry grade in particular, and then look at the stone.
- Colour concentrates at the points. More than in any other shape, body colour gathers in the tips of a marquise. A stone that grades well can still show visible warmth at each end, especially in white metal. View it before deciding.
- Check the plot near the points. An inclusion close to a tip compounds an already thin, vulnerable area. Elsewhere in the stone, the brilliant faceting hides inclusions well.
- Ask about girdle thickness at the points. An extremely thin girdle there is a genuine durability concern in this shape.
Price factors and budget trade-offs
The marquise is among the best-value shapes available, for two compounding reasons: it costs less per carat than a round, and it delivers more visible size per carat than anything else. A marquise will look substantially larger than a round of identical weight while costing less.
- Carat thresholds — still the largest single saving; buy just under a round weight.
- Symmetry and bow-tie quality — a well-proportioned marquise with faint bow-tie and true point alignment commands a premium, and it is worth paying.
- Colour — worth a grade more than in a round if using white metal, given tip concentration. Or pair with warm metal and take the saving.
- Clarity — the easiest grade to reduce, subject to checking the points on the plot.
- Do not economise on the setting. V-prongs are non-negotiable, and a shaped wedding band should be budgeted for.
See diamond ring price South Africa; quotes are dated.
Who this option suits
- Buyers who want the largest possible visual impact for their budget — no shape does this better.
- Shorter fingers, which the long outline lengthens more than any other shape.
- Buyers who want something distinctive and vintage-inflected rather than conventional.
- Less suitable for very hands-on work, given the exposed points, unless carefully set and worn with awareness.
- Requires viewing in person more than any other shape — symmetry and bow-tie simply cannot be assessed from paperwork.
Related options and how to enquire
For the stone itself, marquise diamonds. Compare other elongated shapes at pear shaped diamond rings and oval diamond rings — the oval offers similar elongation without the exposed points. For all outlines, diamond shapes. For a proposal, engagement rings.
Explore diamond ring options and request buying guidance
Tell us the ratio and size you want and your budget. We will show marquise stones face-up so you can check point alignment and bow-tie yourself, and we will make sure the setting protects both tips properly — the two things that determine whether a marquise ring lasts.