July 14th 2022
The Marquise Cut Diamond Guide
By Devin Jones
Marquise Cut Diamonds
The marquise cut diamond is one of the most exotic diamond shapes, featuring curved edges that meet at sharp points. The shape resembles an elongated American football or an abstract sketch of a human eye. Due to their unique design, marquise cut diamonds have by far the longest length to width ratio of any diamond shape, with an average length to 1.95, far exceeding the next longest length to width ratio (pear shape diamonds).
The elongated shape of a marquise cut diamond can make fingers appear slimmer and longer, but it doesn't make for a popular choice as an engagement ring diamond. Marquise cut diamonds are the 2nd least popular diamond shape ahead of only Asscher cut diamonds.
Brides who do opt for this shape are use to get a unique piece that draws attention. A marquise cut diamond is typically set north-to-south in an engagement ring setting with a prong covering both pointed ends to help protect them from accidental knocking. Notice how incredibly different the settings look with nearly the exact same diamond carat weight in the center.
Click for more details on these east-to-west (first image) and north-to-south (second image) marquise cut diamond engagement rings
Pros & Cons of Marquise Cut Diamonds
Marquise cut diamonds are beautiful & unique, but there isn't a huge selection to choose from due to their lower popularity.
Marquise Cut Pros
- Beautiful & unique elongated design
- Can be worn north-to-south or east-to-west
Marquise Cut Cons
- The most expensive fancy diamond shape
- Limited inventory available
🛡️ Check your diamond 💎 Search marquise cut diamonds
Ideal Proportions for Marquise Cut Diamonds
Marquise cut diamonds do not have a specific set of angles and dimensions that grading agencies agree upon for optimizing light performance, so they do not receive cut grades like round diamonds do. By studying all available marquise cut diamonds we can determine which dimensions are the most popular and thus the most preferred by diamond cutters and shoppers alike.
Marquise Cut Length to Width Ratio
The most popular length to width ratio for marquise cut diamonds is 1.90, with most marquise cut diamonds falling between 1.75 and 2.20.
Marquise Cut Depth Percentage
The most popular depth percentage for marquise cut diamonds is 63.1% with the majority of diamonds falling between 58% - 65%. The steeper drop off in popularity after 63.5% reflects consumers desire diamonds cut too deep, as these tend to look smaller when viewed from above.
Marquise Cut Table Percentage
The most popular table percentage for marquise cut diamonds is 60%. The majority of marquise cut diamonds have table percentages between 56% - 62%.
🛡️ Check your diamond 💎 Search 2M+ diamonds
Marquise Cut Diamond Prices
Marquise cut diamonds are the most expensive fancy shaped diamond and the second most expensive of all diamond shapes, behind only round cut diamonds. Below is a table of diamond prices for 2 carat G color VS2 clarity diamonds of various shapes.
| Shape | Popularity | Price | Price Per Carat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | 55% | $31,153 | $15,577 |
| Oval | 16% | $22,846 | $11,423 |
| Cushion | 9% | $20,280 | $10,140 |
| Radiant | 6% | $23,013 | $11,507 |
| Emerald | 6% | $22,534 | $11,267 |
| Pear | 4% | $25,476 | $12,738 |
| Princess | 3% | $20,630 | $10,315 |
| Heart | 1% | $20,887 | $10,444 |
| Marquise | 1% | $26,499 | $13,250 |
| Asscher | 1% | $21,817 | $10,909 |
The current prices of marquise cut diamonds are shown below for various carat weights. All prices are G color, VS2 clarity marquise cut diamonds.
| Carat | Price | Price Per Carat |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | $1,526 | $3,052 |
| 1 | $6,055 | $6,055 |
| 2 | $26,499 | $13,250 |
| 3 | $45,035 | $15,012 |
