A marquise diamond is a brilliant cut shaped like a boat: two curved sides that meet in a point at each end, about twice as long as it is wide. It gives the most length for the weight of any shape, so it looks larger than anything else of the same carat and makes the finger look longer; in our picker on September 26, 2026, a 2 carat marquise measured 12.9 by 6.6 mm against 10.6 mm long for a 2 carat oval and 8.1 mm for a 2 carat round. The length-to-width ratio sets its look, classically 1.75 to 2.15. The two things to check are the bow-tie, the dark band across the middle that every marquise has to some degree, and the points, which want a prong over each tip. A Dutch marquise is a different cut, a long six-sided stone with straight sides, and it is now in our picker as its own shape with 17 settings cut for it. At Clairamor a marquise setting starts at $950 in 14k gold, a 1 carat lab-grown marquise at $734, and a complete 2 carat marquise solitaire was $2,114 on the day this was written. Below: the shape, its size by carat, the ratio, the bow-tie, the points, the Dutch marquise, color and clarity, the comparison with oval, pear and moval, the settings we make, wedding bands and prices.
Marquise diamonds at a glance
| Shape | A brilliant cut with curved sides and two points; also called a navette |
| Ratio | Length divided by width; 1.75 to 2.15 is the classic range; 97 percent of ours sit between 1.85 and 2.15 |
| Size | 1 carat about 10.9 by 5.2 mm; 2 carats 12.9 by 6.6; 3 carats 15.6 by 7.5; the longest face-up of any shape |
| Bow-tie | A dark band across the middle of every marquise; faint is normal, black and wide is a stone to pass on |
| Points | The most vulnerable part; our prong heads carry six prongs, one over each tip, and our bezels cover the tips in metal |
| Dutch marquise | A different cut: an elongated hexagon with straight sides and pointed ends; in our picker as its own shape, with 17 settings cut for it |
| Color | Shows most at the points, so D to F is the safer choice above 2 carats; we stock D to G |
| Price | Settings $950 to $2,400 in 14k across 45 designs; stones $734 at 1 carat, $1,164 at 2, $2,043 at 3; a 2 carat solitaire $2,114 complete |
What a marquise diamond is
A marquise is a fancy shape, which in the trade means any shape other than round, cut in the brilliant style so that it sparkles the way a round does, usually with 56 to 58 facets. Its outline is a long ellipse pulled to a point at each end, and its parts have names: the belly is the widest part across the middle, where the width is measured; the wings are the curved sides that run from the belly to the ends; the points are where the wings meet; the girdle is the edge where the top of the stone meets the bottom; and the keel line is the ridge along the underside where the pavilion facets meet.
The shape is French and old. It was developed in the 1740s, and the story GIA repeats is that King Louis XV had a diamond cut to match the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour, and the shape took her title. The trade also calls it a navette, Old French for a little ship. It was the engagement ring of the 1970s, faded behind the princess cut around 2000, and has come back with every other elongated shape, because it covers the most finger for the carat and lengthens the hand. Our elongated shapes guide sets it beside the oval, emerald, radiant and moval; this guide is about the marquise alone.
How big a marquise looks, carat by carat
Carat is weight, not size, and the marquise is the shape where the gap between the two is widest. The table gives the cheapest marquise at each weight in our picker on September 26, 2026, among lab-grown stones of D to G color and IF to VS2 clarity, beside the cheapest round and oval of the same weight that day.
| Carats | Marquise, length by width | Ratio | Oval | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.9 x 5.2 mm | 2.08 | 8.3 x 5.6 mm | 6.5 mm |
| 1.5 | 11.4 x 6.0 mm | 1.89 | 9.0 x 6.6 mm | 7.3 mm |
| 2 | 12.9 x 6.6 mm | 1.97 | 10.6 x 7.3 mm | 8.1 mm |
| 2.5 | 13.3 x 7.0 mm | 1.89 | — | — |
| 3 | 15.6 x 7.5 mm | 2.07 | 12.0 x 8.2 mm | 9.3 mm |
Read the length column against a finger. A size 6 finger is about 16.5 mm across at the ring, so a 3 carat marquise at 15.6 mm runs nearly edge to edge, and a 5 carat, at 17 mm, covers it. A 1 carat marquise is longer than a 2 carat round; a 2 carat marquise is longer than a 3 carat oval. That is the case for the shape when the budget is fixed. The width is the other half: a marquise is 5 to 7 mm across at the weights most people buy, so it looks long and slim rather than simply big. Our carat size chart has every shape at every weight, and the size simulator puts each one on a hand.
Length-to-width ratio: the number that sets the look
Every grading report lists the stone's length and width in millimetres; divide the first by the second and you have the ratio, and the ratio is the marquise. A short one, around 1.6, looks full and a little stubby; a long one, past 2.2, becomes a sliver that is hard to cut bright. GIA says the marquise diamonds it grades most commonly fall between 1.6 and 2.2, and the trade's classic range is 1.75 to 2.15, with 2 to 1 as the textbook proportion. Our picker is narrower: of the 1,300 least expensive marquise stones on September 26, 2026, the 1 to 2 carat range where most people shop, the shortest had a ratio of 1.78, the longest 2.29, 97 percent sat between 1.85 and 2.15, and the median was 1.98. In practice the choice is between about 1.85, a fuller stone with a rounder belly, and about 2.1, a slimmer one with more length, and the difference on the hand is real but not large.
| Ratio | How it reads | In our picker |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1.85 | Short and full; a wide belly; stubby below about 1.7 | Under 1 percent, none below 1.78 |
| 1.85 to 2.15 | The classic marquise; balanced length and width; what most rings show | 97 percent; median 1.98 |
| Over 2.15 | Long and slim; dramatic on a long finger; a sliver past 2.3, rarely cut because it is hard to keep bright | About 2 percent, none above 2.29 |
Symmetry matters more in a marquise than in any other shape, because the outline is all curves and points and the eye catches the smallest fault. GIA's checks are the ones to use: the two points on one line down the middle of the stone; the four wings with the same curve, neither flat nor bulging; a line across the belly leaving two halves of equal length; and points that are points, not rounded ends. The labs grade symmetry from Excellent to Poor, and for a marquise Very Good or better is the sensible floor, because a point a hair off the centerline will look crooked in the setting for the rest of its life.
The bow-tie
Look at any marquise face-up and you will see a darker band across the belly, the shape of a bow-tie. It is not a flaw; it is the stone reflecting you. Facets are mirrors, and the ones across the middle of a long stone are angled so that what they reflect is your own head and shoulders, which block the light. Every elongated brilliant shows it, and the marquise, with the longest pavilion, shows it most. GIA's guidance is that a marquise with no bow-tie is usually a dull stone, that a slight gray one is normal, and that a wide black one is a stone to pass on; it is most common in stones cut very shallow or very deep. A report will not tell you, because the labs do not grade it. Judge it as a grader does, face-up in ordinary light, on the picker's photograph and video of the exact stone. Most of the marquise stones in our picker run 60 to 64 percent deep, the middle of the range, where the bow-tie tends to stay faint.
The points, the prongs and how a marquise wears
The two points are where a marquise is fragile: the girdle narrows to almost nothing there, and a point is where a knock lands, so a marquise wants metal over each tip. Cutters help from their side: many leave the girdle slightly thicker at the points, which GIA counts as acceptable for this shape, and some cut French tips, several small facets at each end in place of one large one, which makes the point stronger. The setting does the rest. Every prong head we make for a marquise carries six prongs: four claw prongs on the wings, the way a round or oval is held, and a single prong over each point like a cap, what most jewelers call a V-prong, so the most exposed part of the stone becomes the most protected. Our bezels do the same job with a rim: the full bezel wraps the whole outline, and the half bezel and east-west half bezel cover the two points in metal and leave the long sides open to the light, the best of both for a hand that is hard on rings.
Two more things follow from the points. The ends of a marquise were the parts of the rough closest to its skin, so small naturals gather there; they show at the tips of the plot on a report and disappear under a prong, so they are not a reason to reject a stone. And a marquise with its points capped is as secure as any prong-set diamond, with the same rules: a prong check every year or two, a clean with a soft brush and warm soapy water, and the ring off for the gym, the garden and any work with tools or ropes. Our bezel guide covers the fully protected version, and the tulip guide the petal prongs that cradle a marquise.
What a Dutch marquise is, and is not
A Dutch marquise is not a marquise with different proportions; it is a different outline. Where a marquise has two smoothly curved sides, a Dutch marquise has six straight edges: two long sides that run parallel to each other, and from each end of those a shorter edge that angles in to a point, so the stone is an elongated hexagon. On the hand it does the same lengthening job, but the line is geometric rather than soft. The name is a trade name, not a shape any laboratory defines, so a grading report describes the geometry instead; the IGI reports for our stones read "Hexagonal Modified Brilliant." That last word matters: the Dutch marquise is faceted as a brilliant, for sparkle; the same outline with step facets is sold as an elongated hexagon and reads like an emerald cut. There is no official ratio; our stones run 1.82 to 2.16 with a median of 2.03.
We cut for it. The Dutch marquise is in our picker as its own shape, 56 lab-grown IGI-graded stones from $1,102 at 1 carat on October 1, 2026, and 17 of our settings are made for it, the solitaire, bezel, half bezel, cathedral, tulip cathedral, hidden halos, pavé, art deco and engraved bands among them, from $950 in 14k, each with a prong or a rim over both points; the Dutch marquise collection has them, and our Dutch marquise guide covers the shape in full. The honest comparison: the marquise is the classic, the Dutch marquise is the modern edge on the same idea, both look long for their weight, and the choice is curves or corners; around 2.5 carats on October 1, 2026, the marquise was $1,704 (2.51 carats) and the Dutch marquise $1,684 (2.43 carats).
Color and clarity in a marquise
A marquise is generous about clarity and strict about color. The brilliant faceting breaks the interior into small flashes that hide inclusions, so VS2, the lowest clarity we stock, is clean to the eye in any size we sell; prefer an inclusion under a prong or at the belly, where the sparkle covers it, to one in an open wing. Color is the opposite. The body color concentrates at the points, so a marquise shows its color at the tips before an oval or a round of the same grade shows it anywhere, and the effect grows with size. In our range of D to G, a G marquise at 1 carat reads white; at 2 carats and above the tips of a G can warm faintly in white metal, so D to F is the safer choice for a large stone in white gold or platinum, and a yellow or rose gold setting, which warms the whole stone, makes the point moot. Our color scale guide explains the grades.
Marquise vs oval, pear and moval
The three shapes people weigh against the marquise are its neighbors on the long side of the case. Prices and measurements are the cheapest 2 carat lab-grown stone of each shape in our picker on September 26, 2026.
| Shape | 2 carats | Where it wins | Where it loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquise | $1,164; 12.9 x 6.6 mm | The most length per carat | Two points to protect; the deepest bow-tie; color at the tips |
| Oval | $1,394; 10.6 x 7.3 mm | No points; wider, so it reads bigger from above; the easiest to set | Shorter; the most-bought shape, so the least distinctive |
| Pear | $1,120; 11.4 x 7.0 mm | One point only; the cheapest of the long shapes at every weight | Reads as a teardrop, so it is a style choice |
| Moval | $1,632; 10.7 x 6.3 mm | The marquise's taper with softened points; rare | The priciest of the four and the hardest to find |
At 1 carat a marquise costs a little more than an oval and a round in our picker ($734 against $719 and $656), at 2 carats less than both ($1,164 against $1,394 and $1,178), and at 3 carats between them ($2,043 against $1,938 and $1,698); the pear is the bargain of the family at every weight. The longest line, the marquise; length without points, the oval; length at the lowest price, the pear; a marquise nobody else has, the moval.
Settings for a marquise: what we make
We make 45 of our designs in marquise, more than 400 rings in the marquise engagement rings collection across nine metals, and every one holds the points. Prices are the setting in 14k gold without the center stone.
| Setting | How it holds the marquise | 14k |
|---|---|---|
| Solitaire | Six prongs, four on the wings and one over each point, on a 2 mm band | $950 |
| Bezel, half bezel, east-west half bezel | A rim round the whole outline, or caps over the two points with the wings open; the east-west sets the stone across the finger | $950 |
| Tulip cathedral | Petal-shaped prongs that cup the wings, a prong over each point, cathedral arches under the head | $1,000 |
| Cathedral | Six prongs braced by arches rising from the band; also as a cathedral bezel | $1,000 |
| Hidden halo | Six prongs on a gallery rail set with small diamonds; also tulip, low profile and cathedral versions | $1,050 to $1,100 |
| Low profile | The six-prong head dropped to the band, or a low bezel | $950 to $1,500 |
| Three stone | Kite-shaped or pear side stones that follow the taper, half-moon sides on the crescent, or tapered baguettes | $1,350 to $2,200 |
| Pavé band | Six prongs above a band set with small diamonds halfway round | $1,450 |
| Wide band | The wide flat band, the wide band hidden halo and the cigar band; a broad shank under a long stone | $1,500 to $2,200 |
| Engraved and vintage-inspired | Hand-engraved shoulders under a six-prong or tulip head, the art deco and the heirloom cathedral | $1,850 to $2,400 |
If the stone is the point, the solitaire or the tulip, whose petals make the long stone look like a bud on a stem; the tulip and the bezel are the two marquise settings people search for most. If the hand works, a bezel or the east-west half bezel, which sits within the width of the hand and stops meeting door frames. For more sparkle, the hidden halo adds a rail of small diamonds under the stone without touching the outline, which a full halo would blur; we do not stock full halos and quote them custom. If the finger is long, a three stone makes the ring wider. The settings guide compares every setting we make, and the hidden halo guide works through the halo question.
Wedding bands with a marquise
A marquise overhangs its band more than any other shape, its points reaching about 5 mm past the band on each side at 2 carats, so the question is whether a straight wedding band slides under the points or meets them. On the solitaire and the bezels the head stands the stone clear of the band, and a straight band slides under the points and sits flush, as it does under a round. On the cathedral, the tulip cathedral and the hidden halo the band meets the arches or the rail first and leaves a small gap, as with any shape in those settings. On the low profile, the bypass and the rounded tapered band the stone sits at the band, so a straight band meets the point unless it is curved or notched, which we make to order. An east-west marquise removes the question. Our guide to matching a wedding band to an engagement ring covers widths and stacks.
What a marquise engagement ring costs
The ring is two prices. The setting is $950 in 14k gold for the solitaire, the flat band, the bezels and the low profile, $1,000 for the cathedrals and the tulip, $1,050 for the hidden halo, and $1,350 to $2,400 for the three stones, wide bands and engraved designs; 18k adds $100 to $600 and platinum $200 to $850 by design. The diamond is chosen separately from the picker, and on September 26, 2026, among lab-grown marquise stones of D to G color and IF to VS2 clarity, the least expensive at each weight was:
| Carats | Stone | Grade and size | With the solitaire, 14k | With the tulip cathedral, 14k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $734 | 1.02 ct, F VVS2, 10.9 x 5.2 mm | $1,684 | $1,734 |
| 1.5 | $1,080 | 1.50 ct, D VS2, 11.4 x 6.0 mm | $2,030 | $2,080 |
| 2 | $1,164 | 2.02 ct, G VS1, 12.9 x 6.6 mm | $2,114 | $2,164 |
| 2.5 | $1,622 | 2.50 ct, E VS1, 13.3 x 7.0 mm | $2,572 | $2,622 |
| 3 | $2,043 | 3.04 ct, F VS1, 15.6 x 7.5 mm | $2,993 | $3,043 |
| 4 | $2,412 | 4.06 ct, G VVS2, 16.8 x 8.2 mm | $3,362 | $3,412 |
| 5 | $2,951 | 5.14 ct, G VVS2, 17.0 x 9.0 mm | $3,901 | $3,951 |
The price curve is gentle: the step from 2 to 3 carats is $879, and from 3 to 5 it is $908, so a marquise is the shape where a large stone costs least for what it shows, because the extra carats go into length the eye sees at once. The picker moves daily; the largest marquise in it on September 26 was 14.09 carats, 24.8 by 12.7 mm, at $17,883, and the cheapest stone at a weight is often sold the next day, so treat the figures as the level rather than a quote. The pricing guide has the current picture, and our 3 carat guide shows a 15 mm stone on a hand.
Where Clairamor fits
We cut for the marquise in every design we make, 45 settings and more than 400 rings in the marquise collection, in nine metals from $950 in 14k, and every prong head we make for it caps both points. The stone comes from our picker, lab-grown, D to G and IF to VS2, with photographs, video and the full report so you can judge the bow-tie and the points before you buy. Every price on this page is the setting without the center stone. Every ring carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, comes with an appraisal for insurance, and includes one complimentary resize within 100 days for clients in the USA. The order to decide in is ratio, then size by the length column above, then the report for symmetry and depth, then the stone itself for the bow-tie, then color, then the setting by how the hand spends its day; and if you are choosing between two ratios, or between a marquise and a Dutch marquise, book a consultation and we will put the stones side by side on your hand.
Marquise engagement rings Choose a marquise diamond See it on a hand
Not sure about the ratio? Book a design consultation and we will bring the stones.
Frequently asked questions
What is a marquise diamond?
A diamond cut in the brilliant style with an outline like a boat: two curved sides meeting in a point at each end, about twice as long as it is wide. The shape dates from 1740s France and is also called a navette. It gives the most length for the carat of any shape, so it looks large and lengthens the finger.
Are marquise diamonds more expensive?
Not in our picker. On September 26, 2026, a 2 carat lab-grown marquise was $1,164 against $1,178 for a round and $1,394 for an oval; at 1 carat it was $734 against $656 and $719. It is priced like an oval and shows more length.
What is the best length-to-width ratio for a marquise?
The classic range is 1.75 to 2.15, with 2 to 1 as the textbook proportion; GIA says most marquise diamonds it grades fall between 1.6 and 2.2. In our picker 97 percent sit between 1.85 and 2.15, median 1.98, so the practical choice is a fuller stone near 1.85 or a slimmer one near 2.1.
Do marquise diamonds look bigger than other shapes?
Yes, in length. A 1 carat marquise is about 10.9 mm long, longer than a 2 carat round at 8.1 mm, and a 2 carat marquise at 12.9 mm is longer than a 3 carat oval at 12.0 mm. It is narrow, 5 to 7 mm across, so it looks long and slim.
Why does a marquise have a bow-tie?
Because its middle facets reflect the viewer, whose head and shoulders block the light, so a dark band appears across the center. Every marquise has one; a faint gray one is normal and a stone with none is usually dull. Judge it face-up in ordinary light on the picker's photo and video of the exact stone, and pass on a wide black one.
Do the points of a marquise chip?
They can if left bare, which is why a marquise is set with a prong over each point. Every prong head we make for a marquise carries six prongs, four on the wings and one capping each tip, and our bezels cover the points in metal. Set that way it is as secure as any prong-set diamond; take it off for the gym, the garden and any work with tools or ropes.
What is a Dutch marquise diamond?
A different cut: an elongated hexagon with straight sides and a point at each end, faceted as a brilliant. It is a trade name rather than a laboratory shape, so a report calls it a hexagonal modified brilliant. It is in our picker as its own shape, from $1,102 at 1 carat, with 17 of our settings cut for it.
Marquise vs oval: which is better?
The marquise for the longest line and the most finger covered; the oval for length without points and a wider face. At 2 carats on September 26, 2026, the marquise was 12.9 by 6.6 mm at $1,164 and the oval 10.6 by 7.3 mm at $1,394.
What setting is best for a marquise diamond?
One that covers the points: a six-prong head with a prong over each tip, a bezel, or a half bezel that caps the ends. At Clairamor the tulip cathedral and the bezel are the marquise settings people search for most, the solitaire is the simplest, the east-west half bezel never catches, and the three stone adds width; they start at $950 to $1,400 in 14k.
What color grade should a marquise be?
Color shows at the points first, so a marquise wants one grade higher than an oval or a round. Up to about 2 carats, any grade in our D to G range reads white; above 2 carats in white gold or platinum, choose D to F. In yellow or rose gold the grade matters less.
How much does a marquise engagement ring cost?
The setting is $950 in 14k gold for the solitaire and the bezels, $1,000 for the tulip and the cathedral, and up to $2,400 for the engraved designs; the diamond is chosen separately. With lab-grown marquise stones from our picker on September 26, 2026, a 1 carat solitaire was $1,684 complete, a 2 carat $2,114 and a 3 carat $2,993.
Related reading
- Elongated engagement rings: oval vs emerald vs radiant vs marquise vs moval
- What is a Dutch marquise diamond? Shape, ratio, settings and prices
- What is a tulip setting?
- Bezel engagement rings: full, half and faux bezel compared
- What is a moval diamond? Shape, size, price and how it wears
- Solitaire engagement rings: the complete guide to prongs, heights, shapes and prices
- Hidden halo vs halo: which looks bigger and costs less?
- Types of engagement ring settings, explained, with prices
- Diamond carat size chart: 0.5 to 5 carats in millimeters
- Which diamond shape looks the biggest?
- Lab-grown diamond pricing guide
