Natural Diamond Prices – December 2024
At PriceScope, we remain dedicated to providing timely and insightful updates on the latest trends in the diamond market. Our expert analysis focuses on the economic and social changes shaping…
Cushion Cut Diamonds – Basics
Originally fashioned for King Louis XIV, the marquise cut diamond reached incredible popularity in the late 1900s.
PriceScope Pointer: Most laboratories issue NO CUT GRADE for shapes other than round: If the cut is described as “Ideal” or “Excellent” (etc.) it’s a seller’s description, not a laboratory judgment.
Before going on: Check out the PriceScope Diamond Buying Guide
Marquise Cut Diamond Described
Sometimes referred to as a navette cut, the marquise cut diamond is a brilliant, elliptical shaped diamond with pointed ends. Among the various diamond shapes, the marquise style became extremely popular in 1970s and has seen a resurgence in recent years. The marquise diamond can be worn vertically on the finger, seeming to elongate the hand, or angled for a more contemporary look.
The Fancy, Inconvenient Truth
The marquise cut diamond is often cut to for heavier weight, at the expense of beauty. This is because many grading laboratories, including GIA, do not assess the optical performance of the marquise diamond or other fancy shapes. With no standards enforced, manufacturers tend to plan for the highest yield possible.
Exceptions
The AGS and GCAL assess and grade the optical performance of certain fancy shapes. If you’re seeking cut quality affirmation, fancy shapes with performance deficits will not earn the highest marks from those top-tier laboratories.
Marquise Cut Diamond Selection Tips
Bow Tie Caution
A bow tie is a dark area across the center width of the oval cut diamond resulting from a combination of cutting angles. While well-proportioned marquise cut diamonds should have a minimal bow tie effect be sure to check for this deficit. Viewing a diamond spin-video or images under a variety of lighting conditions will help you identify this.
The oval diamond, marquise diamond, heart diamond, and pear shaped diamond all tend to have bow ties of varying degrees.
Length to Width Ratio:
For the marquise cut diamond we recommend a ratio of 1.85 to 2.1
Other Notes:
Like the pear shaped diamond, the marquise diamond depends on symmetry to ensure even sparkle across the diamond’s body.
A marquise cut diamond may show more color and inclusions than other brilliant cuts. Inclusions may be easily seen in the center (belly) facets, which are larger than the pointed end facets where inclusions are easily hidden.
When being set, a pair of prongs should support the pointed ends of the marquise diamond to prevent chipping.
Thanks to its elongated shape the marquise diamond can appear larger than other diamonds of the same carat weight.
Marquise Cut Diamond Prices
PriceScope has been maintaining marquise cut diamond prices chart since 2017 and you can visit marquise cut diamond prices for the latest retail marquise cut diamond price statistics.
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